How To Change Your Address In USPS – Quick Guide
How do I change my USPS mailing address? Today’s article is focused on the best way to change your address in USPS. Did you recently move or do you plan to move soon? If the answer to this question is a resounding “yes”, you should have more in mind than the cost of living of the US city you have chosen. Keep in mind that if you don’t, you could lose your IRS unemployment refund checks or any other important correspondence. We talked about changing the address in the USPS (and also in the IRS).
Today we will dedicate this post to one of these two mandatory tasks. Discover with us how to change your address in USPS step by step and never miss a single letter.
How do I change my USPS mailing address?
Making the address change in the postal mail is not as difficult as you think. The USPS portal will allow you to complete the procedure easily, quickly and without complications; and it is open to anyone who lives in the United States.
If you don’t have an Internet connection or you don’t get along very well with technology, you can choose to do the procedure in person. Let’s see the step-by-step so you don’t miss any details.
How to change your address online
Let’s start with the simplest procedure: how to change your address online. This is perhaps the most used way today because it is expeditious and easy to do.
- Visit the postal address change portal, which is usps.move.
- Click on “Get Started” to start the procedure. Complete the online form with all the required information.
- Review the information. Make sure it does not contain material or substantive errors
- If everything is ok, click next and choose a payment method. The postal address change fee is $1.05. You can pay them with your credit or debit card.
- In the end, you will receive an email with the order confirmation for the change of address.
Later we will talk about the information you should have on hand to complete the form. For now, let’s see what is the second way to do the address change (in person).
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How to change your mailing address in person
Changing your mailing address in person is also very easy. To complete it, go to any post office, preferably the one closest to your current address. When you’re there, ask for the moving package.
Inside the moving package, you will find PS Form 3575, which is a form to fill out in person. Fill in all the information and give it to your postman. You can also drop it off directly at the local post office.
Once the procedure has been successfully completed, you should receive a confirmation letter by post with your new address.
What do I need to fill out the postal address change form?
Regardless of the postal address change method, either you choose (in person or online) you should have certain information on hand, such as:
- The details of who is moving. In the form, you must indicate if only you are moving, if it is the whole family or a company. If only you move and you usually receive correspondence with several names (for example, your bachelor’s name, nickname or married last name) you will have to fill out a PS Form 3575 for each of them. If it is a family, do not forget to indicate if all the members have the same surname.
- Contact information of the owner of the mail. That is, first name, middle name or your initial, last name, nicknames, suffixes, etc. You will also need to enter a valid email address and phone number.
- Type of move. Many don’t know, but they can forward their postal mail to a different address momentarily. If your move is temporary, that is, it will last less than 6 months, mark “Temporary” on the form. If you don’t plan to return to your current address because you just bought a home, check the “Permanent” box.
- Forwarding date of the postal mail. Ideally, it should coincide with your move-in date. From that day on, all the correspondence you receive will be forwarded to the new address. If your move is temporary, you will also have to add the end date of the forwarding.
- Address. Both the old and the new. In this case, you will have to write the state, zip code and exact address.
Do I have to pay the $ 1.05 fee for a face-to-face mailing address change?
No. The payment of this fee only applies to the change of address in the postal mail by the Internet. The reason? The only thing USPS wants to do with this surcharge is to verify your identity. That is why the credit and/or debit card you use for payment must be in your name.
You should also make sure that the card you have chosen for payment is domiciled to your old or new address. Remember that after payment, USPS will send you a confirmation email.
Note: The payment system will ask you for the month and year of expiration of the card, the issuer (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.), and the code that appears on the back of the plastic, that is, the CVV of the card.
What happens after the postal address change?
After you complete the mailing address change procedure online or in person, all you need to do is wait for a confirmation letter. This communication will contain the details of the change of address, your old address, the new one and the confirmation that the procedure has been completed successfully.
The validation letter will arrive in two formats: one online to the email address you have provided and another in physical form, through the postal mail. You can expect the printed letter between 3-5 business days after making the change.
Note: Your new address and a USPS phone number will appear in the email communication you receive. Check that the assigned address has no errors. In case of having problems with the forwarding of your correspondence, call the contact number that appears in the letter.
This validation communication may be accompanied by the United States Mail Service Welcome Kit. If you don’t receive it within the first envelope, it will arrive a week or two after you’ve made the change.
How to correct an error in the change of postal address?
This task is much easier to do if it is online. If you made a mistake or your move was suspended for any reason, you can edit or change the address again. To do so, visit the official USPS moving website and click on “Want to View, Edit, Cancel or Dispute a Change-of-Address? ”.
Enter your confirmation number and the new zip code associated with your address to continue. The confirmation number appears on the letter sent by the agency by email or in print. You will recognize it because it is the only 16 digit code. You can also find it in the first email that USPS sends you (the payment confirmation).
When you enter the system, you can change what you want :
- The forwarding start date of the correspondence
- The end date (in case of temporary moves)
- People involved in the move
- The type of move (temporary or permanent)
- The email
- The contact phone number
You could also choose to cancel the address change order if you prefer. Just keep one thing in mind: up to 2 daily edits are allowed. After that, you will have to log back into the system within 48 hours.
If you don’t want to cancel or edit your address change online, you can do it in person. To do this, visit the post office closest to your address, present a valid and current ID, and a document that shows the correct address. It can be a bank statement, credit card statement, or utility bill.
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After I change my address in the USPS, will it also change in the IRS?
No, this is simply a popular myth. Changing your mailing address in the USPS will not change the address you have registered with the Internal Revenue Service. You need to make the change yourself with the IRS to have all your contact information updated.
The same will happen with the companies and subscriptions that you have active. You must notify each company separately as soon as possible to avoid delays in the delivery of your mail.