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The Lowdown on Parcel Lockers

February 23rd, 2017

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You’re tracking a mailpiece and the status shows “Delivered/Parcel Locker.” What does that mean?  This could mean that your recipient is using a cluster box unit (CBU) or an outdoor parcel locker (OPL).

You’ve probably seen CBUs in your neighborhood, either in a free-standing, pedestal-mounted configuration outside of a building, or mounted on the wall of the lobby of an apartment complex. They may have decorative tops, or appear in a standard rectangular configuration. They could be arranged vertically or horizontally, have eight individual mailboxes, or maybe 16.

All of them accomplish the same thing: they provide centralized mail delivery for the USPS. And because they bring down costs and increase efficiency, cluster box units and parcel lockers are increasingly favored by the USPS over traditional door-to-door delivery.

Outdoor parcel lockers also come in different shapes, sizes, and configurations. Shared by tenants of a building, a USPS-approved OPL allows mailers to conveniently receive large packages from the USPS in a secure and locked receptacle. OPLs reduce the inefficiency that comes with multiple delivery attempts when a package doesn’t fit into a standard mailbox.

The Lowdown on Lockers

Keep in mind too that the delivery status of “Delivered/Parcel Locker” may change depending on the type of locker it is: the status could refer to a third-party locker service (e.g. “Delivered/Partner Parcel Locker”) or to an Amazon Parcel Locker, which allows Amazon.com customers to pick up (and also return) a package from a special location (such as a supermarket) after receiving an email alert and a special pickup code.

USPS gopost

Besides Amazon Lockers and third-party electronic package lockers, there is another alternative provided directly by the USPS: gopost self-service kiosk units. These are great for mailers who are out of town or who do not want packages directly shipped to their homes.

The gopost service is convenient: if you live in an apartment building, you can avoid having your large packages sitting outside your door or next to your mailbox for a long period of time. Gopost offers security and peace of mind

Even better, the gopost service can be used to ship packages. For example, you could also buy a gift for a loved one at a shopping center and ship it out via a gopost locker. This is a situation in which Stamps.com can help!

How does it work? If you want to mail a package via a locker, it needs to have prepaid postage with an embedded barcode. Stamps.com, as a PC Postage service, is your complete mailing and shipping solution, and using Stamps.com postage is a USPS-approved method of creating postage for a gopost locker!

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