Westbury NY — Spring is here and summer is close behind. Soon it will be time to pack the car or hop on a plane to the beach or mountains, to an exotic destination or to visit relatives. But remember: your mail doesn't take a vacation. To make your departure as smooth and stress-free as possible, the U.S. Postal Service offers an easy solution for holding your mail while you're away.

“Arranging to have your mail held while you're away has never been easier,” says Postmaster Fran Iannucci. “Now, thanks to Hold Mail Service from the Postal Service, you can go online and arrange to have your mail held from three to 30 days. Just go to www.usps.com and search for Hold Mail Service. There's no charge for a vacation hold and the site is secure for your protection.” It takes only a few easy steps:

• Log on to the Postal Service's website, www.usps.com, available around-the-clock for customer convenience.
• Search for “Hold Mail Service.”
• Enter your ZIP Code at the prompt, then enter your address information and the dates the mail should be held.
• Make sure to record the confirmation number you're given at the end of the process in case you need to modify the request if you come back early or if you decide to stay on your vacation a little longer.

The online service will electronically notify your local post office, where they will hold all your mail for the time specified. Delivery resumes on your requested date.

Planning to be gone a while? You may prefer to have your mail travel with you. That's easy, too, with Premium Forwarding Service. Now you won't have to ask neighbors or loved ones to pick up your mail and take care of the bills.

If you are planning to be away from home for more than two weeks and up to a year, for a fee you can have all your mail forwarded by Priority Mail to your temporary address. Your mail will be intercepted at the post office and sent to your temporary address each week. For more information on Premium Forwarding, stop by your local post office or check the link on www.usps.com.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to cover its operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail volume.

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