Skip to main content
All CollectionsShipping & Postage QuestionsPickups and Delivery
Can I ship to a recipient without an address using Hold for Pickup?
Can I ship to a recipient without an address using Hold for Pickup?

Learn how to use General Delivery so packages are held at the Post Office for your recipient, and what to do for UPS packages

Updated over a week ago

  • USPS Hold for Pickup: USPS offers a Hold for Pickup service for anyone who wishes to have their packages held at their local Post Office instead of being delivered directly to their address 😉

  • Use General Delivery instead of Hold for Pickup: While there's currently not a way to request the Hold for Pickup service through Pirate Ship, you can easily format your recipient's address to have their shipment held at the Post Office for pickup using an old-school trick: General Delivery.

What is General Delivery with USPS and how can I use it?

  • Understanding General Delivery: General delivery is intended primarily as a temporary means of delivery for people who are just passing through an area or don't have a permanent address. With this method, packages are sent to local Post Offices and held there for your recipient to pick up.

    • Your recipient may be required to present ID to pick up their package, and they may have to go to a different local Post Office than they're expecting, as sometimes only one Post Office in an area handles General Delivery requests.

  • Creating a label with General Delivery: When creating a label in Pirate Ship, enter "General Delivery" in the Address field and fill out the rest of the address like normal.

    • Here's a visual example of how that looks:

Screenshot of the 'Create a Single Label' form, with the Address field highlighted. In the address field, it says 'General Delivery.'

  • Shipments routed to Post Offices: The information in the City, State, and Zipcode fields will be enough to ensure this package is routed to your recipient's Post Office and held until they can pick it up 🎉

  • 30-day holding period: Note that Post Offices will only hold the package for your recipient for 30 days.

What to do for UPS packages

  • UPS shipments: UPS packages are a bit different, since UPS doesn't offer a "General Delivery" option for recipients without an address, or a free "Hold for Pickup" service. The best option for a UPS shipment is to intercept the package and reroute it to a different address.

  • Chat with us to intercept your package: To intercept a UPS package, chat with our Support Crew! Once you give us the tracking number, we can either reroute the package to a different address or have it returned to you 💪

    • Please note that UPS intercepts only work if the package is not yet out for delivery.

Related resources

Did this answer your question?