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Most APO/FPO addresses have the following general restrictions:

  • Packages may not exceed 70 lbs. (Some zip codes have lower limits)
  • Packages may not exceed 130 inches in combined length and girth. (This means if you have a package that is 100" in length and 40" when you measure around it, you cannot send the item)
  • All packages must be sent via the U.S. Postal System. The post office also requires companies or individuals to hand deliver packages being sent to APO/FPO addresses. (This is one reason why many merchants won't ship to APO/FPO addresses.)
  • Firearms, alcohol, perishable foodstuffs and certain hazardous items also are restricted. Each zip code has a more detailed list of the restrictions for certain types of products. There are several facts you should take into consideration when ordering items from an APO/FPO address:
    • For packages, Priority Mail is only way to go.  If a merchant ships a package to your APO/FPO address using standard or "surface" mail, it will likely be a while before you see it.  This is because all Priority Mail eventually makes its way onto an airplane.  Surface mail does not.   Sending a package via surface mail may take up to 8 weeks because it will be placed on a ship instead of a plane.
    • Some items just can't be shipped to APO/FPO.  Just because a merchant won't ship an item to you does not mean that they don't ship to APO/FPO addresses.  If you are planning on ordering a new range for the kitchen, you aren't going to find anyone who will (or can) ship it to you.  "AE", "AA" and "AP"  The APO/FPO "states" of "AE", "AA", and "AP" are the only legitimate states to use for an APO/FPO addresses.  It is common knowledge that you can use "NY" for "AE", "CA" for "AP", and "FL" for "AA", but you run the risk of having your credit card rejected because the billing address they have on file (with AA, AE or AP for the state) does not match what you submitted online.  

Although I do not use this site, you can go to Oconus.com and enter your zip code to see the APO/FPO restrictions for your area.

A little lagniappe:

How do I ship to an APO or FPO address?  This is a common question that we get from merchants who are exploring the possibilities of serving overseas military shoppers through their websites.  For starters you must use the United States Post Office (USPS) to send the items (see above).   While there has been some recent discussion and negotiation to allow Federal Express and UPS to send packages to these addresses, the only way to send an item to an APO or FPO address as of right now is to use the USPS.  Shipments to APO FPO addresses also require some additional customs paperwork to be filled out by the shipper.  

What is an APO address or an FPO address?  APO stands for "Army Post Office," and is associated with Army or Air Force installations.  FPO stands for "Fleet Post Office," and is associated with Navy installations and ships.

The official definition of APO/FPO mail is (according to the Military Postal Service Agency):

APO/FPO Mail - domestic mail and international mail that bears a U.S. military delivery address or return address and that, in some stage of its transmission, is in the possession of the DOD.  This is mail that is being sent to or received from military installations located outside the Continental United States (CONUS).  This mail may be official or personal in nature.  This mail is centralized at certain locations such as San Francisco and New York for transport overseas.  When mail is received in the CONUS from these facilities, letter mail is normally received in sleeved half trays, flats are received in sleeved plastic flat tubs, and parcels are received in #1 sacks.

 

How do I make my site APO/FPO friendly?  Over 70% of our APO/FPO shoppers indicated in a recent survey that they have abandoned their shopping carts when they could not find their APO or FPO "state" in the state dropdown box.  The only legitimate APO or FPO states are "AA," "AE," and "AP." The should appear in a dropdown box like this:

You don't need to provide anything except for a standard text box for the city portion of an APO or FPO address.  The city will always be either "APO" or "FPO" in a properly formatted APO FPO address. Here's an example:

PFC Gomer Pyle
CMR 345, Box 12334
APO AE 09250

A note about fraud:  There has been an increase in the fraudulent use of APO/FPO addresses over the past few years.  Usually the crooks use a legitimate U.S. zip code with a bogus APO or FPO address.  Since many credit card verification systems don't deal very well with APO or FPO addresses, the address may not be rigorously verified.  Since the zip code is valid, the Post Office will ship the item to the proper destination, which is usually a P.O. Box that is rented for a short period of time.  The crook will use the P.O. Box until someone becomes suspicious and then find another P.O. Box to use.  For this reason we recommend the use of our APO FPO zip code validator if you have any questions about an address.  If the zip code that you put into our validator comes back as "not found," it is not legitimate and further investigation should be undertaken prior to shipping the product.

 

Official Information Sources:

Military Postal Service Agency APO/FPO Questions
800-810-6098

* Please note that the MPSA also has an APO/FPO zip code database that is not current with the twice-monthly Postal Bulletin Publication. They are in the process of implementing an automated system that will keep their database current.
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