Does UPS Deliver to PO Boxes? Rules & Alternatives
Can UPS Ship to a PO Box?
This is a little bit of a tricky thing to answer. The short answer is no: usually, UPS will not deliver a package to a standard PO Box address. That is because UPS services generally require a street address. However, UPS Ground Saver can deliver to PO Boxes through USPS.
Additionally, some Post Offices offer PO Box Street Addressing. We cover this in our PO Box Street Addressing guide. Essentially, you use the Post Office’s street address followed by # and your box number, instead of a standard PO Box address. If your location offers this service and you sign up for it, UPS can deliver there. We’ll explain how both options work in more depth below.
Generally, we don’t cover much on UPS or FedEx, but we’ve gotten quite a few questions about this subject recently. We thought we’d address the issue more thoroughly instead of replying to one-off emails.
UPS Can Deliver To
- Residential street addresses
- Business addresses
- Apartments and suites
- UPS Store mailboxes with street addresses
- Eligible UPS Access Point locations
- USPS PO Boxes using Street Addressing, when available
- Standard PO Boxes when shipped with UPS Ground Saver
- APO, FPO, and DPO addresses when shipped with UPS Ground Saver
Standard UPS Services Cannot Deliver To
- Addresses written only as “PO Box 123”
- APO, FPO, or DPO addresses with standard UPS services
- USPS General Delivery addresses
- Incomplete addresses without a valid delivery location
Why Standard UPS Usually Can’t Deliver to PO Boxes
1. A PO Box Isn’t a Street Address
UPS and USPS are separate organizations, and standard UPS services generally require a street address. So “PO Box 1234” isn’t going to be a deliverable address for standard UPS service. However, if your Post Office offers Street Addressing and you sign up for it, you can use its street address followed by # and your box number. For example, “123 Fake Street #1234,” along with the city, state, and ZIP code. You’d use your Post Office’s actual street address, of course. Then UPS can deliver the package there for your PO Box.
One exception is UPS Ground Saver. With that service, UPS can hand the package off to USPS, which handles the final delivery to your PO Box.
2. UPS Cannot Access the Box Itself
The biggest issue here is that PO Boxes are secure. Again, UPS and USPS are separate organizations. UPS drivers don’t have keys or access to put packages inside these boxes. With Ground Saver, UPS can hand the package off to USPS, which makes the final delivery to your PO Box.
Street Addressing is another option at participating Post Offices, but UPS still hands the package to USPS staff. It doesn’t give UPS drivers access to the box itself.
What Happens If You Ship a UPS Package to a PO Box?
If you use a standard UPS service and address the package only to a PO Box, here’s what may happen:
Step 1: UPS Flags the Address
UPS may recognize during processing that the package does not have a valid street address.
Step 2: UPS Attempts an Address Correction
UPS may try to obtain a valid street address from the sender or recipient. The package may be delayed, the UPS Service Guarantee will not apply, and the sender may be charged an address-correction fee.
Step 3: The Package Is Delivered or Returned
If UPS obtains a valid address, it may reroute and deliver the package. If the address cannot be corrected, the package may be returned to the sender.
What to Do If UPS Won’t Deliver to Your PO Box?
You basically have a few options if you really need a package delivered to your PO Box through UPS.
First, ask the sender whether they can ship it with UPS Ground Saver. That service can deliver to PO Boxes through USPS. Not every sender offers it, so check before ordering.
You can also check with your Post Office to see if it offers Street Addressing. If it does, sign up and use the Post Office’s street address followed by # and your box number. Make sure you confirm the exact address with your Post Office first. The package still has to meet USPS mailing rules, so this won’t work for prohibited items or packages over 70 pounds.
Otherwise, you can rent a mailbox at The UPS Store for packages to be delivered to instead of your PO Box, or have your package delivered to a home address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can UPS deliver to a PO Box?
No, standard UPS services will not deliver to a standard PO Box address. If you need delivery to a PO Box, ask the sender to use UPS Ground Saver or check whether your Post Office offers Street Addressing. With that service, you use the Post Office’s street address followed by # and your box number. For example, 123 Fake Street #456, followed by the city, state, and ZIP code.
Can I use my Post Office’s street address?
Sometimes. Check with your Post Office before trying it. You need to sign up for Street Addressing where it’s available and use the address they give you. Otherwise, you could risk a return to sender.
What happens if UPS cannot deliver the package?
UPS may request a corrected street address. If the address cannot be corrected, the package may be returned to the sender.
If you just need to send a letter to a PO Box, The Letter Pilot can print and mail it through USPS for you. Upload your letter and we’ll take care of the mailing.
Sources
- UPS Address Guidelines: PO Box address corrections, possible delays, and Service Guarantee exclusions.
- UPS Tariff and Terms of Service: Address corrections and handling of undeliverable shipments.
- UPS Ground Saver: PO Box delivery through USPS.
- USPS PO Box Street Addressing: Using a participating Post Office’s street address and box number for private-carrier deliveries.
- USPS Street Addressing Customer Agreement: Enrollment, address format, and package acceptance requirements.
- UPS Access Point: Pickup locations for eligible packages.
- The UPS Store Personal Mailboxes: Renting a mailbox with a street address that accepts packages from all carriers.
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