Free previews · requested contents
See the envelope.
Or read the letter.
USPS Informed Delivery previews eligible mail’s exterior. To read inside, try the sender’s online document first, then an authorized helper or a supported scanning service.
| Question | USPS Informed Delivery | Virtual mailbox with supported scans |
|---|---|---|
| What can I see? | Grayscale address-side images of eligible automated letter mail, plus package notifications. | Exterior images where offered; requested contents scans under the selected plan. |
| Where does paper arrive? | Your existing eligible address. | The exact rented mailbox address. |
| Who opens it? | The preview service does not provide letter opening. | An authorized operator handles requested openings. |
| What do I pay? | The preview service is free. | Subscription and usage; setup, handling, shipping or storage may add charges. |
| Do I need a new address? | No address move solely to get previews; eligibility and identity verification apply. | Usually redirect relevant senders after setup; confirm each sender accepts it. |
What do you need to do today?
- Pictured, but not in the mailbox
- An advance image is not proof of physical delivery. Use USPS’s delivery and missing-mail guidance; a new scanning subscription cannot locate this letter. Check USPS guidance ↗
- Read the amount or deadline inside
- Check the sender’s secure portal. If the document exists only on paper, arrange an authorized opening and readable contents scan. Choose the access you need →
- An institution needs the original
- A picture or PDF may not meet that requirement. Confirm the accepted original, then arrange supported collection or shipment. Plan the wanted paper →
When a free preview is enough
If you can collect mail at home or an eligible PO Box and mainly want to see incoming envelopes, start with USPS Informed Delivery. Images cover eligible processed letters, not every item. The Daily Digest is an advance preview, so the pictured letter may arrive later. USPS separately offers opt-in Mail Delivery Notifications; those are different from the advance digest. There is no need to buy contents scanning merely to identify an envelope.
When you need the pages inside
An envelope may identify the sender without showing the bill amount or deadline. Check the sender’s secure portal first. If the paper is the only copy, an authorized person must open it and share the wanted pages. A virtual mailbox can offer requested scans, but item acceptance, turnaround, readable page limits and extra fees remain provider dependent. A scan may not replace an original that an institution requires.
A concrete allowance example
Opening ten three-page letters each month uses ten opened letters and thirty contents pages. Some plans charge by opening, others by pooled pages or document blocks. Compare that workload over six months →. Understand scan units and paper handling before treating two base prices as equivalent.
What neither option guarantees
Neither an envelope preview nor a subscription guarantees that you will never miss mail. Keep sender details, notification settings and account access current. Ask how the operator handles unreadable, large, urgent or restricted items. If you want the original, arrange supported forwarding or pickup before storage expires; disposing of paper is a separate decision.
Compare using a trusted person · Consider ongoing everyday use · Choose required mail services
USPS facts: USPS Informed Delivery. Virtual mailbox workflow and allowance evidence: reviewed official provider sources. This is an independent explanation; no affiliation with USPS or firsthand provider test is claimed.
Published October 19, 2026. Postal and linked policy sources checked October 19, 2026; provider tariff review dates remain listed in the linked profiles. Examples are our calculations, not firsthand service tests.