The United States Postal Service's (USPS) primary purpose is for the posting, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail. And now USPS has many services available through their website to make sending mail as easy as possible. Their services include: a postage calculator, buying stamps, tracking a package, and scheduling a pickup. USPS is the most affordable way to ship in the U.S. because it is government subsidized.

US Postal Service

The nearest USPS location is at the Ackerman Student Union in the center of UCLA's campus. Shipping with UPS, DHL, or FedEx may be pricier but might provide quicker delivery or more specialized shipping needs. The Ackerman Post Office is open Monday - Friday from 9 AM - 4 PM and closed on the weekend.

Stamps

Stamps may be purchased on the USPS website, at any US Post Office, grocery stores, and some ATMs. If you are sending mail internationally it is usually easier to go to the Post Office and have them put a special stamp on the package indicating the exact amount of money it takes to send the package. If you guess that it costs a certain amount and you don’t put enough stamps on the package it will be sent back to you and obviously the mailing process is greatly delayed.


Addressing a Letter

When sending letters within the United States, it is always important to include the proper "ZIP" code (postal code). If you are unsure of a ZIP code for a certain city or portion of a city, you should go to the local post office or look up the ZIP code on the internet. If you do not include the zip code, the letter can take considerably longer to reach its destination.

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