It is easy and simple to cancel the USPS mail forwarding service, and you can do so either online or in person. This article offers a step-by-step guide on canceling the United States Postal Service (USPS) mail forwarding request and when so the USPS doesn’t charge your credit card.
First, let’s talk briefly about the change of address or mail forwarding.
What is USPS Mail Forwarding?
If you change your address – whether it is a temporary or permanent change- the USPS offers an amazing solution to handling all your mail: change of address or mail forwarding service.
Change of address order is for convenience, so you can handle your mail if you’re permanently or temporarily relocating without seeking the help of your neighbors. This is the postal service you need to forward all your mail to a new address.
You can submit your mail forwarding request online or in person and easily add a forwarding address. However, it is important to note that submitting this USPS change of address requesting your mail forwarded to a different address doesn’t update any state or personal records.
Cancel USPS Mail Forwarding
Plans do change, and submitting a mail forwarding request, or change of address order request doesn’t mean you are stuck. Let’s see what you can do if you change your relocation plans, cut your trip short, or find better alternatives to mail forwarding. Whatever your reasons for cancellation, the steps are easy-to-follow.
How to Update or Cancel Change of Address Online
- Regular Forward Mail
You can make all the required changes to your change of address request online. Please note that it takes a few business days for your mail to stop arriving at the new forwarded mail address and re-arrive at your old address.
Let’s see how you can cancel your request.
- Visit the USPS official website.
- You can stop mail forwarding or make updates online even if you have submitted your mail forwarding request in person.
- You need your confirmation number – confirmation code – (the number you received by email or the printed number the postal worker gave you at the post office).
- You will also need the new ZIP code of the new address you asked to forward your mail to.
- Enter the confirmation number (confirmation code) and ZIP code.
- Make the required changes to your request (start or end date).
- You will get an error message if you try to change more than 2 fields per day.
- You can cancel a mail forwarding request even if you’ve already made changes to 2 fields on the same day.
- Premium Forwarding Service (PFS)
Premium Forwarding from the USPS is an amazing option for residential and business customers who want to take more control of their mail forwarding options, whether you want to decide where or when to forward your mail.
For PFS residential, the United States Postal Service forwards mail weekly by Priority Mail, so plan ahead before making any modifications to this service.
- Visit the USPS website.
- Sign in to your USPS account.
- Go to your Profile and click Activity History.
- Go to your PFS order.
- Click on the calendar icon to edit the start or end date for editing.
- Click Update Order to apply changes.
- Or go to your RFS Order and click Cancel Order.
- For verification purposes, a pop-up will appear. Click yes to confirm. You’ll receive a confirmation email, and you won’t be charged.
When to Change Your Change of Address Order?
It’s important to know when to make changes to your order. Please note the following instructions or the USPS will charge your credit or debit card.
- To cancel the order or modify the start date, apply changes “no later than Midnight CST before the start date.”
- Cancel your PFS Residential order “by Monday at 11:59 pm CST before the Wednesday shipment date.”
How to Cancel Change of Address in Person
- Regular Forward Mail
Canceling change of address requests in person is pretty straightforward, like filling out the PS Form when you initially requested a change of mailing address.
You’ll have to visit the local post office if you can’t find your confirmation code. Before visiting the post office, let’s see what you can do and what paperwork you need.
- Visit your local post office or any post office.
- Bring with you two forms of government-approved identification.
- The 1st form needs to be a government-issued ID with a photo like a state-issued driver’s license or US permanent resident card (a.k.a Green Card).
- The 2nd form needs to be a utility bill, bank statement, or evidence that you live at the primary address. This is important for address confirmation.
- The postal worker will help you make the required changes to your mail forwarding service.
- Remember, it takes some business days for the required changes to occur.
- Premium Forwarding Service
If you’ve applied to this service by submitting USPS Form 8176 at your local post office, you know that you’ve paid for the service in advance, and if you wish to use the service no longer, you’re eligible for a refund.
- Contact your local post office to cancel the service.
- Ask for a refund for the weeks of mail forwarding you paid for upfront.
- Fill out a form in person, and you’ll get a refund or “a no-fee money order” immediately.
- The enrollment fee for this postal service is non-refundable.
Alternative for USPS mail forwarding
If you find the ins and outs of USPS change of address hard to follow, remember there are many great options you can use to manage your mail.
Moving to a new house with a new address doesn’t have to be hectic. Let’s see an alternative so you can kiss post offices goodbye.
What is a Virtual Mailbox Service?
A virtual mailbox service offers online mail management to postal mail. You can view your mail online through an online account or ask service providers to forward important mail items to your current address whenever you need them. It’s like having an address online.
How Does it Work?
Once you pick a virtual mailing service provider, you must sign USPS Form 1583 or the postal consent form to authorize the service provider to handle your mail on your behalf.
Once they receive your mail items or packages, they will scan items you want to view online, store your mail or packages for you, and forward items you need to receive to any specific address.
Virtual Mailbox Features
Many amazing features come with virtual mailboxes. Here are some services you can enjoy:
- Manage your mail online (scan, forward mail, etc.)
- Scanning of mail items in color.
- Recycling and shredding of junk mail items.
- Have a prestigious address anywhere in the world (street address in Canada, the USA, UK, or Europe)
- Unlimited cloud storage.
- Check deposit.
- Many recipient names for one business address.
Who Needs a Virtual PO Box?
- Business owners who need unique or prestigious street addresses.
- Frequent travelers, so they can travel without worrying about mail.
- Those who don’t want to disclose their real address still receive postal mail.
- Those who want to enjoy a clutter-free house or office.
Final Words
Although USPS mail forwarding is an amazing service, it can get hectic and inconvenient, especially if you have to always make trips to the post office to add a new forwarding address or try to remember when to update the service.
We’ve offered some tips on how to cancel mail forwarding from the United States Postal Services and talked about an amazing alternative you can use: virtual mailboxes, where you’ll find more flexibility and control over your mail.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this article and found some of the most helpful and ingenious methods to manage mail if you no longer want to worry about it. Looking for alternatives is always better; you have many virtual mailing services.
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