Shipping Glossary

USPS Informed Delivery

What USPS Informed Delivery shows a recipient, who has to enroll, and why it changes what buyers expect on the day a parcel arrives.

Definition

USPS Informed Delivery is a free USPS service that emails a recipient grayscale images of letter mail arriving that day and a list of expected packages. The recipient enrolls, not the sender, and enrollment is tied to a verified residential or business address. It changes the shipper's position because the buyer can see an inbound parcel before any dispatch email arrives.

What Is Informed Delivery?#

Informed Delivery works by using the scanned images USPS already captures of letter-sized mailpieces as they are processed. Enrolled recipients get a morning email showing grayscale previews of the letters arriving that day, plus a list of packages expected or recently delivered. It is a recipient-side service: the person receiving mail signs up, not the sender. For shippers and marketers, it creates indirect value. Buyers who use Informed Delivery see their incoming packages tracked automatically, which reduces "where is my order" anxiety and the support messages that come with it. Mailers can also participate in Informed Delivery campaigns that pair a marketing image and link with the scanned mailpiece, turning a physical letter into a digital touchpoint. The service is U.S.-only and free to recipients. While it is not something you buy when purchasing a label, understanding it helps you set buyer expectations: many of your customers already get a heads-up that their package is on the way, so clear, accurate tracking on your end complements what they are already seeing.

What Informed Delivery Changes About Your Shipment#

USPS Informed Delivery moves visibility to the buyer's side of the transaction. A recipient enrolled in it knows a parcel is due before the seller sends tracking, and equally knows when an expected parcel did not arrive. That raises the cost of a stale dispatch email and lowers the cost of an early one, because the buyer is already watching.

How Each Carrier Handles Informed Delivery#

USPS

Informed Delivery is a USPS service. It previews grayscale images of incoming letter mail and tracks expected packages for enrolled recipients via a daily email and online dashboard. Mailers can run Informed Delivery campaigns to attach a digital image and link to a scanned mailpiece.

FedEx

FedEx does not participate in USPS Informed Delivery. FedEx offers its own delivery-management tools, such as delivery notifications and the ability to manage or reroute deliveries, which provide visibility but are separate from Informed Delivery. I'd Ship That prints discounted USPS and UPS labels; FedEx is covered here for comparison and is not sold through I'd Ship That.

UPS

UPS does not participate in USPS Informed Delivery. UPS provides its own notification and delivery-management features that let recipients track and adjust deliveries, but these are distinct from the USPS mail-preview service.

Informed Delivery: What Experienced Shippers Do#

Remember Informed Delivery is a recipient-side service; your buyers enroll, not you as the shipper

Keep your own tracking accurate and timely, since many buyers already see packages coming via Informed Delivery

If you do direct-mail marketing, explore Informed Delivery campaigns to add a digital image and link

Set buyer expectations knowing they may get an automated heads-up before your package arrives

It is U.S.-only and free, so it complements rather than replaces your tracking communications

Tracking Number • USPS Package Intercept • SCAN Form

Informed Delivery in Practice

Use Informed Delivery to lower shipping cost#

Apply this concept to reduce avoidable spend through better packaging and service selection.

Review where Informed Delivery affects your highest-volume orders.
Add process checks before label purchase.
Track savings after SOP updates.

Use Informed Delivery to speed decisions#

Clear terminology-driven rules reduce back-and-forth during fulfillment.

Document decision trees for common scenarios.
Train team members with real-order examples.
Use presets to reduce manual overrides.

Use Informed Delivery to reduce risk#

Strong process controls based on this concept reduce claims, delays, and customer disputes.

Add QA checkpoints tied to this term.
Assign ownership for KPI tracking.
Review exceptions monthly and refine rules.

Informed Delivery: Key Takeaways#

Informed Delivery is a free USPS service that previews incoming letter mail and tracks expected packages.
It is recipient-side: customers enroll, not shippers.
Many buyers already see packages coming, which lowers delivery anxiety and support volume.
Mailers can run Informed Delivery campaigns to add a digital image and link to physical mail.
Accurate, timely tracking on your end complements what buyers see in Informed Delivery.

How USPS Informed Delivery Changes What Buyers Expect#

Even though you do not control Informed Delivery, it quietly shapes what your customers expect. A growing share of buyers wake up to a digest showing the package you shipped is on its way, before your own notification reaches them.

Sellers who recognize this align their communications with it: tracking that is accurate and current reinforces the heads-up the buyer already has, while stale or missing scans create a jarring contradiction that drives support messages.

Assume a meaningful share of buyers preview incoming packages through Informed Delivery.
Keep acceptance and in-transit scans timely so your tracking matches what buyers already see.
Use a SCAN Form so packages get an immediate acceptance scan that lines up with the buyer's digest.
Frame your shipping notifications to complement, not duplicate or contradict, the USPS preview.

Sending Tracking Before the Buyer Sees It Themselves#

For businesses that send direct mail, Informed Delivery is more than visibility, it is a free digital surface. Campaigns let you attach a branded image and clickable link to the scanned mailpiece, so recipients see and can act on your message before the physical mail arrives.

This is distinct from package shipping, but it rewards the same discipline: consistent branding and clear calls to action. Treated as a deliberate channel, it extends a single mailing into both a physical and a digital impression at no added postage cost.

Explore Informed Delivery campaigns if you send postcards, letters, or other direct mail.
Pair a branded image and a clear link with the scanned mailpiece for a digital touchpoint.
Keep the digital creative consistent with the physical mailpiece for a unified impression.
Measure click-through on the digital link to gauge how the campaign adds to the mailing.

Common Mistakes With Informed Delivery#

Mistake	Why It Hurts	Better Approach
Assuming you enroll in Informed Delivery as the shipper	You wait for a control you do not have, when it is the recipient who enrolls.	Treat Informed Delivery as a recipient-side service and focus on your own accurate tracking.
Letting your tracking lag behind the buyer's Informed Delivery preview	Buyers see a package coming via USPS but your tracking shows nothing, creating confusion and support tickets.	Keep acceptance and in-transit scans timely, using a SCAN Form for an immediate acceptance scan.
Overlooking Informed Delivery campaigns for direct mail	You miss a free digital impression that could pair with mail you are already sending.	Explore Informed Delivery campaigns to add a branded image and link to your mailpieces.
Treating Informed Delivery as a replacement for your notifications	You assume buyers are fully informed and skip your own updates, leaving gaps it does not cover.	Use Informed Delivery as a complement and keep sending your own clear shipping notifications.

Informed Delivery Implementation Checklist#

Recognize that Informed Delivery is enrolled by the recipient, not the shipper.
Keep acceptance and in-transit scans timely to match buyer previews.
Use a SCAN Form so packages get an immediate acceptance scan.
Frame shipping notifications to complement the USPS preview.
Explore Informed Delivery campaigns if you send direct mail.
Keep digital campaign creative consistent with the physical mailpiece.
Continue sending your own clear shipping updates as a complement.

Real Shipment Examples: Informed Delivery#

This term influences shipping outcomes even in routine orders when decisions are made at scale.

Apply the concept before label purchase.
Use SOP prompts so the team follows consistent logic.
Measure impact with one operational KPI.

Time-sensitive orders are where process clarity matters most.

Use pre-defined escalation paths.
Avoid ad hoc decisions that increase risk.
Capture outcomes for process review.

Risk-sensitive shipments need stronger controls and documentation.

Use verification and proof-of-delivery workflows.
Set minimum controls by order value.
Review incidents to improve guardrails.

Informed Delivery: Questions People Ask#

What does USPS Informed Delivery show?

USPS Informed Delivery emails a recipient grayscale scans of letter-sized mail arriving that day, plus a list of packages expected or in transit to that address. It is a preview of the day's delivery rather than full tracking, and it covers the address rather than any single sender's shipments.

Is USPS Informed Delivery free?

Yes. USPS Informed Delivery is free to the recipient, who enrolls with a verified residential or business address. There is no cost or enrollment step for the sender, and a shipper cannot enable it on a buyer's behalf. The service covers the address, not the individual shipment.

Do I enroll as a shipper or does my customer?

Your customer enrolls. Informed Delivery is a recipient-side service tied to an address. As a shipper you do not turn it on, but you benefit indirectly because many buyers already see their incoming packages tracked, which reduces delivery anxiety when your tracking is accurate.

Can businesses use Informed Delivery for marketing?

Yes. Mailers can run Informed Delivery campaigns that pair a digital image and clickable link with the scanned mailpiece, turning a physical letter into a digital touchpoint. This is separate from package shipping and is aimed at direct-mail marketers.

How does Informed Delivery relate to my package tracking?

It complements it. Because many buyers preview incoming packages through Informed Delivery, consistent and timely tracking on your end reinforces what they already see. Keeping acceptance and movement scans current, for example via a SCAN Form, keeps the two in sync.

Does USPS Informed Delivery replace tracking for a seller?

No. USPS Informed Delivery is a recipient-side daily preview of mail and expected packages at one address. It does not give a seller shipment-level visibility, does not report scans, and cannot be enabled by a shipper. Sellers still track by tracking number and send it to the buyer at label creation.

What I'd Ship That sells: I'd Ship That prints discounted USPS and UPS labels. FedEx is covered on this page for comparison and reference only, and is not sold through I'd Ship That.

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