USPS Changes Begin This Week: How Mail Could Be Affected

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will start to implement a series of changes to its mail delivery this week, which it said will help it save costs across the board.

The move, which, together with the recent workforce reduction at the agency, is feared to bring delays to mail delivery across the country, comes after USPS agreed to work with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on reforming itself.

Why It Matters

Millions of Americans use USPS every year, especially in the country’s rural areas, where the service is still crucial. The agency serves nearly 169 million addresses in the U.S., delivering more mail and packages than any other postal service in the world, according to the USPS website.

USPS and many other federal agencies have been scrutinized in the past few months by DOGE, which has been tapped by the Trump administration to shrink the size of the federal government and slash costs. Many have warned that some of the cost-cutting measures announced by the agency may significantly delay mail services.

Last week, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who had headed the agency since 2020, resigned.

What To Know

USPS said that changes will affect First-Class Mail, Periodicals, Marketing Mail, Package Services, including Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express.

These changes are part of USPS’s so-called Delivering for America 10-year plan, which promises to make the agency more efficient. USPS said it has already saved $2.2 billion under the plan in annual transportation cost reductions “by streamlining and optimizing air and surface options.”

On top of that, cutting staff’s working hours by 50 million and closing “unnecessary facilities” has generated $2.5 billion in annual savings, the agency said.

Depending on where you live, you could now experience either faster delivery times or slower ones. USPS said that 75 percent of First-Class Mail will keep its current service standards, while 14 percent will see an improvement in delivery times. Other services, on the other hand, are likely to face longer delivery times.

Delivery times won’t exceed the current five-day service standard for First-Class Mail, USPS said.

When Do the Changes Go Into Effect?

The changes announced by USPS will occur in two phases. The first will be implemented starting Tuesday, April 1; the second will come into effect on July 1.

Which Mail Types Will Be Delayed?

USPS said that about 11 percent of Americans using First-Class Mail will experience delays in delivery under the changes implemented starting April 1.

Under the wider Delivering for America plan, about 49.5 percent of ZIP code pairs will see slower delivery times for single-piece first-class mail, U.K. newspaper The Sun reported.

Why the USPS Is Making These Changes

The agency said that the announced changes will help it save at least $36 billion over the next 10 years through cuts in transportation, mail, and package processing, as well as real estate costs.

How To Track Delays in Your Area

While rolling out these changes, USPS is also launching a new service tool that allows customers to check service standards on the agency’s website for mailings from one ZIP code to another on any particular day. The results show the available mail classes along with the expected delivery dates for each.

USPS now also has a map on its website showing service standards across the country. To check delivery options, customers will need to type in their ZIP code along with the mail class they plan to use to check delivery dates.

Both tools have been available on USPS website since March 24.