Photo: Jonathan Weiss (Shutterstock)
Along with the weather, commenting on how it seems like it’s taking longer for a piece of mail to arrive at its destination is another small talk standby. And while there’s not much you can do about these delays, you can now find out if delivery in your area is really is as slow as it seems.
This is because the United States Postal Service (USPS) recently rolled out a new online dashboard which allows users to look up the speed and reliability of mail service in their ZIP code. Here’s what to know.
How to use the new USPS online dashboard
According to a May 12 press release from the USPS, 98% of the country’s residents currently receive their mail and packages in fewer than three days. A week later, the Postal Service unveiled a new online dashboard on their website, where people can learn more about the delivery performance in their (or any) area.
Using the dashboard is pretty straightforward: Simply enter a ZIP code, then select a type of mail from the following options:
First-class mail: Letters, cards, bills, etc.USPS marketing mail: Advertisements, flyers, catalogs, merchandisePeriodicals: Newspapers, magazines, other published materialBound printed matter, media, and library mail: Books, sheet music, printed educational materials, etc.From there, you can select a specific mail product (though it’s not necessary), then click “search.”
The resulting page will present a variety of data, including the percentage of on-time delivery in your area and how it compares to the previous year, as well as average number of days between when a piece of mail is collected and when it’s delivered in that area. According to the USPS, these data are updated weekly.
For more information and further instructions, click on the red paper icon at the bottom of the page labeled “Documentation.”
