The U.S. Postal Service has launched a new service aimed at making local online marketplace transactions safer and easier. Called USPS Local XChange, the program allows buyers and sellers to use secure Smart Lockers instead of arranging an in-person handoff with a stranger.
The service is designed for people buying and selling goods locally through platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay and other peer-to-peer sites. Rather than meeting in a parking lot or inviting someone to a home, the seller can drop the item into a participating USPS locker and the buyer can collect it later.
USPS charges a flat $5.51 per Local XChange transaction. That is less than the $7.90 starting retail price for a USPS Ground Advantage shipment purchased at a post office, although Local XChange does not transport an item from one address to another.
To use the service, a seller books the exchange through USPS Click-N-Ship. The seller must have a free USPS.com account, and the Smart Locker location must be within 50 miles of the seller’s return address.
The item must be packaged in a box or polybag that meets USPS mailing requirements and fits inside an available locker compartment. Maximum locker size can be as large as 22.5 inches by 19.5 inches by 14.5 inches, though some locations have smaller compartments.
After the seller deposits the item, USPS emails the buyer a unique Pickup QR Code. The buyer scans the code at the Smart Locker, opens the compartment and collects the purchase without meeting the seller in person.
The buyer has five calendar days to pick up the package. If the item is not retrieved, it is moved to the post office counter for another 10 days, and it is returned to the seller after 15 days from the original pickup notice.
Many USPS Smart Lockers are available around the clock, though some are accessible only during post office lobby hours. The service is rolling out gradually, and USPS has not said when every community will have access.
The idea addresses a real concern for people making online marketplace deals. Sacramento police spokesman Justin Boyd said any option that helps buyers and sellers complete transactions safely is good for the community, especially when people would otherwise meet in locations that are not highly visible.