When you’re ready to move, you have a hundred different things on your mind – but one important thing you can’t let slip is updating your address.
You don’t want to leave it too late, or you might miss some important mail. Conversely, you don’t want to do it too early, either. How to update your address with USPS, you ask? Well, I’ve got the answer you seek, so keep reading!
How to Update Your Address at USPS in 2024
You can update your address with the United States Postal Service around the recommended two-week mark, before making your official move. The USPS offers a variety of ways to update your address, including online (which involves a small fee), over the phone, or in-person at your local Post Office in 2024.
To learn more about when you should update your address with USPS, how to update your address over the phone, when the address update is free, and much, much more, read on!
When Should You Update Your Address With USPS?
The USPS.com website suggests updating your address with the Postal Service about two weeks before making the move.
This is because while mail forwarding may start within three business days, delays at the Post Office can occur.
Currently, you have three options for changing your mailing address:
- Online: Using the USPS’s official change-of-address site, you can update as an individual, a family, or a business.
You can choose from a permanent or temporary move, and you can also pick a date for when USPS should start forwarding mail.
This method, while the easiest, does incur a small $1.10 fee, used to verify your identification. You can pay with a debit or credit card.
- In-person, at the Post Office: When you arrive, request a Mover’s Guide (it’s free).
Inside the packet, you will find PS Form 3575, which you need to fill out and turn in.
- Over the phone: You can call 1-800-275-8777 to change your address by telephone.
In each of these cases, you will also receive a Move Validation Letter at the new address.
Note that this letter is just to let you know that the request has been made (and if no one has made a request, they can begin to investigate that for potentially fraudulent activity).
Can You Change Your Address With USPS Over the Phone?
You can change your address over the phone, by calling 1-800-275-8777, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., or on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This is the USPS’s customer care line; you will say “Mail” when the automated voice prompts you.
Is USPS’ Change of Address Free?
For two out of three options, changing your address with USPS is free – those include changing it by phone and changing it in person.
For the third method, changing it online, the USPS charges a small $1.10 fee.
This fee is actually for identification purposes; you’ll be using a card that has one of the two addresses (old or new) attached to it.
So, this is the Postal Service’s way of verifying that it’s indeed you requesting the change.
Can You Change Your Address Online with USPS?
There’s no reason why you can’t change your address online with USPS – any and all with an internet connection can do it.
To do so, simply visit the Postal Service’s Official Change-of-Address website, where you enter some information and voilà – you’re done in minutes!
How Do You Cancel a Change of Address?
When you perform your change of address online, the form asks you for an email address.
You’ll receive an email with the confirmation code; hold onto that, because you’ll need the confirmation code to cancel, or otherwise modify your change of address.
Visit the Official USPS Change-of-Address website and scroll all the way down to the bottom; click where it says, “Want to View, Edit, Cancel or Dispute your USPS Change-of-Address?”
This will take you to the next screen, which is where you’ll enter the confirmation code and your new ZIP code. From there, you can modify or cancel your Change of Address.
Why Did USPS Charge You $40 to Change Your Address?
If you were charged $40, $50, or $70 to change your address, you were scammed, and likely the change of address didn’t even go through.
Indeed, the USPS does not charge $40 to do it online, but only charges $1.10.
Therefore, please be aware that scammers’ websites are really good in some cases, making you think you are on USPS.com – but you are not.
The correct web address for changing your address is https://moversguide.usps.com.
How Long Does It Take for Mail to Be Forwarded to a New Address?
It can take mail up to seven to 10 postal business days to reach your new address, which is why the Postal Service recommends making the request up to two weeks in advance.
When setting up your Change of Address, you can backdate the request by up to 30 days, or set your mail forwarding date up to three months from the current date.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on what is invalid USPS address, how to cancel USPS change of address, and how long does USPS change of address last.
Conclusion
Updating your address with the USPS is easy and convenient to do, with three methods available: by phone, in person, or online. Note that doing it online costs $1.10, while the other two methods are totally free.
