Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Do you have a Login.gov account?
Employees need one for open season and to access other services
The Postal Service is reminding employees that they need a Login.gov account to access open season applications and other government services.
Open season, the annual period when employees can review, enroll in or make changes to their benefits, begins Monday, Nov. 9, and concludes Monday, Dec. 14.
Login.gov provides a single, secure account that can access open season applications such as the Postal Service Health Benefits Program, Benefeds and the Thrift Savings Plan.
It is also used to access the Online Retirement Application, My Social Security and Veteran Affairs.
To create an account, employees must provide an email address, a password and a multifactor authentication — or MFA — method, which adds an extra layer of protection and is required each time an employee signs in.
MFA options include having a one-time code sent to phones as a call or text message, face or touch unlock, an authentication application, a security key or backup codes, although this last option is less secure.
Employees should choose an email address they will always be able to access, such as a personal email, to avoid future access issues.
After a Login.gov account is created, employees need to verify their identity. This requires a U.S. driver’s license, state ID or passport book; a Social Security number; and a U.S. phone number or mailing address.
If an employee encounters issues verifying their identity online, they have the option of doing it in person at a Post Office by selecting “Verify in person.” Once an employee verifies their personal information, the information on their ID, and their phone number, they will be emailed a barcode and a deadline to visit the Post Office for verification.
For questions or technical assistance, employees can contact Login.gov at 844-875-6446. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Additional coverage can be found on Link’s Open Season 2026 page.
This Post Office has an underwater mailbox
Divers can drop off postcards and letters in Susami Bay in Japan
In 1999, Susami was a struggling beach town in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan until the local postmaster, Toshihiko Matsumoto, decided to sink a working mailbox 30 feet into Susami Bay and make it a diver’s destination.
“I thought it would be interesting if divers could send letters from under the sea,” said Matsumoto, who worked for Susami’s Post Office for almost 40 years. “I thought it would be good for the Post Office and good for tourism.”
Although paper-based postcards can dissolve underwater, Matsumoto came up with a workaround. He arranged for waterproof plastic postcards to be sold at Club Noah Susami, the local dive shop, for around $1.50 a card, along with oil-based markers to write messages that wouldn’t smear.
Divers can deposit these postcards in the bright red cast-iron mailbox, which is anchored to the ocean floor and connected to Susami’s Post Office, a branch of the Japanese postal system. The underwater box is refurbished every six months to combat rust.
Club Noah Susami’s manager dives each day to collect the mail that has accumulated and delivers it to the local Post Office. By 2018, more than 38,000 letters had been delivered from the submerged collection spot.
Susami continues to attract divers from around the world who send mail from the bottom of the bay.
The underwater mailbox earned a Guinness World Record in 2002 for the deepest underwater post box, located 32 feet and 9 inches beneath the water.
Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column.
Mail
All dressed up and lots of places to go
Reader praises letter carrier’s retro sense of style
Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column.
Holiday Newsroom website provides peak season updates
The Postal Service’s website for holiday news and information has returned for peak season.
The Holiday Newsroom offers news releases, a list of recommended mailing and shipping dates, and an overview of seasonal stamps and shipping supplies.
The site also has information about two popular programs: Greetings from the North Pole Post Office and USPS Operation Santa.
The Holiday Newsroom will be updated throughout the season.
View past printouts
Printout details
What's included
-
Do you have a Login.gov account?
Employees need one for open season and to access other services
-
This Post Office has an underwater mailbox
Divers can drop off postcards and letters in Susami Bay in Japan
-
Mail
Featured reader quote
“‘Timely threads’ was a cute article. I would love to see some of the other uniforms Letter Carrier Alonzo Leroy has worn throughout the years. ”
— Na Tell Miller, Greensboro, NC
-
Brief
Holiday Newsroom website provides peak season updates