The USPS Will Now Email You Your Mail

A new program digitizes physical mail, because future

March 27, 2017 9:00 am
Bo Krsmanovic
Bo Krsmanovic (Maxim)

The check is in the mail? You might have proof otherwise.

An expanded service by United States Postal Service will soon allow users to virtually “see” what arrives in their physical mailbox each day. Called Informed Delivery, the service sends you black and white images of the exterior of your mail via email.

Now, some caveats: You can’t see what’s inside your mail, which is probably good for privacy’s sake. And the service is limited to letter-sized mail, with catalogs and magazines a possible addition in the near future.

Also, the Postal Service’s promise of new “interactive content” from these virtual mailings sounds like adspeak for enhanced junk mail. If you travel a lot, this could be a great way to keep track of your (dwindling) written correspondence.

While a test run of Informed Delivery began in Virginia in 2014 and is already available in a few states, the nationwide expansion starts April 14.

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.