Postal Service Offers Age-Verified Delivery Service

Adult Signature Expands Array of Delivery Options

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new age-verification service from the U.S. Postal Service is expanding the suite of delivery options available to merchants and customers looking for greater control over delivery of their shipments. Adult Signature is now available as a delivery option for commercial account holders and online customers choosing Express Mail, Priority Mail, Critical Mail and Parcel Select barcoded (nonpresort and Regional Ground) shipping services.

Designed to meet the security and privacy concerns of the marketplace and for shipments requiring the signature of an adult by law, Adult Signature offers control over the delivery recipients of high-value merchandise such as pharmaceuticals or documents such as legal instruments.

The service requires adult age verification in the form of government-issued photo identification from a recipient at the time of delivery. There are two variations of Adult Signature:

• Adult Signature Required verifies the signature of a recipient 21 years of age or older upon delivery. The cost is $4.75 per piece.
• Adult Signature Restricted Delivery verifies the signature of the addressee (or agent with written authorization) only, who must be 21 years of age or older upon delivery. The cost is $4.95 per piece.

"It's an effective way to ensure shipments are received by an adult or a specific adult addressee," said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. "Age verification provides shippers and customers with control over acceptance of shipments at the point of delivery."

Adult Signature is available to commercial and online customers and can be combined with other extra services such as insurance. Adult Signature is not available for purchase at retail locations or for delivery to APO/FPO/DPO addresses. Adult Signature represents the first service placed within a new "Competitive Ancillary Services" product category. Additional details can be found online at usps.com/shipping/adultsignature.htm.

In addition to Adult Signature, Hold For Pickup and Carrier Release delivery options are available to shippers and customers seeking additional control and convenience over the manner in which packages are delivered.

Available to commercial and online customers at no cost, Hold For Pickup is a delivery option that allows Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail commercial parcels and Parcel Select (barcoded nonpresort and Regional Ground) shipments to be sent directly to a Post Office instead of the recipient's address.

Both the shipper and customer can be automatically notified when Hold For Pickup service is used. Customers also receive electronic notification when the shipment arrives at the designated Post Office and is available for pickup. Shipments can be picked up at the customer's convenience for up to 15 calendar days depending on the product selected. Hold For Pickup is available to retail customers choosing Express Mail at USPS Post Offices.

Hold For Pickup is available from USPS-approved PC Postage Vendors and to commercial customers using Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail parcels or Parcel Select (barcoded nonpresort and Regional Ground). Additional information is available online at usps.com/send/holdforpickup.htm.

Another delivery option for shippers interested in adding convenience for their customers is the recently expanded "Carrier Release" option, which allows Postal Service delivery personnel to leave packages bearing the "Carrier — Leave If No Response" endorsement at the delivery address when no one is available to accept them.

To qualify for the Carrier Release Endorsement delivery option, parcels must not be insured or require a signature. Complete details for Carrier Release are available online at http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2011/pb22306/html/updt_002.html.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

We're everywhere so you can be anywhere:  www.uspseverywhere.com

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service