How to Use "In Care Of" When Shipping Packages

When sending a package in care of someone, make sure you have the right address.

Though sending a package by mail should be a straightforward process, numerous factors can complicate sending it. For example, when you wish to send a package to somebody who does not have a permanent address or who lives temporarily with another person, you will have to send the package "in care of" someone else. Because many people misunderstand this process, numerous packages go astray each year, never to reach their owners. By understanding the process for using "in care of" when shipping packages, you can ensure that your package properly reaches its intended recipient.

Instructions

1. Prepare your package. To make sure that your package reaches its recipient, make sure that you leave a large space for the address where you can write the recipient's name, as well as the person whose home he is sharing, large enough and clearly enough for the post office to read and understand. You should leave enough space to add the name of the person in whose care you are sending the package; normally, this will be one extra line.

2. Write the name of the recipient. The name of the person to whom you are sending the package should still occupy the top line of the address.

3. Include the name of the owner or resident of the property. Underneath the recipient's name, write the name of the property's resident. This could be someone who is hosting your recipient, the legal owner of the property or the person whose name is on the lease. Preface the name with "in care of," which is sometimes abbreviated as "c/o." You do not need to put a preface in front of the name if you are writing to a person in care of a company; this is implied by putting the company's name underneath the recipient's.

4. Fill in the rest of the address. On the remaining lines, write in the rest of the address, including the number, street, city and zip code, as normal.

5. Understand the process of sending a package in care of someone else and be prepared for a longer wait. If the person on the second line of your address has moved and asked that her mail be forwarded, realize that your package will go to her at the new address, even if the intended recipient of your package is still in the original address. For this reason, you should be certain that the original resident of the address, in whose care you are sending the package, is still registered to receive mail there before you send the package.

References

• USPS: FAQ