Are you planning on receiving a package from Fedex, but want to know if they’ll ship to a PO box?
With the rise of online shopping, more people than ever are looking for secure ways to safely receive their packages.
So, does Fedex ship to PO boxes, and if not, what should you do instead?
In this article, I’ll cover everything that you need to know!
Does Fedex Ship To PO Boxes?
Unfortunately, Fedex is not allowed to ship directly to PO boxes. This is because PO boxes are the legal property of USPS, and they are the only ones that are legally allowed to place packages into them.
While Fedex used to have a partnership with USPS that allowed their SmartPost packages to be delivered to PO boxes, this service has been discontinued and is no longer available.
Thankfully, there are workarounds that are just as good, that I’ll be covering in a moment.
However, if you absolutely must have the package delivered to a PO box, you should opt to receive it with USPS as the courier instead.
Rare Exception: USPS Premium PO Box Service Enhancements
In normal circumstances, Fedex is unable to deliver to a PO box. However, there is one very rare exception to this rule.
USPS offers a service in some locations called ‘street addressing.’ This essentially gives you an address that couriers like Fedex will accept, and then USPS redelivers it to your PO box once they receive it.
This service is very obscure, and rarely used. Plus, as mentioned earlier, it is only available in some locations.
You can learn more about USPS’ street addressing service by viewing the agreement form here.
To inquire about it, visit your local post office branch and ask whether it’s supported at their location.
Note however that there is a far more convenient option, which I’ll be covering a little later on. However, for the sake of being thorough, I wanted to let you know about USPS’ street addressing service even though it is rarely used.
Fedex, And The Discontinuation Of SmartPost
In the past, it actually was possible for Fedex to deliver to PO boxes! However, this was only supported with one shipping service – Fedex SmartPost.
With Fedex SmartPost shipments, Fedex would handle the bulk of the package’s transit. However, it would be handed off to USPS for the final delivery.
This was particularly common for rural areas, where Fedex may have to go far out of their way to deliver to an address. Since USPS would have to go there to deliver mail anyway, the partnership made a lot of sense.
However, Fedex SmartPost has since been rebranded to Fedex Ground Economy, and the partnership with Fedex has ended.
So, there is no longer any situation in which they are able to deliver directly to PO boxes – the packages can only get to your PO box using the workaround mentioned above.
What Happens If You Try To Ship A Fedex Package To A PO Box?
So, what happens if you end up trying to send a Fedex package to a PO box anyway?
It turns out, they won’t let you!
When you go to purchase the shipping label or begin the shipping process, Fedex will run a quick validation check on the address.
If the address isn’t valid or is going to an address they can’t ship to – such as a PO box, they will not allow you to purchase shipping.
So, it is impossible to create a Fedex shipment to a PO box by mistake – they simply won’t allow it to happen.
Workaround: Consider Getting A UPS Box Instead!
So, we now know that Fedex can almost never ship to a PO box, unless you have made special arrangements for USPS to receive packages there.
Thankfully, there is a better option that is far more convenient, at least if you’re planning on receiving a lot of packages from Fedex – renting a UPS box!
UPS boxes work just like USPS PO boxes do, except that they can receive packages from any courier – not just USPS. This makes them far more convenient, especially if you will primarily be using it to receive bulky packages rather than letters.
The prices are quite comparable to standard PO boxes as well, with the smallest UPS mailboxes coming in at about $10 per month, where the large ones go for around $50 a month.
UPS boxes offer a number of additional benefits over traditional PO boxes as well.
For example, UPS boxes give you a real street address to mail to, and can even send you text alerts when your packages are delivered.
To learn more and discover the eligible UPS stores in your area, click here!
Alternative: Have The Package Sent To A Fedex OnSite Location
If you’re only planning on receiving a handful of packages and you don’t want to pay the additional fee to rent a UPS box, there is another option.
Fedex allows you to pick up the packages yourself, or have them tendered at a Fedex OnSite location.
Although you will need to use your real address when having the order shipped, you can have the shipment redirected or held by using the Fedex delivery manager.
This will allow you to ship it to say, a Fedex office, or a participating Fedex OnSite location like Walgreens or Safeway.
Then, you can just pick it up whenever it’s convenient for you – similarly to a PO box!
Conclusion
Unfortunately, Fedex does not mail to PO boxes, because they are simply not allowed to.
While special arrangements can be made with certain post offices as a workaround, it is far more practical to simply rent a UPS box instead – or request that the package be held at a local Fedex OnSite location for pickup.
I hope that this article has answered your questions. If you have any other questions about Fedex, please ask them using the comment form below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Thanks for reading,
– James McAllister