Post office box
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A post office box (often abbreviated P.O. box or PO box) is a uniquely-addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office station.
In many countries, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, there is no delivery of mail to street addresses, and renting a PO box is the only way to receive mail.[citation needed] In some rural areas of countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, mail is not delivered so the rentals are often discounted or free.
Generally, post office boxes are rented from the post office either by individuals or by businesses on a basis ranging from monthly to annual, and the cost of rent varies depending on the box size. CBD PO boxes are usually more expensive than a rural PO box.
In the US, the rental rate used to be uniform across the country. Now, however, a postal facility can be in any of seven fee groups by location; in addition, certain customers qualify for free box rental.
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[edit] Number of boxes
The quantity of post office boxes in a station varies widely. Stations of small rural communities are often equipped with fewer than 100 boxes, while stations in a metropolitan area may offer a combined quantity of over 100,000 post office boxes.
[edit] Numbering of boxes
Sometimes the numbering schemes of several post offices in the same suburb are combined so that, for example, 1-999 belongs to the Main Office, 1001-1999 to the North Office and so on. In many U.S. cities, the first two digits of the box number are tied to the last two digits of the ZIP code, leaving either three or four least significant digits to identify the P.O. box itself. For example, in Chicago, Illinois, P.O. boxes in the 11000 range are in ZIP code 60611, while those in the 12000 range are in ZIP code 60612, and so on.
On other occasions, a letter or letters may be used to separate post offices sharing the same postcode, as in Australia:
- PO Box K349 Haymarket, Sydney, 1238
- PO Box R1234 Royal Exchange, Sydney, 2001
- PO Box 349AA ? , Melbourne, 3001
- PO Box 1234RR ? , Melbourne, 3001
In New Zealand, a PO box number may be any digit between 1 and 400 000, although the number ranges still identify the location of the PostShop or 'lobby' for PO box addresses. Since 2006, each PO box lobby has had its own postcode.
[edit] Handedness
In some countries, PO boxes are usually numbered left to right, top to bottom, from the point of view of the postal worker on the inside, so that the boxes are numbered right to left from the point of view of the box-holder.
Other countries use numbering systems different from that just described. For example, in the United States, it is typical to number PO boxes from left to right from the point of view of the box-holder. In newer facilities, the boxes are numbered from top to bottom and then from left to right from the point of view of the box-holder; the least significant digit indicates the position of the box in a column.
[edit] Mounting of boxes
Post office boxes are usually mounted in a wall of the post office, either an external wall or a wall in a lobby, so that staff on the inside may deposit mail in a box, while a key holder on the outside of the building may open his or her box to empty the mail. In many post offices in the U.S., the P.O. box lobby is separate from the window-service lobby, so that the former may be kept open around the clock while the latter is locked after business hours. However, in the U.S. since the 1980s, in cities and large urban areas, post offices have tended to close box lobbies overnight because of the tendency of homeless people to use them for sleeping quarters.
[edit] Reasons for using PO boxes
Even where there is an efficient 'door-to-door' delivery system, there are additional advantages in using PO boxes.
- PO boxes allow anonymity. This can be abused by companies of dubious credibility.
- PO boxes allow mail to be picked up when sorted, rather than when it is delivered to the physical address, which will be some hours later.
- A mail user who regularly receives large parcels or items that must be signed for may find it convenient to pick up the rest of the mail at the same time.
- A mail user who moves frequently can keep a mailing address.
- A mail user may desire a more famous or prestigious address. For example, in Washington, D.C., many large P.O. box facilities are located near or even outside city limits.
- A business receiving large volumes of mail may maintain separate post office boxes for separate departments (such as one for sales, one for customer service) to reduce the need to sort internally.
- PO boxes are more secure than many home mailboxes, preventing mail theft and identity theft.
- If you live on a boat, PO boxes can serve as your address, but are not necessary.
[edit] Packages
If a parcel does not fit in a PO box, the postmaster will leave a note advising that customer to pick up that parcel from the counter. In some post offices, a key will be left in the PO box that corresponds to a larger, locked box where the patron may pick up his or her package if a signature is not required. Notes will also be left in the PO box in respect of COD and registered mail that has to be signed for.
[edit] Locked bags and caller service
Users receiving very large quantities of mail can use "locked bags," which are numbered like PO boxes. In the United States, this service is called caller service, and the assigned number is called a caller number, although mail is typically addressed to "P.O. Box (caller number)."[1]
[edit] Sizes
In Australia, wall-mounted PO boxes come in three sizes, which are cleverly designed so that different sizes can be mixed almost at random on the wall. There are five sizes in the U.S., using that same design principle, although the boxes are normally arranged from the smallest boxes at the top to the largest at the bottom. The two largest sizes are configured as drawers.
[edit] New laws in the 21st Century
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Due to increased security regulations of the 21st century, new federal, state, and local laws regulate the use of a P.O. box for the purpose of anonymity.
For example, anyone opening a bank account or credit card account may not use a P.O. box as one's address stated on the application. Only a legal street address may be used. Bills and other mailings may be sent to the P.O. box after the account has been opened.
In addition, many government agencies will only offer their services to those furnishing a valid street address, often along with proof that they are actually residing at that location. For example, U.S. passports will only be offered to those who print their street address on the application. The same is true for voter's registrations in most jurisdictions. Often, the Department of Motor Vehicles will not allow anyone to obtain a driver's license or motor vehicle registration without a valid street address along with verification of its accuracy. These practices have been criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as discrimination against the homeless and transient populations.
Additionally, all states except for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming now have laws requiring residents to provide the state with the physical location where they are residing, which cannot be a P.O. box. Such laws are present to increase the ease in finding an individual wanted by law enforcement or any government agency for legal reasons. This practice, likewise, has been criticized by the ACLU as discrimination against the homeless and transient populations.
[edit] See also
- Private Mail Bag - delivered to recipient by contractor.
- Post box - used for outgoing mail.
