Post office now offers more access

HOWELL — United States Postal Service Office Officer-in-Charge John Ferraro has announced the expansion of customer access to the Automated Postal Center (APC) in the lobby of the Howell main post office. Effective immediately, customers will be able to conduct postal business 24 hours a day and seven days a week at the APC in the USPS facility at 4170 Route 9.

APCs are a free-standing kiosk that accepts credit cards and debit cards and enables customers to weigh and mail letters and parcels and purchase stamps. The APC also dispenses postage in any amount for Express Mail, Priority Mail, first class mail and Parcel Post services. The APC also provides mailing information, ZIP Code lookup, and delivery confirmation services.

“We are striving to make it easier for our customers to do business with us at their convenience,” Ferraro said.

He said the APC provides quick, easy and convenient access for postal products and services just as ATMs have provided for banking customers, but with no extra fee.

The Howell post office joins a group of 15 other postal facilities in central New Jersey with 24/7 access APCs, including the Englishtown-Manalapan main post office, Toms River main post office, Jackson main post office and Lakehurst main post office.

For computer savvy customers, Ferraro recommends the postal service’s usps.com Internet Web site which he describes as “the post office at your fingertips.” According to a press release, just about anything that can be done at a post office can be done from a home or office computer. Ordering stamps, printing shipping labels with or without postage, shipping packages, scheduling carrier pickups for packages, sending greetings and gifts, and using postal services of all kinds can all be done online at usps.com.