Return Service Requested: What It Means for USPS Mail

“Return Service Requested” is a printed instruction a sender puts on a mailpiece telling USPS not to forward it. If the item can’t be delivered as addressed, the postal service sends it back to the sender with either the recipient’s new address attached or a notation explaining why delivery failed. It’s the only ancillary endorsement that guarantees the physical piece comes back to you.

What USPS Does With the Mailpiece

When a piece bearing this endorsement can’t be delivered, USPS skips forwarding entirely. Even if the recipient filed a change-of-address form and has an active forwarding order, the mail does not go to the new address. Instead, the postal service attaches the updated address to the piece and returns it to the sender.¹ That “no forwarding” rule is the defining feature of the endorsement.

If the recipient hasn’t moved but the mail still can’t be delivered, USPS returns the piece with a reason. Common notations include “Moved, Left No Address,” “Attempted – Not Known,” “No Such Number,” “Insufficient Address,” “Refused,” and “Deceased.”² Each notation gives you something specific to act on rather than a vague “undeliverable” label.

Why a Sender Would Use It

The most common reason is keeping a mailing list clean. Every returned piece tells you exactly what went wrong at that address, so you can correct the record, remove it, or follow up. Businesses that mail regularly save money over time because they stop paying postage on mail that will never arrive.

The endorsement also matters when a sender needs proof that someone is no longer reachable at an address. Government agencies, financial institutions, and companies sending compliance-related notices often use it because they need documentation that the recipient could not be contacted. Getting the physical piece back with a USPS notation is stronger evidence than mail simply disappearing into a forwarding order.

How It Differs From the Other Endorsements

USPS offers several ancillary service endorsements, and each handles undeliverable mail differently. Choosing the wrong one can mean your mail gets discarded when you wanted it back, or forwarded when you needed it returned.

Address Service Requested: USPS tries to forward the mail if the recipient has a forwarding order. During the first 12 months, the piece goes to the new address and the sender receives a separate notice with the updated address (for a fee). Between months 13 and 18, the piece is returned with the new address attached. After month 18 or if the mail is undeliverable at any point, it comes back with the reason.¹
Return Service Requested: No forwarding. The piece always comes back to the sender with either the new address or the reason it couldn’t be delivered.¹
Change Service Requested: The piece is neither forwarded nor returned. USPS discards it and sends the mailer a notice with the new address or reason. Not available for First-Class Mail unless used with electronic Address Change Service (ACS).¹
Forwarding Service Requested: The mail is forwarded when possible, and the sender does not get the piece back.

If you need the actual mailpiece in your hands, Return Service Requested is the only option that guarantees it. Address Service Requested eventually returns mail too, but only after forwarding attempts run their course over many months.

What It Costs

The price depends on the class of mail you’re sending. For Priority Mail and First-Class Mail, USPS returns undeliverable pieces at no additional charge. The return and any attached address information are included in the postage you already paid.²

For other classes, you pay return postage when the piece comes back:

USPS Marketing Mail: Returned at the applicable single-piece First-Class Mail or Priority Mail price, depending on weight.¹
Media Mail and Library Mail: Charged at the single-piece price for that class.²
Parcel Select: Charged the USPS Ground Advantage Commercial price plus an additional service fee.²

For high-volume Marketing Mail senders, those per-piece return charges add up quickly. If a large share of your list is outdated, returns can cost more than the original mailing. That’s worth weighing against Change Service Requested, which discards the piece instead of returning it.

Temp-Return Service Requested

USPS offers a variation called Temp-Return Service Requested, available only for First-Class Mail. It works the same way with one exception: if the recipient filed a temporary change of address, the piece is forwarded to the temporary address instead of being returned, and the sender does not receive the temporary address. If the change of address is permanent, the piece comes back to the sender just like standard Return Service Requested.¹

This is the endorsement to use when you want to reach someone who’s temporarily away, at a seasonal address for example, but still want the mail returned if the person has permanently moved.

Printing It Correctly

The endorsement goes on the address side of the mailpiece and must be easy for postal workers and sorting machines to read. USPS requires at least 8-point type with a minimum 1/4-inch clear space on all sides. It has to stand out clearly against the background, so bright-colored envelopes and reverse printing (light text on a dark background) aren’t allowed.²

You can place it directly below the return address, directly above the delivery address, to the left of the postage area, or directly below the postage area. The endorsement and return address must read in the same direction as the delivery address.² You can print it, stamp it, or write it by hand, as long as it meets the size and clarity requirements. Mailers using Intelligent Mail barcodes through the ACS program have an additional rule: the endorsement and any participant codes must be printed in Helvetica or Arial between 10- and 12-point type.³

1
PostalPro. Ancillary Service Endorsements
2
United States Postal Service. 507 Quick Service Guide
3
Postal Explorer. Domestic Mail Manual – 507 Mailer Services