LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Have you ever been at work on vacation, wondering if that all important letter has come in the mail? USPS is taking away the wonder with a new service called Informed Delivery.
Once your letter makes it to the Post Office, you can get a notification that it is on its way through an email, text, or app. You can look at an actual picture of the mail that's headed to your door.
"You actually see the image of the mail piece. You can actually see the image...if it's a letter, if it's a postcard, you even get notification of your package that's going to be arriving."
Alisa Zanetti with the United States Postal Service says their sorting machines have been taking pictures of your mail for years - it's how the machine sorts the mail and it's it to the right place. If you opt into the Informed Delivery service, those same images can be sent your way.
"The benefits of informed delivery is to know what's coming on our mail," Zanetti said. "As a parent, I knew that the grades were coming through Jefferson County Public School and when I got home it was missing. And so there was a conversation to have with the 11-year-old."
Whether it's that important tax return, an exciting package, or a letter from a friend, you'll know what's coming and when. That means you'll know if anything is misplaced or taken.
If you'd like to sign up for Informed Delivery, you can go to the App Store on your device and type in "Informed Delivery", or you can head over to the USPS website and sign up there.