How Do I Get FedEx to Leave a Package if I'm Not Here to Sign for It?

Receiving merchandise at your home via FedEx is a convenient way to get what you need fast and hassle-free, but coming home to a door tag for a missed delivery can be inconvenient. Unless you never leave your house or have a building manager to accept your FedEx shipment, be prepared for the possibility of missing an anticipated parcel. There are a few ways to let FedEx know what to do with your goods in the event you're not home to sign for your package. However, a signature requirement may prohibit the company from leaving a package at your door, even if you want it to.

Certain circumstances prohibit FedEx from leaving a package at your door, despite your preference or request for it. These include a signature requirement made by the sender of your package, money due at delivery, dangerous items in the parcel, or other specific security reasons or restrictions. You may not have control and it may be all-around safer to pick up the parcel if any of these reasons apply to your package delivery.

If you know the sender, you can tell him or her to select the "Deliver without Signature" option when sending the package. You cannot authorize this type of release; only the sender can do it. If chosen by the sender, the driver will letterbox your home delivery or leave it with a neighbor or in a a discreet place out of sight. You won't need to sign.

If you miss the first delivery, you don't usually need to arrange for a second delivery. FedEx will attempt to re-deliver your package the next business day. The driver will leave you a door tag letting you know whether she’ll try again or if this was the last delivery attempt. What happens next depends on how the sender sent the item. If the sender requires a signature as proof of delivery but does not require you to be physically present to accept the package, then you can simply sign the door tag form as an indirect signature.

This gives FedEx permission to leave the package at your address. If the sender does require you to be present, then you will have to arrange to pick up the package from the FedEx location shown on the door tag.

Individuals and small businesses can avoid missed deliveries well in advance of scheduled drop offs by signing up for the FedEx Delivery Manager service at www.fedex.com. This service allows you to customize your delivery options and track delivery status so you know what to expect and when. It allows you to schedule the date and time of delivery – or a combination of day and time – and gives you FedEx tracking updates through either the web-based portal or the FedEx mobile app. You do not need to download the mobile app to use the service, just the tracking number.

Signing up is free as are most of the Delivery Manager services. But certain requests come with at least a $5 fee, such as requesting delivery to another U.S. address and requesting delivery for a particular date or time. The exact amount of the fee is based on location and the system will tell you the fee at the time you request or schedule delivery.

For example, rerouting your package to a more convenient address where you or someone else can sign for it starts at $5 per package. Rerouting can range anywhere from $13 to $30 per package if FedEx must send it more than 150 miles away from the original delivery address.