Editing United States Postal Service (section)

==== Types of postal facilities ====
{{main|List of United States post offices}}
[[File:OldPostOfficeTomahWI.JPG|thumb|Historic main post office in [[Tomah, Wisconsin]]]]
[[File:LongPointStationHouston.JPG|thumb|A typical post office station in the [[Spring Branch, Houston|Spring Branch]] area of [[Houston]], Texas]]<!--Used to show the new "generic" post offices-->
[[File:Galveston Federal Building 2009.jpg|thumb|A combined [[Galveston United States Post Office and Courthouse|Post Office, Customs House, and Federal Court House]] in [[Galveston, Texas]]]]<!--Photo used to show example of post offices that are tenants in other governmental buildings-->
[[File:Halibut Cove Post Office.jpg|thumb|Floating post office, [[Halibut Cove, Alaska]]]]
[[File:Wheeler-springs-smallest-post-office-in-america.png|thumb|right|220px|[[Wheeler Springs, California|Wheeler Springs, CA]] was home to the smallest post office in the U.S.]]
Although its retail postal facilities are called post offices in regular speech, the USPS recognizes several types of postal facilities, including the following:
* A '''main post office''' (formerly known as a '''general post office''') is the primary postal facility in a community.
* A '''station''' or '''post office station''' is a postal facility that is not the main post office, but that is within the corporate limits of the community.
* A '''branch''' or '''post office branch''' is a postal facility that is not the main post office and that is outside the corporate limits of the community.
* A '''classified unit''' is a station or branch operated by USPS employees in a facility owned or leased by the USPS.
* A '''contract postal unit''' (or '''CPU''') is a station or branch operated by a contractor, typically in a store or other place of business.<ref name="glossary" />
* A '''community post office''' (or '''CPO''') is a contract postal unit providing services in a small community in which other types of post office facilities have been discontinued.
* An '''approved shipper''' is an independent shipping business licensed to use certain USPS branding and signage, but which does not receive any financial compensation from USPS and may opt to charge higher rates for postage. Approved Shippers may also accept packages for other carriers such as UPS or FedEx.<ref>{{cite web |title=Approved Postal Provider Programs |url=https://about.usps.com/suppliers/becoming/approved-postal-provider-programs.htm |publisher=USPS |access-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308142338/https://about.usps.com/suppliers/becoming/approved-postal-provider-programs.htm |archive-date=March 8, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* A '''finance unit''' is a station or branch that provides window services and accepts mail, but does not provide delivery.
* A '''village post office''' ('''VPO''') is an entity such as a local business or government center that provides postal services through a contract with the USPS. First introduced in 2011 as an integral part of the USPS plan to close low volume post offices, village post offices will fill the role of the post office within a ZIP Code.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/expandedaccess/assets/pdf/vpo-fact-sheet-110726.pdf |title=USPS VPO Fact Sheet |publisher=usps.com |date=July 26, 2011 |access-date=November 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005130006/http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/expandedaccess/assets/pdf/vpo-fact-sheet-110726.pdf |archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref>
* A '''processing and distribution center''' ('''P&DC''', or '''processing and distribution facility''', formerly known as a '''General Mail Facility''') is a central mail facility that processes and dispatches incoming and outgoing mail to and from a designated service area (251 nationwide).<ref name="bard" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/our-future-network/processing_facility_types.pdf|title=Fact Sheet: Processing Facilities|publisher=United States Postal Service|website=USPS News Kit: Our Future Network|type=PDF|access-date=June 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515062651/http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/our-future-network/processing_facility_types.pdf|archive-date=May 15, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
* A '''[[sectional center facility]]''' ('''SCF''') is a P&DC for a designated geographical area defined by one or more three-digit ZIP Code prefixes.
* An '''international service center''' ('''ISC''') is an international mail processing facility. There are only five such USPS facilities in the continental United States, located in Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/pr08_063.htm |title=USPS Postal News Release No. 08-063 |publisher=usps.com |date=June 5, 2008 |access-date=September 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511115012/http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/pr08_063.htm |archive-date=May 11, 2009 }}</ref>
* A '''[[network distribution center]]''', formerly known as a [[bulk mail]] center (BMC), is a central mail facility that processes bulk rate parcels as the hub in a [[hub and spoke network]].
* An '''auxiliary sorting facility''' ('''ASF''') is a central mail facility that processes bulk rate parcels as spokes in a hub and spoke network.
* A '''remote encoding center''' ('''REC''') is a facility at which clerks receive images of problem mail pieces (those with hard-to-read addresses, etc.) via secure Internet-type feeds and manually type the addresses they can decipher, using a special encoding protocol. The mail pieces are then sprayed with the correct addresses or are sorted for further handling according to the instructions given via encoding. The total number of RECs is down from 55 in 1998 to just 1 center in December 2016. The last REC is in [[Salt Lake City]], Utah.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/news/3445651-155/the-first-and-last-of-its|title=The first and last of its kind, a Salt Lake City postal facility looks to grow|last=Piper|first=Matthew|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|language=en-US|access-date=January 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202054727/http://www.sltrib.com/news/3445651-155/the-first-and-last-of-its|archive-date=February 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
* A '''remotely managed post office''' ('''RMPO''') is an office with part-time window hours that is staffed by a Postal Service employee but managed remotely by a postmaster at a larger office.
* A '''part-time post office''' ('''PTPO''') is a Post Office that offers part-time window service hours, is staffed by a Postal Service employee, and reports to a district office.<ref>{{cite web |title=Handbook PO-101 Revision: Post Office Organization |url=https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22344/html/updt_008.htm |website=about.usps.com |access-date=14 November 2024}}</ref>

While common usage refers to all types of postal facilities as "substations", the USPS Glossary of Postal Terms does not define or even list that word.<ref name="glossary">[http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub32.pdf Publication 32 – Glossary of Postal Terms] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508210619/http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub32.pdf |date=May 8, 2009 }}. (PDF). Retrieved July 8, 2011.</ref> Post Offices often share facilities with other governmental organizations located within a city's central business district. In those locations, often courthouses and federal buildings, the building is owned by the [[General Services Administration]] while the U.S. Postal Services operates as a [[tenement (law)|tenant]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&contentId=18257 |website=General Services Administration |title=Texas Federal Buildings:Galveston U.S. Post Office and Courthouse |access-date=December 20, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091117075004/http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&contentId=18257 |archive-date=November 17, 2009}}</ref> The USPS retail system has approximately 36,000 post offices, stations, and branches.<ref>USPS.com. Retrieved July 8, 2011 from {{cite web|url=http://www.usps.com/strategicplanning/cs08/chpt4_pg38.htm|title=Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations 2008|access-date=April 5, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509021712/https://www.usps.com/strategicplanning/cs08/chpt4_pg38.htm|archive-date=May 9, 2009}}</ref>