See your incoming mail before it's delivered using USPS Informed Delivery in 2026

Did you know that USPS can send you a scanned version of the mail you are to receive that day, right to your email inbox? It's true! If you don't like going to your mailbox or find yourself short of time to check, then this is the solution for you! It can also be a great protection from identity theft so that you know when mail or packages might have gone missing.

Informed delivery. That's what they call it! And it's free!

I'm not going to lie, I love getting mail, it's like this comic for me, but I know that there are lots of people who despise having to go to the mailbox.

Sure, it's filled with spam (we'll circle back how to slow that down in the coming weeks) but sometimes the most important things you'll need will arrive and you'll want to make sure you know what to expect.

It's also a security measure to ensure that you are getting all of your mail.

Why? Because you'll receive a scan from USPS of each of the items (see below) that you are meant to receive that day and you can match that to what you actually receive. This will give you a good idea if any mail is going missing from your inbox, and you can take the appropriate steps.

Avoiding identity theft with USPS Informed Delivery

It doesn't happen too often, but identity theft is a big thing nowadays and mail stealing is a really simple way for people to do it.

They take your mail one piece at a time without your really noticing and then suddenly you're seeing credit cards sent to new addresses and your dog doesn't know who to trust.

All of this, and it's free! Just head to the USPS website, fill in the form, and you'll either be instantly approved or you'll receive a letter in the mail a few days later which will confirm your address. From there, it's all smooth sailing on the internet… ocean?

So in summary: Get your mail delivered to your email inbox (well, the envelopes, at least), every morning, and you won't have to fight with the mailbox key every day.

It looks like this: