Finding myself telling so many people about this, I’m realizing that it just isn’t common knowledge that tons of United States Postal Service locations offer a 24-hour kiosk!
Since I don’t know how setup varies by location, I’ll just tell you about ours.
Right next to the mailboxes is a little computer station. It’s a touch screen setup and you get, from what I’ve looked through, all the same options you get when you speak with a teller. There’s even a place next to the computer that weighs your package for you to determine postage.
For me, I generally stop by to mail letters at night. In the digital age, I don’t mail things off very often, so it’s just not cost effective for me to buy stamps since the price is always changing.
There’s a minimum of $1, so the computer will prompt you and ask if you’d like to purchase 3 stamps, or go back and choose different options. When it’s all said and done, you swipe your debit/credit card and your stamps, or postage for a package pops out!
It’s a very easy process with clear, simple, yes or no questions. Due to popular demand, ours in town has even been fitted with headphones for the older group around town who have trouble reading the screens, sort of like a reverse closed captioning thing.
I was a bit intimidated at first, worried that I might choose incorrectly and end up with an $8 stamp for a 13 ounce envelope, but once I stepped up to the computer I saw that it was fairly close to idiot-proof. Since then I haven’t stood in a Post Office line. I just stop by after hours when it’s eerily quiet and get in and out!
You can check for a 24-hour kiosk near you by clicking here and choosing Automated Postal Centers from the first drop-down menu. I’m sure once you’ve given it a shot, you won’t stand in anymore teller lines either!
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