USPS change of address could be permanent or temporary. So, you have choices available to you. Whichever one you choose to go for, this article will guide you through. Meanwhile, you can change your USPS address online or walk into a local post office near you and request a USPS change of address.
While the process is simple but it attracts a fee to request a change of USPS address online which can be paid with your credit or debit card. The charge is necessary to prevent fraudulent activities. So, before you move to request your change of USPS address you need to make sure that you have a valid email address and the required charge on your debit or credit card.
Also, if you relocate and the relocation is temporary, you’d not need to pay your mailing fee as USPS can forward your mail from your old USPS address to the new USPS address which ranges between 15 days and 365 days.
What is USPS Address
USPS address means “United State Postal Service address” which is required to set up a mailing service in the US. The USPS address could be temporary and it could be permanent. If your USPS address is permanent you’d need to request a temporary forwarding of your USPS mail address to your new location if the temporary address will be valid between 15 and 365 days.
However, there are two types of USPS addresses:
- Permanent USPS Address
- Temporary USPS Address
Both the temporary USPS mail address and the permanent USPS mail address works differently. So, I will detail what you need to know about the USPS change of address from permanent to temporary or from temporary USPS mail address to permanent USPS mail forwarding address.
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Permanent USPS Mail Address
Your permanent USPS mail forwarding address is your United State Postal Service mailing address to receive your mail. This makes it easy for post office workers or staff to locate your address when you have a package you want to receive from your mailing box.
Temporary USPS Mail Forwarding Address
USPS temporary mail forwarding as against the permanent USPS mail forwarding address. You can request a temporary change in your USPS address which will help USPS to forward your mail from your old USPS address to the new USPS address for 15 days to 365 days.
With this, you’d know the best choice to go for.
USPS Change of Address Form
Whether you want to change your USPS address online or offline in a local post office you will need to fill out the USPS change of address form. The information you provided in the form will be used to process your change of USPS address and also serve as evidence that you truly requested that your USPS address be changed.
Therefore, we will also walk you through all you need to know about the USPS address form and the fee to pay to request a change of USPS address online and offline.
Cost of USPS Change of Mail Forwarding Address
You can change your USPS address in two ways. It is either you walk into any USPS office and request for a change of your address or request for the USPS change of address form online, fill the form with your details including the new address and submit the form for the process.
Either of the processes takes about 5 business working days to be completed but USPS online change of address attracts an identity verification fee of $1.05 to prevent fraud and confirm that you are the one requesting the change of address.
To change your USPS address either permanent or temporary offline attracts zero fees because you need to appear before the office attendant in person. While the online process attracts a service charge of $1.05 which must be paid from either your credit card or debit card. With this, your identity will be verified, unlike the offline process.
How to Change Permanent USPS Address
A service charge of $1.05 is required to change your USPS permanent address online which you will be debited either through your credit or debit card. This charge is called the identity verification fee to prevent fraud on your USPS address and to be sure that you requested that the address be changed to a new USPS mail forwarding address.
Note: When you go for your USPS change of address you will be presented with two options:
- Begin updating my voter registration
- Select from exclusive offers
The latter option includes premium services such as Unlock premium brand offers from Amazon, Overstock and more.
With that being said, you can follow the steps below to request a permanent change of your USPS address.
- Visit USPS.com/move on your browser.
- You will be redirected to https://moversguide.usps.com/mgo/disclaimer.
- Fill out the USPS personal information online form. You also need to select what you are moving with. If you are moving with your family you’d need to choose to move with family or children or friends.
- Fill out the form accordingly to ensure that it matches your details so that the form won’t be rejected.
- Type the new address you intend to use for your USPS mail forwarding address.
- Choose “Permanent” in the column where you were asked whether you want to change your address permanently or temporarily.
- Click on the “Next” button and enter your credit or debit card details to pay for your identity verification.
- A confirmation code will be sent to the email address you provided by the USPS.
- A mail will be sent to your new USPS mailing address as well.
You have successfully changed your USPS address. All your next mail will be forwarded to your new USPS mail forwarding address.
Temporarily Change USPS Mail Forward Address
You can change your USPS mail forwarding address if you are relocating temporarily. This service is free unlike the online USPS change of address we discussed above.
The steps below will walk you through the steps to take to change your USPS mail forwarding address temporarily.
- Visit any USPS local office in your neighbourhood
- You will need to request for “Free Mover’s Guide Packet.“
- Fill out the temporary USPS change of address form with the new address you want to use.
- Submit the form once you have filled it out.
- A confirmation letter will be mailed to your new address within a week. In some cases, your temporary change of USPS address confirmation letter will arrive after 5 days.
USPS Premium Forwarding Services (PFS)
Premium forwarding services for USPS are divided into two and you can choose whichever one suits your call. There is a premium forwarding service meant for residential purposes and there is another premium forwarding service meant for commercial purposes.
Premium Forwarding Services (PFS) for Residential
This mail forwarding service package is meant for residential purposes and it attracts a non-refundable fee for enrollment. A non-refundable fee of $21.95 is required to use this service. For the post office enrollment fee, you will be asked to pay $23.90.
Premium Forwarding Services (PFS) for Commercial
This PFS package is designed to suit business purposes. However, the commercial PFS charges a non-refundable enrollment fee of $21.95 while the fee for a reshipment is based on your shipping frequency and postage.
How to Cancel USPS Change of Address Mail Forwarding
USPS allows you to cancel your mail forwarding address after you have requested a temporary or permanent change. You can cancel your address even before the confirmation letter is sent to your new USPS mail forwarding address. You can do this cancellation either in person or online.
Cancel USPS Mail Forwarding Online
USPS offers a convenient way to cancel your USPS change of address mail forwarding online just as you can request for a change of address online by filing a form. Therefore, if you change your mind and you intend to cancel your mail forwarding address kindly follow the steps below.
- Go to the official USPS website here.
- Sign in if you are prompted to do so.
- Now, enter your confirmation code or zip code and follow the instruction on the screen to cancel your mail forwarding.
Cancel USPS Change of Address Offline
It doesn’t matter when you requested a change of your USPS address online or offline. You can cancel it offline at your nearest USPS office. So, follow the steps below to complete the process.
- Go to any nearest USPS office with your government-approved ID card
- Request to cancel your change of USPS address from the office attending to you.
The officer will help you with the steps you need to take to cancel your USPS address.
Once you cancel your USPS change of address you may need to cancel your premium forwarding services (PFS) as well.
USPS Change of Address PDF Download
USPS change of address PDF contains all the basic information you need to change your USPS address permanently or temporarily. It also contains a warning and precautions to take when requesting a change of your USPS address. You can download the PDF file from this link.