How to Cancel Your Mail Forwarding Service

Understanding USPS Mail Forwarding and Why People Cancel

The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers a mail forwarding service that redirects your mail from one address to another. This service is useful when you move to a new home, relocate for work, or need mail sent to a temporary location. The process involves submitting a change of address form to USPS, which then forwards your mail for a specified period. However, there are several reasons why people decide to cancel their mail forwarding service before it expires.

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Some individuals cancel because they've changed their mind about the forwarding duration. Others may have moved again and need to update their address instead of continuing with the original forward. Additionally, people cancel when they've notified all necessary contacts—banks, employers, subscription services—of their new address and no longer need USPS to redirect their mail. The service typically costs around $1.10 for mail forwarding lasting 12 months, making it an affordable option, but some decide the cost is unnecessary once they've completed their relocation transition.

Understanding your mail forwarding service and its terms is the first step toward managing it effectively. USPS mail forwarding is not permanent; it lasts for a specific timeframe you select during setup. When you established your forward, USPS assigned it an expiration date. Knowing this date helps you decide whether you need to cancel early, let it expire naturally, or renew it for additional time. The service redirects mail addressed to your old address to your new one, which means once you cancel, mail sent to your previous address will no longer be forwarded.

Takeaway: Before canceling, review your original mail forwarding confirmation to understand your current forwarding end date and how long your service is scheduled to run.

Step-by-Step Process for Canceling Online

The most straightforward way to cancel USPS mail forwarding is through the official USPS website at usps.com. This method allows you to manage your service from your computer or mobile device at any time. To cancel online, first visit the USPS website and locate the "Manage My Services" section. You'll need to sign into your USPS account using your email address and password. If you don't already have a USPS account, you'll need to create one before you can access your mail forwarding details.

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Once logged in, navigate to the mail forwarding option in your account dashboard. Look for a section labeled "Mail Forwarding" or "Informed Delivery." Your current mail forwarding orders should be displayed, showing the original address, new address, and the expiration date of the service. Select the specific mail forwarding service you wish to cancel—this is important because you may have multiple forwards if you've moved several times or set up different forwards for different purposes. After selecting the correct forward, you'll see a cancellation option. Click on it and confirm your request. USPS will ask you to verify your identity to ensure you're authorized to cancel this service.

The verification process typically involves answering security questions based on information in USPS's system or confirming details from your account. You may be asked about your date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number, or details about your forwarding address. Answer these questions accurately. Once verification is complete, USPS will display a confirmation page indicating that your mail forwarding cancellation has been processed. Save or print this confirmation for your records, as it contains important details about the cancellation, including the date it was processed and the effective date when forwarding will stop.

Takeaway: Keep your confirmation number and cancellation date in a safe place so you can reference this information if you need to contact USPS later about the cancellation.

Canceling by Mail or Phone

If you prefer not to cancel online or experience technical difficulties with the USPS website, you can cancel your mail forwarding by phone or mail. To cancel by phone, contact USPS Customer Service at 1-800-275-8777. When you call, have your confirmation number from your original mail forwarding order ready, along with your old address, new address, and some form of identification. The customer service representative will verify your identity using similar questions to those asked during online cancellation. This verification step is standard procedure to prevent unauthorized cancellations.

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Explain that you want to cancel your mail forwarding service and provide the specific details they request. The representative will locate your forwarding order in USPS's system and process the cancellation. The call typically takes 10 to 15 minutes. Ask the representative to provide you with a confirmation number for the cancellation and note the date and time of your call. Request that they email or mail a written confirmation to the address on file. Having this documentation protects you if any issues arise later, such as mail still being forwarded after the cancellation date.

Alternatively, you can cancel by mail by visiting your local Post Office and requesting a form to cancel mail forwarding. Fill out the form completely with your personal information, original address, and new address. Include your confirmation number from the original forwarding order. Some post offices may require you to provide identification. Submit the form to a postal clerk, who will give you a receipt. This method takes longer than online or phone cancellation—typically 7 to 10 business days for processing—so use it only if other methods aren't available to you.

Takeaway: Always request and keep written confirmation of your cancellation regardless of the method you use, whether it's a confirmation number from an online request or a receipt from your local post office.

What Happens After You Cancel

Understanding the timeline after cancellation helps you prepare for receiving mail at your old and new addresses. When you cancel your mail forwarding service, USPS stops forwarding mail on the effective date you're given. This typically happens within one to three business days of your cancellation request if you cancel online or by phone. If you cancel by mail, allow up to 10 business days for processing. After the effective cancellation date, any mail addressed to your old address will no longer be sent to your new address.

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During the period between your cancellation request and the effective date, mail may still arrive at your old address and be forwarded to your new one. This depends on mail processing times and how quickly USPS updates their forwarding database. Some mail pieces in transit may still be forwarded even after your cancellation date if they were already in the postal system when the cancellation was processed. This is normal and not an error. Once forwarding truly stops, mail sent to your old address will remain at that location, which is why it's important to have notified all your regular contacts of your new address before canceling.

If you no longer live at your old address and the property is now occupied by someone else, that person may receive mail intended for you. This creates potential issues if the mail contains personal or financial information. To prevent this, contact companies and services you use—banks, insurance companies, subscriptions, government agencies—and provide them with your updated address directly. Don't rely solely on mail forwarding. Additionally, if you're not sure whether you've notified all relevant parties, you might consider letting your mail forwarding service expire naturally rather than canceling early. This provides an extra safety net for mail that might still be sent to your old address.

Takeaway: Before canceling, create a list of all organizations that send you mail—insurance companies, banks, employers, subscription services, government agencies—and update your address with each one directly.

Canceling Before Your Service Expires Versus Letting It End Naturally

You have the option to cancel mail forwarding immediately or to let your service expire at the end of its scheduled term. The choice depends on your situation and how confident you are that all your mail contacts have been updated. Mail forwarding service terms typically last for three, six, or 12 months, depending on what you selected when you originally set up the service. If you purchased a 12-month service and you're certain you no longer need it after three months, canceling saves you the cost of paying for unused forwarding time. However, USPS may not refund the unused portion depending on the current policies, so check USPS's refund policy before canceling.

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The advantage of letting your service expire naturally is that you have a buffer period if you've missed updating a contact's records. Mail from companies you forgot to notify will still reach your new address after the cancellation date. This can be important for unexpected mail, such as bills from services you use infrequently or important documents from institutions you work with only occasionally. Many people choose to let their mail forwarding service run its full course rather than canceling early,