What Are the Services Offered in a Post Office?
USPS locations offer mailbox rental, purchase of money orders, and letter and package mailing, with passport registration and renewal available at select locations. USPS personnel and self-service Automated Postal Center, or APC, machines assist customers with basic mailing services.
The primary service offered by the USPS is the mailing of letters and parcels. Post offices offer several different shipping speeds, including Standard Post, First Class Mail, expedited Priority Mail and overnight Express Mail. Media Mail is a slower and cheaper shipping method intended for textbooks and printed educational material. Some combination of weight, shape and shipping distance factors into the cost of each method.
The USPS offers optional services for tracking and verifying both the sending and delivery of mail and parcels, including Certified Mail, Registered Mail, Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation. Insurance is also available and is based on the value of the item shipped.
Post offices rent P.O. boxes in three-month increments for receiving mail. They come in several sizes to accommodate different rates and sizes of incoming mail. The post office typically houses these separately from other customer service areas so that they are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The USPS sells money orders and stamps, as well. Most post offices also sell greeting cards and shipping supplies such as envelopes, boxes, tape, bubble wrap and foam packing peanuts.
