(Originally published on Punkpost.com)
If you’ve ever marveled over how the United States Postal Service works, Punkpost is here to explain how USPS snail mail works. We know a thing or two about it because Punkpost uses its service to deliver handwritten cards to the people who are important in your life.
Different from any other type of shipping method, USPS’s mail service is an art form of communication in itself.
Firstly, Why Does Punkpost Use USPS?
Since 1775, USPS has strengthened bonds of friendship, family and community through letters. Its mission is “to give every person in the United States equal access to secure, efficient, and affordable mail service.” All that is needed to send a letter is an envelope, a stamp and an address. From there, your letter can be dropped off at a USPS location, a USPS Blue Box, or even be picked up from your home or office by a USPS employee.
USPS is the delivery method that serves the entire United States. It delivers official documents, bills, packages, and letters. Its credibility is time tested, and its system reaches every inch of the country.
Many shipping methods exist, but no other service can be credited for “encouraging civil discourse, disseminating information, and bolstering the national economy” for nearly 250 years. In other words, nothing compares to the way that mail started so many years ago.
How Does Punkpost Use USPS?
Punkpost mails handwritten cards for you. After we receive your order, it is assigned to one of our awesome handwriting artists. That artist handwrites your message into the card you picked, addresses the envelope, adds a stamp, snaps pics of your finished card and uploads those pics for you to see.
Next, the handwriting artist takes your Punkpost card to one of the many USPS drop-off sites around the country. From there, USPS routes your Punkpost card in the right direction and delivers it to your recipient.
What Does USPS Do With My Punkpost Card?
Once a mail carrier picks up your Punkpost card, it will be sorted with the help of an imaging machine, which capture the recipient’s address. During this process, the ZIP code on your card is extremely important. The ZIP code is the starting point for processing, sorting and organizing your card’s journey. (If your ZIP code is incorrect, it will likely receive a “return-to-sender” error on it. More on that in a minute.)
Once your letter is sorted, it’s off to the local United States Postal Service distribution branch associated with the ZIP code. At the distribution branch, it is sorted into the correct neighborhood mail route. Lastly, a friendly USPS mail carrier will drop your Punkpost card at your recipient’s mailbox. Hooray! It made it!
When Can I Expect USPS to Deliver My Punkpost Card?
We mostly use USPS’s First-Class Mail Forever stamps on your cards. We base our delivery estimates on what USPS tells us it can do. Here’s what USPS estimates for delivery:
- Domestic shipping (within the United States): 7–10 business days
- International shipping (from the United States to another country): 2–3 business weeks
While mail can arrive within a few short days, it also can take as long as stated above. Keep in mind that busy card-sending times, holidays, weekends and harsh weather conditions affect the delivery of mail and can lead to delays. (If you have any questions about your order, email hello@punkpost.co.)
Luckily, Punkpost’s team of more than 100 handwriting artists are located across the United States. We try our best to pair your letter with a writer located near your card’s destination, whether that’s in the same state, a surrounding state or region of the country.
Why and When Does USPS “Return To Sender”?
Returned mail is never fun to find in your mailbox. If you find a Punkpost card in there with a “Return to Sender” stamp or sticker on it, it means the United States Postal Service has not been successful in delivering your Punkpost card, likely because of the recipient address being incorrect.
The most common errors are an incorrect ZIP code, a missing unit number, the recipient is no longer at the address provided or the house number is incorrect. If you get a card back, check in with your recipient to confirm their address. Then, email us at hello@punkpost.co so we can help you out!
On a rare occasion, USPS will accidentally deliver your Punkpost card to you rather than the recipient. Why is that? Well, remember those sorting machines we were telling you about? Occasionally, they sort the mail based on the return address rather than the recipient address. If this happens, take your Punkpost card to your local USPS office and let them know what’s up. They will hand sort your card and send it on its way to the right address.
Why Hasn’t USPS Deliver My Punkpost Card?
Occasionally posts are delayed, and (very rarely) lost in the mail. Never fear. Our Customer Service team is on standby and ready to assist you. Just click the three dots in the top right corner of your card in your outbox and select, “Card Hasn’t Arrived.” This will send all the necessary information to us via email so we can look into it. We’ll get in touch with you within 24 hours to remedy the situation.
What Happens Once USPS Delivers My Punkpost Card?
The anticipation and surprise when your Punkpost card is received is like no other. You will absolutely make your recipient’s day, whether it is received a bit early, on time or even a few days past the intended date. Know that with every card you send you are taking part in a 250-year-old form of communication and are are spreading joy, happiness, and love — all through Punkpost cards being received in mailboxes.
Use Punkpost and USPS to Send a Card Today
Now that you know how we use USPS to deliver your card, give Punkpost a go. You can look forward to seeing the stamp we use and the reaction from your friend who gets your card. Open the Punkpost app or website to get started.
Check out these card collections:
- Birthday Card Collection
- Friendship Card Collection
- Congratulations Card Collection
- Encouragement Card Collection
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