Having trouble setting up mail forwarding is the reason why most people prefer to have their mails piled up in their mailboxes. Well, to be honest, USPS makes it relatively easy to have your mails forwarded to your destination be it temporary or permanent. Although you may understand that temporary mail forwarding only lasts for quite some time, most people are confused thinking about how long does mail forwarding last for a permanent move. In this topic, we will take a how to set up mail forwarding and also take a look at the price plans for setting up mail forwarding.
How Long Does Mail Forwarding Last
If you do not already know what mail forwarding is, then allow us to reiterate. A customer sets up USPS forward mail(also known as change of address) to forward their mails to a new destination. The reason why you might want to do this is that you are going away on a trip, and you do not want your mails to be piled up in the mailbox, in case you wish to extend your trip. With mail forwarding, you simply request the USPS officials to have your mail forwarded to the new residence from the given date.
Learn about FedEx lost package number from here.
USPS Mail Forwarding Services
There are a total of 3 USPS mail forwarding services that are available for the customer:
- Temporary Mail Forwarding
- Permanent Mail Forwarding
- Premium forwarding service for the residential customers
A temporary change of address will have your mails forwarded to the new destination during the preferred time (15 days to an entire year)you select while filling the application form. Most of the time, media mail and first class mail are forwarded if you are using a temporary change of address.
Permanent change of address on the other hand will have all your mails sent to the new destination. All the mails that were once delivered to your previous destination will now be delivered to the new destination. Despite being called a permanent change of address, the mails will only be forwarded for 12 months.
Premium forwarding service is an option that is available to both the residential and commercial owner that helps dispatch all the mails to the destination using Priority Mail for an extra fee. Although these services last for 12 months as well, you can have the time extended if needed.
For detailed information on these three services, make sure to check our previous blog USPS Mail Forwarding.
Uses of Usps Forward Mail
According to reports, more than 40 million USPS change of address has been recorded per year. The count keeps increasing drastically as more and more Americans often keep changing their residences. Mail forwarding has brought many benefits to the customers as they receive their first class mails and media mails to their new residences. With the premium service, even major businesses are forwarding their mails to new residences to keep their mails safe.
The primary use of mail forwarding is to forward all your mails to the new residence that you are planning to move to for a set duration. With mail forwarding, you do not have to worry about having your mails piled up in your mailbox or on the front porch. This service also provides security of your mails by saving them from possible theft. All kinds of mails, be it international or domestic are forwarded to your residence. If you are a residential customer, then you might not be able to receive USPS Marketing Mail if you are using mail forwarding.
Another use of USPS forward mail is that it is great for students who are always on the move. As students are always in need of books, manuscripts, audio/video files, etc., they can use mail forwarding to receive their mails if to the new address that they have just moved to. They just cannot have mails forwarded to addresses outside the United States. Based on your university, you might be allowed to accept magazines or newspapers for mail forwarding. Some campuses also restrict mail forwarding to USPS only, eliminating other mail forwarding services such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.
How Long Does Mail Forwarding Last?
Now, moving towards the most important questions that most people often keep asking, “How long does mail forwarding last?”. Mail forwarding options mostly depend on how long the person is staying out for vacation. Based on your trip, you can plan the time frame for mail forwarding. So, how long does mail forwarding last?
- Temporary mail forwarding lasts for a limited time, which is between 15 to 365 days a week. You can request the postal services to stop your mail anytime between this period
- Permanent mail forwarding will last for 12 months. You can cancel this service anytime if needed
The advantage of signing up for mail forwarding with USPS is that you will always be informed both at the old and new residence that mail forwarding is about to begin from the specified date. Other than that, the users will also be informed about the date on which mail forwarding is going to end, so that they can decide beforehand what they want to do next.
Another most asked question is that if the USPS address change forwarding expire? USPS address change forwarding can be extended up to a year if you are using USPS temporary mail forwarding. In the case of using a permanent address, then mail forwarding only lasts for 12 months. During the permanent address change, you can have all your friends, family, and other federal and social services forwarded to your new address.
How Long Does Mail Forwarding Last if I Extended It?
As mentioned earlier, a temporary address can be extended beyond the initial 6 months for up to a year. There is no further extension beyond this year. For permanent mail forwarding, an extension is not available after the specified duration.
What Is the Cost of Setting Up Usps Forward Mail?
Based on how you are setting up your address for mail forwarding will determine how much you have to pay for the service. Mail forwarding can be set up either at the post office in person or in the comfort of your home. For temporary and permanent mail forwarding set up at home, you must pay an amount of $1.10 either using credit/debit. This amount is not a fee, instead, it is used for identity verification. If you are setting up temporary/permanent mail forwarding at the post office, then you do not have to pay any fee.
Signing up for USPS premium mail forwarding will be entirely different from temporary or permanent mail addresses in terms of the fee charged to your account. The duration of premium service is 12 months. There will be an initial setup fee of $20.10 if the request is made online, for in-person setup, the fee is $21.90. The setup fee is followed by the per-week fee of $21.90 for forwarding the mails through the premium mail forwarding. With premium forwarding, all the Priority Mails are delivered on their scheduled day, whereas the rest of the mail is packed together and sent at a time per week via Priority Mail.
Apart from the above fee, there aren’t any hidden charges which might apply to your account.
Why Was I Charged Extra for Usps Mail Forwarding Service?
Mail forwarding does not charge any extra amount for forwarding your mails part from the amount given above. However, if you are setting up mail forwarding from certain websites that claim t be in partnership with USPS, and they charge extra amounts, then they are clearly a scam. USPS Mail Forwarding can only be done using the official USPS Mail Forwarding portal.
How to Change Address Using Usps Mail Forwarding Service?
Now that you have an idea of how long does mail forwarding lasts and how much it costs, then let’s jump to how you can apply this service to have your mails forwarded. Remember that you can select any of the following three change of address forms:
- Individual
- Family and
- Business
Temporary/Permanent COA
You can file a change of address(temporary or permanent) in the following two ways:
Online
- You need to visit the official USPS Change of Address website
- On this page, you need to fill up the form by completing your contact information such as name, phone number, address, etc.
- Then you need to decide if you wish to move on a Temporary or a Permanent basis.
- Complete the rest of the form and then pay the verification fee of $1.10
- You will immediately receive a confirmation code
- With this code, you can modify the existing COA request or even have it cancelled
- After the successful completing of your change of address, you will receive a welcome kit at your new residence
- This is followed by the rerouting of your mail from the specified date onwards
Post Office
- First, you need to find the nearest post office where you can file a request for change of address
- While at the post office, you must ask for a Mover’s Guide which contains the application form and the guidelines to fill it
- Fill the application form PS 3575 and submit it to the person at the counter
- Then follow the rest of the procedure to complete the set up
Does FedEx drug test for weed? Check it out here.
Premium Forwarding Service
Online
To file for premium forwarding service, you need to follow the steps given here
- Before you set up premium forwarding, you need to ensure that all other plans are cancelled
- Visit the Premium Forwarding Service Residential Online page for setting up premium forwarding
- Login to your account and then complete the application form
- Once the form is completed, you can see the total amount displayed at the end of the page. However, you will only be charged per week after the initial set-up fee is paid. This is done so that you can have the request modified or canceled anytime
Post Office
Setting up premium forwarding at the post office will revoke your rights to manage your USPS mails online. If you still wish to move forward with premium forwarding, then follow these steps:
- Enroll at the location where your PO box is located
- Before driving to the post office, you must have at least 2 forms of valid state ID cards which should be a primary ID and a proof of residence at the said location
How to Extend Mail Forwarding and How Long Does Mail Forwarding Last if It Is Extended?
Some customers wish to extend their mail forwarding services after the completion of the initial mail forwarding period. In most cases, you might end up overstaying at the new residence due to which you also have to extend all your federal and other mailing services. In such situations, you can make use of the Extended Mail Forwarding class. Extended Mail Forwarding can be applied to your plan in 6, 12, or 18 months duration. Remember that you cannot increase the duration of extended mail forwarding beyond 18 months. This service is only available to Permanent Mail forwarding Customers. The cost of using Extended Mail Forwarding is as follows:
- 6 months – $19.95
- 12 months – $29.95
- 18 months – $39.95
If the users have signed up for a 6 or 12-month extension and want to extend further up to 18 months, then they only have to pay an amount of $19.95.
Where to Set Up Usps Extend Mail Forwarding?
When you sign up for permanent mail forwarding, you will receive an email confirmation on the 11th month of the mail forwarding, reminding you that your request is about to expire after a month. This mail also gives you an option to extend your mail further if you need it. Another option to set up USPS extend mail forwarding is to visit the local post office and ask for an extension or visit the ManageMyMove portal to further extend your request.
Conclusion
Mail forwarding cannot be used if you have permanently moved to a new location and you wish to remain there for a long period. Despite using permanent mail forwarding, you cannot have it extended more than 18 months. Once the extension request expires, you cannot have it extended further and mails will be sent to the previous address that you once lived in. If you want your mails to be sent to the new address for as long you live there, then you must have a word with the USPS agent at the postal office and have your address changed officially.
How much does FedEx pay its employees? Learn about it from here.
Now that you have an idea of “How Long Does Mail Forwarding Last”, what are your views on permanent, temporary, and premium mail forwarding? Do let us know…
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ’s)
The Extended Mail forward request cannot be changed or canceled after it has been made. Also, note that a refund will not be applied to your account if the Extended request is canceled.
First class mails, First class package service commercial items, and Priority mail is sent using the Extended mail service.
The USPS change of address for permanent COA lasts for 12 months and can be extended up to 18 months. the temporary COA only lasts for 6 months.
