Can I Intercept My US Postal Service Package Before It's Delivered?

Introduction

The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides its customers with a helpful feature, such as Package Intercept, which allows individuals and businesses the opportunity to change a delivery destination before parcels arrive at specific addresses. This is ideal for correcting shipping details, requesting a return, and updating pick-up or delivery instructions. However, customers must follow USPS’s rules about interrupting an active package transit to avoid issues. While customers can easily visit the website or open the app to edit information in their accounts, they must understand that the process involves a manual update that is subject to a mandatory review.

What You'll Need

Stopping a USPS shipment is possible, depending on the circumstances, but there is no guarantee of a successful interception without assistance from the support team. Customers must identify themselves by confirming whether they have a personal or a business account. However, the final decision depends on their classification and situation, which can determine whether an intercept is possible, if a package is too far into the transit process to change its destination, or a sender has an opportunity to update any other information before its delivery. If you need to stop a package, consider following several steps below to check your eligibility with a tracking number online.

Visit USPS.com and sign in to your personal or business account using your current credentials.

Navigate to the gray ‘Receive’ button on the navigation bar and click the ‘Intercept a Package’ link in the drop-down menu.

You should see the 'USPS Package Intercept' title on the next page. Type your tracking number under the ‘Is your item eligible’ title and choose the ‘Check Now’ button.

Select the white ‘Learn More’ button at the bottom of the article and wait for the next page to load.

Return to the ‘USPS Package Intercept’ page, type all your information, such as your address and shipment details, and check for any fees you have to pay.

Save all your confirmation details on your computer or as a print-out within easy reach.

Track your shipment to see if the intercept is successful while also checking for notifications about transit status and delivery.

While requesting a package intercept from USPS, consider a few other actions to take during the process. First, double-check all information in each text field for accuracy to avoid issues such as delays and returns. Second, review the tracking details and ensure that your shipment is eligible. And third, determine if you would have to pay additional fees. If you have a business account, you may not be able to edit instructions on the USPS website. You would have to visit the nearest post office to request that a package be shipped to a different address.

Conclusion

If you experience technical issues while attempting to intercept a package, consider contacting the customer service department for assistance. The best way to initiate communication with a representative is via phone, which allows customers to speak with a live person. You may have to wait until an available specialist is ready to take your call due to the volume of inquiries USPS receives and handles per day. Several other methods, such as X (formerly Twitter), the help desk, Facebook Messenger, and email are available to use as alternatives if you cannot get through to the department using USPS’s toll-free number.