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Private vs. USPS Delivery for Commercial Properties

When it comes to handling mail for commercial properties and businesses, it can seem tricky to determine which mailbox types will work the best for your establishment or property. There are many types available, ranging from single curbside mailboxes to complex sorting systems for offices.

When choosing a mail delivery option for your commercial property, it’s important to know three things: whether you want direct USPS versus internal (private) delivery, how many customers that delivery will serve, and how secure you need such mail to be.

Knowing whether you will need direct USPS or internal delivery is the most important factor in choosing a mail delivery system for your commercial property.

USPS Delivery Options

It is important to know the difference between USPS and private delivery. In USPS delivery, the postal service delivers mail directly to each customer in a commercial property. For example, this can mean direct delivery to each business in a plaza, including mail and packages.

For Smaller Commercial Properties

In most cases, postal service delivery means depositing mail in USPS-approved mailboxes. If installed correctly, curbside and wall-mounted mailboxes are approved by the USPS to receive mail. These mailboxes are good for smaller businesses who receive a normal amount of mail or for small plazas that hold a few commercial tenants. They come as single or multi-family units, which also work well for commercial properties.

Some curbside mailboxes have locks or are larger than normal, for those cases when a business must keep its mail more secure or receives many small packages or larger volumes of mail.

For Larger Properties

What if USPS delivery is needed for a large commercial property or office building that holds many businesses? Centralized mail delivery is a long-lasting and secure solution for commercial properties that hold many businesses, need greater security, or have a need for secure and convenient package delivery.

For centralized mail delivery that serves many tenants, say on a larger commercial property, the new 4C series of mailboxes work well. These mailboxes are made with USPS requirements in mind, and so long as they are installed in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, they can receive USPS delivery. Look for USPS-approved models.

These mailboxes are very durable and contain a varying number of locking, horizontal customer compartments contained in the same cabinet. They also tend to include parcel lockers which are large enough to hold all but the biggest packages. These also lock, and each customer receives a key in their normal mailbox when a package is delivered. Ensure that one parcel locker is included per every ten customer compartments.

These mailbox types work well in indoor and outdoor settings. Recessed, wall-mounted, and freestanding models are all available. So long as the ADA is followed, these mailboxes can be installed on slabs of concrete, in lobbies, or in central hallways. They must be left accessible during all hours and kept free of obstructions.

Private Delivery

Sometimes, a single business may hold many offices that all need mail delivery. Or an office building may not have adequate space to correctly install USPS-approved mailboxes.

Sometimes, there is also staff available to sort mail for each office or business that occupies a commercial property. Or perhaps the property is a college campus or military base with its own mail room or staff.

In these cases, private delivery works well, and this means that someone within an organization or commercial property receives mail from the USPS in bulk and then distributes it to each recipient. While some commercial properties do well with personal delivery, this may use up too much time in others or be hazardous due to navigating several flights of stairs. In these cases, mail systems for private delivery will work well.

Centralized Mailboxes for Private Delivery

Some older types of mailboxes such as the 4B series can be purchased for private delivery. These mailboxes are being phased out for direct USPS delivery, but can still be installed when locking mailboxes are needed for private delivery. They can have square, vertical, or horizontal customer compartments.

The benefit of this mailbox type is that staff doing private delivery will save valuable time delivering all mail to one place. However, these mailboxes usually do not contain parcel lockers for packages. However, parcel lockers can be ordered if they are needed for additional security, allowing each customer to retrieve packages at their convenience.

Mail Sorters

Mail sorters are also available when all that needs to be done is to distribute mail to each employee or office within the same company. These sorters consist of cubbies made from a variety of materials ranging from plastic to metal to wood. They can be stacked on top of one another or even purchased with attached desks to aid with mail sorting.

Mail sorters work well when handling not only USPS delivery, but mail between employees of the same company. They can also be attractive and come in a variety of types.

This option may not work well when distributing sensitive mail such as health records or personal information. In these cases, more secure options such as data delivery boxes may work well, because these boxes lock and can only be accessed by the recipient. Or opting for direct USPS delivery may work well.

Door Slots

When a commercial property consists of offices and someone is available to distribute mail to each recipient, door slots, which simply install into doors, work well. However, they will not work well for packages or sensitive information.

Door slots are easy to install in each office and can also work well for mail delivery between members of an organization or company.

Choosing the Right Option Today

If you are still unsure which delivery type will work the best for you or your organization, we are here to help. At National Mailboxes, we provide solutions for every mail delivery need. Contact us today with any questions you may have and to get started.