How USPS® Tracking Works!

Mailbag Wednesday!

We get asked, “Can you track where our mail is?”  In brief, the answer is “Depends upon what class of mail”. For example, PARCELS are easy, and the USPS in recent years has gotten much better at letting customers know where the parcel entered the mailstream and its transit path, followed by final destination confirmation. You can go to USPS.com to track a package (here:  https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?) or, even more simply, type “USPS Tracking” into Google.com and then you may enter the tracking number there. 

Unless you’re paying for Priority Mail or Certified mail, no tracking services are available for the LETTER or FLAT rate classes of mail.  The answer is easy — it’s not cost-effective for the USPS to do that.  However, at Cornerstone, we are often able to track logistics for trays or tubs of mail reaching regional distribution centers, and sometimes this gives people a mild sense of reassurance. 

Finally, there’s 100% NO tracking available to non-addressed or “Simplified Address” mail, such as EDDM flats.  And, if you have non-barcoded mail that lacks an IMbc (Intelligent Mail Barcode) with a CASS-Certified address, that means that the USPS didn’t formally confirm the destination address in advance, making any post-mailing forensics quite difficult, if not impossible. 

Have more questions about your mail’s journey? Drop them in the comments below or reach out today!

Visit us at: 

🔗 CRST.NET

🔗 CRSTWEB.COM

📧 info@crst.net | ☎️ (845) 255-5722 

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