Can You Redirect a Package After Shipping? USPS Package Intercept Explained
Updated July 2026. Rates and policies verified against carrier-published sources; see references at the end.
Yes — you can usually redirect a USPS package after it ships, as long as it isn't out for delivery or already delivered. The service is called USPS Package Intercept: it costs $19.45, you're only charged if the intercept actually succeeds, and most domestic packages with a tracking barcode are eligible. Requests go through your USPS.com account (or the Business Customer Gateway for commercial shippers), and the package comes back to you or gets held at a Post Office as Priority Mail.
How USPS Package Intercept works
- Check eligibility: the package must be domestic, have a USPS Tracking or extra services barcode, not exceed 130 inches in combined length and girth, and not yet be out for delivery.
- Sign in to (or create) a USPS.com account and open the Package Intercept tool.
- Choose where the package should go. Retail senders can redirect it back to their own address or hold it at a Post Office for pickup. Commercial senders using the Business Customer Gateway get a third option: redirecting to a different delivery address.
- Review the estimate — the $19.45 intercept fee plus estimated Priority Mail postage, if applicable — and submit.
- USPS attempts the intercept. If it succeeds, your card is charged and the package is relabeled and sent as Priority Mail to the location you chose. If it fails, you pay nothing.
What it costs
| Charge | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Package Intercept fee | $19.45 | Only if USPS successfully intercepts the package; non-refundable once charged |
| Priority Mail postage for the redirect | Varies by weight and zone | Waived if the package was originally sent Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, or First-Class Mail; charged for other classes |
| Optional extra services | Varies | You can add Signature Confirmation, insurance, and similar services to the intercepted package |
Since most e-commerce packages ship via Ground Advantage or Priority Mail, most sellers pay only the $19.45 fee — no second postage charge.
What's eligible (and what isn't)
Eligible: domestic shipments with a USPS Tracking or extra services barcode, up to 130 inches in total length and girth, that haven't reached "out for delivery" status.
Not eligible:
- USPS Marketing Mail products and periodicals
- Items addressed to a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (like a private mailbox store)
- Redirects to a PO Box
- Hazardous materials and items marked for surface-only transportation
- International shipments
Will it actually work? Honest caveats
USPS says it plainly: Package Intercept is not a guaranteed service. Your request races the package through an automated network, and a fast-moving Ground Advantage or Priority Mail shipment may only sit still at one or two facilities where an intercept can happen. Two rules of thumb: request the intercept the moment you spot the problem, and don't rely on it once tracking shows the package near the destination city. If the intercept misses and the package can't be delivered, it may still come back on its own — here's what happens when a package is returned to sender.
UPS and FedEx equivalents
UPS offers Delivery Intercept for shipments within the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with four options: return to sender, deliver to another address, reschedule delivery, or hold for pickup. Under UPS's 2026 rates the fee is $21.00 per package requested online ($27.00 by phone), and like USPS, you're only charged if the intercept is completed. FedEx handles reroutes through FedEx Delivery Manager and customer service, with fees that depend on the change requested. If you regularly split volume between carriers, it's worth comparing UPS and USPS rates with these fee schedules in mind — and printing labels through one dashboard makes it easier to catch a wrong address before the truck leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the delivery address on a USPS package that already shipped?
As a retail sender, not to an arbitrary new address — you can pull it back to your own address or hold it at a Post Office. Commercial shippers using the Business Customer Gateway can redirect to a new delivery address. Recipients who want packages left differently should set up USPS Delivery Instructions or Informed Delivery instead.
How much does USPS Package Intercept cost in 2026?
$19.45 per intercepted package, charged only when the intercept succeeds, plus Priority Mail postage for the redirect unless the package originally shipped Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage, or First-Class Mail.
Do I get my money back if the intercept fails?
You're never charged in the first place — USPS bills the fee (and any redirect postage) only after a successful intercept.
Can the recipient intercept a USPS package?
Package Intercept is for the sender or their authorized representative. Recipients can influence delivery other ways: Informed Delivery, USPS Delivery Instructions, Hold for Pickup at the destination, or asking the sender to file the intercept.
How long does an intercepted package take to arrive?
Once intercepted, it's relabeled and moves as Priority Mail, so expect roughly 2–3 additional days from the intercept point to the redirect address — longer if it was caught deep in the network.
Ship cheaper starting today
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References
- USPS Package Intercept — $19.45 fee, eligibility rules, redirect options, Priority Mail postage waiver, and success caveats (accessed July 2026)
- UPS Delivery Intercept — intercept options, availability, and charge-only-if-completed policy (accessed July 2026)
- UPS Value-Added Services rate preview (effective Dec. 22, 2025) — Delivery Intercept fees: $21.00 web, $27.00 phone (accessed July 2026)
