Tuesday, June 7, 2011

When Age Makes a Difference ...

A new age-verification service from the U.S. Postal Service is expanding the suite of delivery options available to merchants and customers looking for greater control over delivery of their shipments. Adult Signature is now available as a delivery option for commercial account holders and online customers choosing Express Mail, Priority Mail, Critical Mail and Parcel Select barcoded (nonpresort and Regional Ground) shipping services.

Designed to meet the security and privacy concerns of the marketplace and for shipments requiring the signature of an adult by law, Adult Signature offers control over the delivery recipients of high-value merchandise such as pharmaceuticals or documents such as legal instruments.

The service requires adult age verification in the form of government-issued photo identification from a recipient at the time of delivery. There are two variations of Adult Signature:

-- Adult Signature Required verifies the signature of a recipient 21 years of age or older upon delivery. The cost is $4.75 per piece.
-- Adult Signature Restricted Delivery verifies the signature of the addressee (or agent with written authorization) only, who must be 21 years of age or older upon delivery. The cost is $4.95 per piece.

Adult Signature is available to commercial and online customers and can be combined with other extra services such as insurance. Adult Signature is not available for purchase at retail locations or for delivery to APO/FPO/DPO addresses. Adult Signature represents the first service placed within a new “Competitive Ancillary Services” product category. Additional details can be found online at usps.com/shipping/adultsignature.htm.

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