If you need to have a letter or a package delivered, you can visit the Post Office. This government agency has storefronts in many cities. It also has a few unique payment options that aren’t available elsewhere. Here’s how you can pay for services at the Post Office.
Commonly Used Payment Options at the Post Office
Post Office | Cash | Large Bills | Personal Checks | Debit Card | Credit Card | Apple Pay | Google Pay | UnionPay | JCB | PayPal | Venmo |
In-store | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Online | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Some of the most commonly used payment options at the Post Office include stamps and metered mail. These are unique options that aren’t available at other stores. But aside from that, you can also use cash and checks to pay at its stores as well as mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The Post Office has terminals that support tap-to-pay at its local branches. It doesn’t accept Apple Pay and Google Pay at its online store, though. You can also use PayPal for online payments there but not for in-store services.
Support for Alternative Payment Options Such as Buy Now, Pay Later
Post Office | Klarna | Affirm | Afterpay | Sezzle | Zip | PayPal Credit | EBT | Store Gift Card | Store Credit Card |
In-store | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Online | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
While the Post Office accepts several forms of payment that you can’t use elsewhere, it doesn’t offer much support for alternative payment options such as buy now, pay later apps. There is one exception, though. Since its online store accepts PayPal, you should also be able to use PayPal credit to finance your purchase there. There are a few places where this doesn’t work but they’re primarily grocery stores and restaurants.
Other delivery services typically don’t support buy now, pay later apps either, but you can use BNPL apps at many office supply stores, department stores, and electronics stores. These stores usually don’t deliver merchandise for third parties, though, although you may be able to pick up deliveries at some of their stores.
More Information About the Post Office
The Post Office is a government agency that’s authorized by the Constitution to deliver mail, so it’s a different type of business than the other stores I’ve written about. In addition to mail and package delivery, it also offers a few other services such as mailbox rentals and passport renewals. You can also use several financial services there such as check cashing. Because the Post Office is a government agency, it also has some locations in small markets and rural areas that normally wouldn’t be able to support package delivery hubs.
Additionally, you can pay the Post Office without going into one of its stores by placing a stamp on an envelope and dropping the envelope into a mailbox. There are also a few other delivery services that have drop-off boxes in addition to retail stores such as UPS and FedEx.
Alternatives to the Post Office That Also Accept Apple Pay
You can also drop off packages for delivery or pick them up at a FedEx Office store. In my area, lots of these stores used to belong to the office supply store Kinkos, which was acquired by FedEx. FedEx Office stores can also serve as remote offices if you’re traveling on a business trip.
Another place where you can rent mailboxes, buy cardboard boxes, or have packages delivered is the UPS Store. This office supply store also serves as a package and mail delivery hub.
The office supply store Staples sells printers, paper, furniture, and other merchandise as well as staples. You can also buy point-of-sale terminals that accept contactless payments and other electronic devices there.
In addition to audio equipment, appliances, and computers, the electronics store Best Buy also sells paper, printers, and other office supplies. It will deliver its own products as well but as far as I know it doesn’t deliver third-party products.
You can also buy furniture, printers, and other office supplies at Office Depot. It also delivers its own merchandise but may not deliver third-party products.