With all of the various shipping services that exist these days, it can be hard to keep track of what packages each service will leave where.
So what about UPS, do they deliver to your door or to somewhere else? Here is what I discovered!
Does UPS Deliver To My Door In 2024?
UPS places your package directly into your hands or at your doorstep in 2024. UPS sometimes doesn’t leave your package on your doorstep, typically because the package requires a signature and the courier was unable to obtain one, the address is blocked from release, or because of delivery instructions.
If you want to learn more about how to better anticipate where your UPS package will be dropped off or even how to request a specific drop-off location, be sure to check out the rest of the article!
Does UPS Leave Packages in the Mailbox or at the Door?
UPS does not leave packages in your mailbox, but only at the door or another requested location.
Mailboxes are all technically federal property, and as such, only the USPS, a federally-run mail organization, has access to them.
UPS more often than not will leave your package on your doorstep, and will sometimes make an effort to partially conceal them to prevent them from being taken.
This means that while your package may be in front of your door sometimes, other times it can be placed behind a pillar or potted plant to keep it out of view of the street.
On occasion, you may find a package with UPS packaging in your mailbox.
The only time this occurs is when whoever shipped the package opted to use a hybrid shipping service, which is a type of service that involves two shipping companies coming together to provide the best of both companies.
UPS and USPS offer a hybrid shipping service called UPS Mail Innovations, which involves UPS handling most of the ins and outs of the package’s travel and care.
While UPS handles this aspect, USPS handles last-mile delivery, which is the most tedious part of package delivery.
Because USPS offers last-mile delivery in the UPS Mail Innovations arrangement, if your package is small enough to fit in a mailbox, it may end up in your mailbox rather than on your doorstep.
If you want to learn more about UPS Mail Innovations, you can visit the UPS page on this service here.
Why Does UPS Sometimes Not Leave a Package at the Door?
Just because your UPS package is not at your front door doesn’t mean that it isn’t ready to be delivered. Rather, here are some common reasons UPS may not leave your package at the door:
1. Delivery instructions were left that indicated that the package should be left elsewhere
UPS allows for people shipping a package as well as those who will be receiving a package to leave special delivery instructions.
In the delivery instructions, you can request for the package to be left at the back gate, under the doormat, or in another inconspicuous place to avoid package theft.
Provided your courier is able to actually get to the requested drop-off site, they’ll typically oblige the request.
If you think your package may have been placed elsewhere because of delivery instructions, take a good look around or check your UPS My Choice account to see if there’s a record of special delivery instructions for your package.
2. Your package may require a signature in order to be delivered- if the courier was unable to get one, they will not leave the package at your door
UPS offers plenty of services you can add to any package delivery, and one of these services is the Delivery Signature service.
This service is most commonly used for expensive or special packages to help ensure that they are not left out to be grabbed or potentially damaged.
If there’s a signature service attached to your package, then your local UPS courier must have someone available to sign for the package when they attempt to deliver it.
If there isn’t anyone available or if the person available does not meet the requirements, then your courier is not allowed to leave your package at the door.
Instead, they’ll put it back on the truck and leave you a note to let you know about the delivery attempt.
If you received a note about the missed delivery attempt or suspect that this is why your package is not at your front door, you can follow the instructions on the note or visit UPS’ page here.
3. Your address is marked as “blocked from release”
It’s not necessarily uncommon for addresses to be marked in the UPS logs as being blocked from release.
This typically happens when packages have been stolen at a certain address or an area is deemed as being unsafe for unattended deliveries.
If you suspect your address is listed as “blocked from release,” you can call the UPS customer service line at 1-800-742-5877.
You can also visit the UPS customer service contact page here to chat with someone online.
How Can I Get UPS to Leave Packages at My Door?
If your packages are consistently being placed elsewhere or being held by UPS, your address or general location could be marked as blocked from release in UPS drivers’ logs.
If you’re suspicious of this, contact UPS customer service and request assistance.
If your address is blocked from release, you’ll have to request to be taken off the list for packages to begin arriving at your door again and for any other strategy recommended here to work.
If your address is not blocked from release, but you still aren’t receiving packages at your doorstep, another tool you can use is a UPS My Choice account, which you can make here.
With a UPS My Choice account, you can create a virtual signature that can be used in place of a physical signature for most delivery signature services.
By creating a virtual signature, you don’t have to physically be at home to accept the package in order for it to be delivered.
Your UPS My Choice account also allows you to create or alter special delivery instructions.
You can use the delivery instructions box to let your courier know that they can drop your box off at the doorstep or anywhere else you’d like it to be placed.
It’s also wise to include a note about what to do if they feel the package is unsafe for any reason.
For example, your delivery note can read something of this nature:
“Please drop off my box by my front door! If you feel like the package is unsafe in that spot for any reason, feel free to place it between the potted plant and pillar to help hide it from view. Thanks!”
To learn more, you can also read our posts on whether or not UPS ships to PO boxes, if UPS delivers on Sundays, and if UPS updates tracking.
Conclusion
UPS typically delivers to your doorstep, although there are occasions when your package may end up elsewhere.
UPS does not ever put packages in your mailbox, as USPS is the only service allowed to use mailboxes.
