How Do I Hold My Packages While I Am on Vacation?

You can hold packages while on vacation, but there is no single switch that covers every carrier. Each one has its own tool. USPS Hold Mail keeps your mail and packages at the post office for 3 to 30 days. FedEx offers a vacation hold of up to 14 days. UPS has options too, though some cost extra. Amazon is the tricky one, so a locker or a trusted neighbor is often your best backup.

The good news is that you only need about ten minutes to set this up, and you can do it from your phone. This guide shows how to hold packages while on vacation with each major carrier, what each tool really does, and how to plan so nothing sits on your porch while you are gone.

Why Should You Not Leave Packages on the Porch While You Are Away?

Packages that sit for days are easy targets. The SafeWise 2025 package theft report, built from a survey of 2,500 people, found that 31 percent of Americans had a package stolen in the past 12 months, and that 75 percent of those victims lost more than one package. Weather can damage a package too. The longer a box sits outside, the more chances something goes wrong.

The Postal Service gives the same advice. In a package protection post, USPS says, “Mail and packages should not be left uncollected on porches or in mailboxes for any length of time.” The U.S. Postal Inspection Service adds, in its package protection tips, that you should not leave mail in your mailbox overnight or while out of town. Think of a ten day trip. If just one box arrives each day, you could come home to ten boxes stacked at your door, and a stack like that tells everyone you are away.

How Does USPS Hold Mail Work?

USPS Hold Mail is the simplest tool because one request covers your whole address. According to the USPS Hold Mail page, the service will “hold your mail safely at your local Post Office facility until you return, for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 30 days.” You can make the request up to 30 days ahead or as early as the next scheduled delivery day. You need a USPS.com account and you must verify your identity.

The hold covers more than letters. A USPS notice in the Postal Bulletin says the service holds “all mail, including accountable mail, for an eligible address,” and that includes items like Priority Mail Express. The same notice has a warning worth remembering. It says that if the held mail “is not picked up within the 10-day period, it will be returned to the sender or securely destructed.” So pick up your mail or ask for delivery soon after you get home.

One limit matters a lot. Hold Mail only controls what USPS delivers. A UPS, FedEx, or Amazon driver is not part of it, so those packages need their own plan.

How Does a FedEx Vacation Hold Work?

FedEx handles this through its free Delivery Manager tool. The FedEx Delivery Manager FAQ says that “FedEx expedited and standard services deliveries to your residential address are suspended for a date range you specify, up to 14 days.” That makes it a good fit for a one or two week trip.

FedEx also lets you send a package to a pickup spot. The same FAQ says a secure FedEx location will hold your package for up to 7 days. The Hold at Location page says you need to bring a government issued photo ID, and it asks for another form of ID, such as a utility bill, if your address does not match the label.

Some changes cost money. FedEx says options such as delivering to another address or on another day start at $5.55 per request, and you have until midnight the day before delivery to change your delivery location on eligible packages. Because of that deadline, set up your hold before you leave and not from the airport.

What Are Your Options With UPS?

UPS offers a similar set of tools through its UPS My Choice account. These include rescheduling a delivery, redirecting a package, and sending it to a UPS Access Point. A May 2026 travel guide on Your Mileage May Vary warns that many UPS features now “cost extra per use or require a paid membership tier.” So read the price before you confirm.

Open your UPS My Choice account, find your incoming packages, and look at the options and fees for each one. If a hold costs more than you want to pay, a free pickup location or a friend may be cheaper. Our guide on rerouting a package after it has shipped explains how redirects work across carriers.

What About Amazon and Other Online Orders?

Amazon is harder because the final carrier can change from order to order. The same travel guide notes that the final carrier may be USPS, UPS, FedEx, or Amazon Logistics, so no single hold tool covers every box. Its best workaround is to ship to an Amazon Locker or a counter at a partner store.

Amazon says customers can ship to a locker at no additional cost. Amazon also says, “You have three calendar days to pick up your package from an Amazon Locker.” That three day limit is short, so a locker works best when you are home soon after the package lands. For a longer trip, the safer move is to avoid ordering until you are back. If you have regular orders, such as pantry items or pet food, check the schedule before you leave and push the next delivery to a date after you return.

The same idea works for any store. Many retailers let you choose a delivery date or a pickup location at checkout. Our article on why a package says arriving today but never shows up is a good reminder that delivery dates can slip, so leave a few days of cushion.

Can a Neighbor or Friend Take Your Packages Instead?

A person you trust is a simple backup for anything a hold tool cannot cover. The Postal Inspection Service recommends it directly: “If you can’t be home, arrange for a friend and neighbor to pick it up.” Tell your helper which days to expect boxes, and ask them to bring packages inside right away. Also tell them that some deliveries need a signature, so they should know what to expect. Our guide on whether a neighbor or roommate can sign for your package explains the rules.

You can also have a carrier leave a package in a spot you pick. USPS says that if a package does not fit in your mailbox and you will not be home, you can give USPS Delivery Instructions online to authorize your carrier to leave it in a specified location. That helps for short absences, but for a long trip a hold or a pickup spot is safer than any outdoor spot.

What Is a Simple Pre-Trip Plan?

A short checklist keeps you from missing a carrier. Here is a realistic example. The Garcia family leaves for a 12 day trip on a Saturday. The week before, they check their order history, find two packages still on the way, and set holds for both. Then they run through this list.

• Set USPS Hold Mail. Pick the dates, and note the day you will collect it.
• Start a FedEx or UPS hold. Do this at least a day before you leave, since FedEx needs the request by midnight the day before delivery.
• Delay open orders. Move delivery dates for anything that would land while you are gone.
• Ask a neighbor to check. Share your travel dates and your phone number.
• Turn on tracking alerts. Text or email alerts tell you when something arrives.

The Garcias also skip ordering anything new for the last few days before they leave. That one habit removes most of the risk, because no package lands while the house is empty.

How Can You Watch Tracking While You Are Away?

Alerts let you spot trouble from anywhere. USPS Informed Delivery is free, and the Informed Delivery page says it shows status updates about your incoming and outgoing packages and lets you add USPS tracking numbers by hand. For FedEx and UPS, use each carrier’s account tools or the text and email options on the tracking page. Keep every tracking number in one note on your phone so you can check them quickly.

What Should You Do When You Get Home?

First, check your tracking for anything marked delivered while you were gone. If a package says delivered but you cannot find it, look at your mailbox, side door, and with your helper before you worry. Our guide on packages marked delivered but not received lists the next steps. If a carrier left a pickup notice, read the deadline right away, because held packages go back to the sender when the time runs out. Our article on what held at post office means explains the timelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop packages from being delivered while I am on vacation?

Use the tool for each carrier. USPS Hold Mail holds mail for 3 to 30 days, and FedEx Delivery Manager can suspend deliveries for up to 14 days. UPS has rescheduling and pickup options, and Amazon orders are best sent to a locker or delayed.

Does USPS Hold Mail also hold UPS and FedEx packages?

No. USPS Hold Mail only controls what the Postal Service delivers. UPS, FedEx, and Amazon Logistics drivers are not part of it, so those packages need their own hold, redirect, or a trusted neighbor.

How long can I hold a package at a FedEx location?

FedEx says a secure FedEx location will hold your package for up to 7 days, then return it to the shipper. You need a government issued photo ID to pick it up.

How far ahead should I set up a package hold?

Do it before you leave. USPS lets you request a hold up to 30 days ahead. FedEx says you have until midnight the day before delivery to change your delivery location on eligible packages.

What if a package arrives while I am away and I have no hold?

Ask a trusted neighbor to bring it inside, and check your tracking for the delivery time. If it goes missing, see our guide on packages marked delivered but not received.

If you also manage packages for other people, such as in an apartment complex or business receiving area, TekCore’s package tracking notifications can tell each person the moment a delivery arrives.