Informed Delivery
USPS describes the mobile app as letting you preview images of mail and manage incoming packages on one dashboard without entering tracking numbers — useful for a parcel you expect but have not been given a number for yet.
Checking a package
Four ways to check a USPS parcel, only one of them a trip to the counter
Checking on a Post Office parcel does not require standing in line. USPS offers the tracking number itself online, a text-message lookup, and a phone line, and reserves the counter for the cases that genuinely need a person — a held parcel, a missed-delivery slip, or a status that has stopped making sense. Steps below are read from usps.com on 2026-08-28.
USPS steps, datedNo account requiredRead 2026-08-28
Three ways that skip the line entirely
| Method | How it works | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Online tracking | Enter the tracking number in the search box at usps.com to check the status of a package | Free |
| Text Tracking | Text the tracking number to 28777 (2USPS); USPS texts back the latest information for the item | Free from USPS; standard message and data rates from your carrier may apply |
| Phone | Call USPS Customer Care at 1-800-222-1811 | Free; hours Monday-Friday 8 AM-8:30 PM ET, Saturday 8 AM-6 PM ET |
Text Tracking accepts a keyword after the number for extra detail — USPS's own example pairs a tracking number with the keyword DND, and notes keywords are not case sensitive. The first message triggers an opt-in prompt; after that, texting the same or a new tracking number to 28777 works without repeating it.
The USPS app, for parcels you are not actively chasing
Standing dashboard, not a lookup tool
The app works best as a running view of everything addressed to you rather than a one-off check on a single tracking number, which the three methods above handle faster.
When the counter is actually worth it
A trip to the Post Office answers a narrower set of questions than a tracking page does, and it is worth reserving for those.
A held parcel
If the sender selected Hold For Pickup, or a redelivery attempt failed and the parcel returned to the facility, the counter is where it physically sits, and no phone or text lookup releases it — someone has to show up with identification. Our Hold For Pickup page covers the timeline and ID requirement.
A redelivery notice at the door
A slip left behind after a missed delivery attempt carries its own barcode that a clerk can scan directly, which is often faster than reading a long tracking number off a phone screen.
A status stuck past its window
Once the elapsed time has cleared the transit window quoted at purchase, a clerk can check whether the parcel is sitting locally rather than lost between facilities — our tracking-not-updating page lays out what counts as normal first.
For everything else — is it still moving, when is it due, did it clear customs — the online, text and phone options above pull the identical tracking record a counter clerk would look at, without the drive.
Sources
- USPS, Receive Mail & Packages — online tracking and the Informed Delivery app description. Read 2026-08-28.
- USPS, Text Tracking FAQs — the 28777 short code, keyword format, and opt-in and cost wording. Read 2026-08-28.
- USPS, Contact Us — the 1-800-222-1811 tracking phone line and its hours. Read 2026-08-28.
USPS can change phone routing, hours and app features without notice. What is listed above is what those pages said on the date shown; the live usps.com pages are the source of truth for any given day.
Common questions
How do I check on a parcel at the Post Office without going in?
Enter the tracking number at usps.com, or send it as a text message to 28777 (2USPS) and USPS texts back the latest status. Neither requires a usps.com account, though Text Tracking asks you to opt in the first time you use it.
Does texting my tracking number to USPS cost anything?
USPS's own Text Tracking page states standard message and data rates may apply, meaning your mobile carrier's normal text pricing, not a USPS fee. USPS itself does not charge for the service.
Can I call USPS to check on a parcel?
Yes. USPS Customer Care can be reached at 1-800-222-1811, listed hours Monday through Friday 8 AM to 8:30 PM ET and Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM ET, for domestic and international tracking questions.
Is it worth going to the counter in person?
Mainly when a redelivery notice (PS Form 3849) was left at the door, or when a status has not moved past its expected window and a clerk can check a local hold shelf. For a routine check on where a parcel is, the phone, text and online options all pull the same tracking record faster than a trip to the window.
What do I bring if I do go to the Post Office in person?
The tracking number, printed or on a phone screen, and photo identification if the parcel is being held for pickup rather than just checked on. A redelivery slip left at the address works in place of the tracking number and speeds up the counter conversation.