To ship to a post office, address the parcel to a PO Box or General Delivery and match the format your postal service requires.
Some trips, moves, or remote addresses make a street mailbox awkward or impossible. Sending a parcel straight to a post office window or PO Box solves that problem, as long as you follow the right format and pick a service that accepts post office delivery.
This guide walks through how to ship to a post office in clear steps, explains the main services that hold mail behind the counter, and shows how to avoid the common mistakes that cause returns and delays.
Why Ship To A Post Office?
Sooner or later, almost every sender runs into a situation where a post office address works better than a doorstep. Maybe your friend lives rurally with no safe drop spot, you are meeting a parcel during a road trip, or you simply do not want packages sitting outside all day.
Post offices offer several ways to receive parcels without a home mailbox:
- PO Boxes for regular mail and packages, rented long term.
- General Delivery or Poste Restante for short stays or travellers.
- Hold for pickup services where the carrier keeps a parcel at the counter.
- Street addressing for PO Boxes in some countries, which lets private carriers send to a box using the post office street address.
Each option has its own format and limits. Once you know which one your recipient uses, you can build the label correctly and choose a carrier that actually reaches that location.
How to Ship to a Post Office Step By Step
When people search for how to ship to a post office, they are usually trying to match three things: the right service, the right address lines, and the right carrier. Here is a simple path to follow each time.
Step 1: Confirm The Exact Post Office And Service
Ask the recipient which branch and service they use. The same town can have several stations, and not every building offers every option. Some offices host PO Boxes only, others provide General Delivery, and some locations abroad use a different label such as Poste Restante.
If you are the one planning pickup, call or visit the branch you prefer and ask which services they offer, how long they hold parcels, and whether they accept items from private carriers such as UPS or FedEx.
Step 2: Match The Address Format
National postal operators publish address standards for PO Boxes and General Delivery, and those rules matter. In the United States, USPS Publication 28 postal addressing standards set out formats such as using the words GENERAL DELIVERY on the delivery address line and pairing it with the right ZIP+4 code ending in -9999 for that town.
| Situation | Best Post Office Service | Typical Address Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient already has a PO Box in the United States | USPS PO Box | Name / PO Box 123 / City, ST ZIP |
| Short stay in a U.S. town with no local address | USPS General Delivery | Name / GENERAL DELIVERY / City, ST ZIP+4 |
| Traveller crossing Canada for a few months | Canada Post General Delivery | Name / GENERAL DELIVERY + station / City, Province, Postal Code |
| Recipient rents a PO Box with street addressing | PO Box Street Addressing | Post office street address #BoxNumber / City, ST ZIP |
| Business with a private mailbox in a mail centre | Private Mailbox (PMB) | Name / Street address PMB 123 / City, ST ZIP |
| Online order shipped with a carrier hold option | Carrier Hold For Pickup | Carrier location name / Street address / City, ST ZIP |
| Long term traveller abroad using Poste Restante | Poste Restante | Name / POSTE RESTANTE / City and country format |
Follow the layout required by the postal operator, including any instructions on line order, abbreviations, and postal codes. Small details such as using GENERAL DELIVERY in full or placing the PO Box number directly after the words “PO Box” reduce sorting errors.
Step 3: Pick A Carrier That Reaches The Post Office
The service you choose on the shipping label decides who carries the parcel and where it can be delivered. National postal services deliver to their own counters and PO Boxes, while many private carriers only deliver to street addresses or to their own pickup shops.
In the United States, USPS delivers to PO Boxes and General Delivery, but UPS and FedEx do not normally take parcels straight to a post office box unless they hand the parcel to USPS through a special economy service arranged in advance. In other countries, rules differ again, so spend a minute checking the carrier web page before you create a label.
Step 4: Write The Label Clearly
Print names and address lines in block letters where possible, with dark ink on a light background. Avoid punctuation that local standards discourage, such as commas at the end of each line. Leave plenty of blank space around the address block so sorting machines can read it.
Place your own return address on the top left corner or on another clear area of the label. If something goes wrong, this gives the network a safe path to send the parcel back to you.
Step 5: Choose Tracking And Insurance
Tracked services give both sender and recipient a view of when the parcel shows up at the counter or box section. Insurance, where available, can limit financial loss if a parcel is lost or damaged in transit. Many postal operators include a basic level on higher tier services and sell extra coverage for higher value items.
Tell the recipient which service you used and share the tracking number. That way they know when to visit the post office and what identification to bring.
Shipping A Package To A Post Office Options
Across the world, post offices group their pickup options into three broad types: numbered boxes, named counter pickup services, and holding arrangements linked to a street address. The details vary, but the core ideas stay roughly the same.
PO Boxes And Street Addressing
PO Boxes remain the classic option when someone receives mail at the post office every week. In the United States, the USPS PO Box service lists box features, including twenty four hour lobby access in many branches and a street addressing add on that lets customers give merchants a street style address while still collecting mail from the box section.
Street addressing for PO Boxes uses the physical address of the post office and adds a “#” sign plus the box number, turning the box into something that looks like an apartment or suite. Some private carriers accept this format, as long as the local office participates in the program and the customer signed the required form.
General Delivery And Poste Restante
General Delivery covers people who do not yet have a permanent mailbox in a town. USPS describes it as a safety net for those between addresses or passing through. Canada Post and many other operators offer similar arrangements, often under the name Poste Restante.
The typical pattern looks like this:
- Line 1: Full name as it appears on the identification card.
- Line 2: GENERAL DELIVERY or POSTE RESTANTE, sometimes with a station name.
- Line 3: City, region, and postal code that match the chosen branch.
Travellers normally have a limited window, such as a few weeks or months, to collect items sent under this method. If a parcel sits too long, it may be returned to sender.
Hold For Pickup Services
Many postal operators and private carriers allow a sender or recipient to choose a pickup point instead of home delivery. In some cases, the pickup point is a main post office; in others, it might be a parcel shop or locker attached to a partner store.
When you use hold for pickup, the label usually still carries the recipient name and the pickup location address, but the network treats the parcel differently once it arrives in the destination city. Staff keep it behind the counter or in a secure locker until the person listed on the label shows identification.
Carrier Rules When Shipping To A Post Office
Carriers differ widely in how they handle post office delivery. Before you decide how to ship to a post office for your next parcel, scan the rules for your origin and destination pair.
Postal Services
National postal services such as USPS and Canada Post route mail to their own PO Boxes and General Delivery counters. They often publish detailed addressing standards and explain which services qualify for pickup and how long staff hold each parcel.
USPS, in one case, uses Publication 28 Postal Addressing Standards to define how PO Box, street addressing, and General Delivery lines should appear on letters and parcels. Canada Post provides separate guidance describing where to place the General Delivery identifier and which office names to include on the second line of the address.
Private Carriers
Private carriers largely run on street addresses. FedEx and UPS state that most of their domestic services do not deliver straight to a PO Box, but some contract services and international options make controlled exceptions. If you enter a PO Box address with a carrier that does not accept that destination, the label may fail validation or the parcel may be returned.
When a recipient uses a PO Box with street addressing, some private carriers treat the post office like any other street address. Others still screen for the words “PO Box” or for postal known street addressing ranges. The safest habit is to match carrier guidance exactly and keep a backup street address on file in case the merchant rejects the post office based address.
| Service Type | Typical Hold Time | Pickup Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| USPS PO Box | Until box rental ends | Key or lobby code, photo ID for signed items |
| USPS General Delivery | Up to 30 days in many towns | Government issued photo ID |
| PO Box Street Addressing Parcels | Varies by branch, often similar to standard parcel rules | Box key for lockers or counter pickup with ID |
| Canada Post General Delivery | Up to 4 months for travellers | Photo ID, sometimes proof of travel |
| Poste Restante In Europe | Commonly 2–4 weeks | Passport or national ID |
| Carrier Hold For Pickup | Often 5–10 business days | Tracking number and matching ID |
Tips To Avoid Problems At The Post Office
Even careful senders run into hiccups with post office delivery. A few small habits reduce risk and keep parcels moving.
Check That The Service Matches The Address
Before you pay, read the full address on the label and compare it with the service you picked. If you see a PO Box or General Delivery line but chose a private carrier that avoids boxes, move to a postal service product instead.
When in doubt, pick a regular postal service that clearly allows delivery to counters and boxes. Online order forms sometimes label this as “ships by mail” or mention the national postal operator by name.
Share Pickup Instructions With The Recipient
A friend who has never used General Delivery or Poste Restante may not know that they need a matching ID or that parcels only stay a short time. Send them a quick message with the address you used, the carrier, and the last date they should collect the parcel before it risks being returned.
Tracking pages often show scanned events such as “Arrival at unit” or “Available for pickup.” Encourage the recipient to watch those scans and visit the post office soon after the parcel lands.
Mind Customs And Contents Rules
International parcels heading to a post office still need full customs forms and must follow restrictions on items such as aerosols, batteries, and perishables. Some countries forbid certain types of goods from entering through General Delivery or Poste Restante channels, especially high value electronics or controlled items.
Check both the postal service list of restricted items and the destination customs rules before you ship. This reduces the chance of seizures, fees, or delays at the border.
Quick Reference For Shipping To A Post Office
When you understand how to ship to a post office, you gain a flexible way to move parcels without relying on a home mailbox. The basic pattern stays the same across most countries: pick the right service, match the address format, choose a carrier that accepts the destination, and share pickup details with the recipient.
Whenever an online checkout page asks for an address, look for hints on carrier choice, such as “ships by mail only” or “no PO Boxes.” If a recipient prefers a post office pickup, ask exactly which service they use and copy their lines with care. Those extra seconds at order time help your parcel reach the right counter on the first try.