Understanding the Distinction Can Save Customers Money

It might surprise you to know that the Postal Service distinguishes between pickup and collection and that understanding the difference can save you money.

Pickup is a fee-based service available for Express Mail (domestic and international), Priority Mail, and single-piece rate Parcel Post. The mail must be prepaid. Pickup offers both same-day pickup (available only from offices with city delivery) and pickup scheduled for another day.

Collection service, on the other hand, does not carry additional fees for pickup. Collection service usually refers to mail that is deposited in a collection box; however, it is also considered collection service when customers hand their outgoing mail to a carrier who is performing normal delivery and collection duties.

The deciding factor between pickup service and collection service is whether the pickup requires a special trip to the customer’s location. No fee is charged when the pickup occurs as part of the regularly scheduled delivery or collection process.

One other consideration is the difficulty of depositing packages in normal collection boxes, which are not big enough for medium-size or large packages and which have a limited capacity for medium-to- large volumes of smaller packages.

In addition, the Aviation Mail Security policy (which was established to protect employees, air transportation, and the traveling public) requires that customers directly deposit domestic and Priority Mail service packages weighing 16 ounces or more by handing them to a retail clerk or Postal Service representative or agent.

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