Pick one “hidden drop” spot (deck box, behind the side gate, tucked by a planter, side door) and make that your default delivery note with USPS/FedEx/UPS. Don’t reinvent it every order. Set it once and stick with it
If it’s high-value stuff (phone, laptop, console, sneakers, meds), don’t let it touch your porch. Send it to an Amazon Hub Locker, UPS Access Point, or do FedEx “Hold at Location” and grab it when you’re ready
Turn on tracking alerts (USPS Informed Delivery, UPS My Choice, FedEx Delivery Manager) so you get the ping the second it's delivered. And if the retailer offers it, choose plain packaging so it doesn’t scream “steal me”
Porch pirates aren’t exactly criminal masterminds. They’re just brazen enough to shop your front porch for free.
With holiday boxes piling up this year more than ever, your doorstep can start to look like an easy hit if you’re not careful. The good news is you don’t need to build a fortress or buy an expensive security system to fight back.
A few smart tweaks to how and where your packages get delivered can make your porch a hard-pass for most thieves.
1. Turn your porch into a “dead zone”
Keep in mind that thieves are lazy and are only interested in an easy hit.
More than anything, they want to see visible packages on your porch and a quick escape route. So, if your “drop zone” can’t be seen from the street, you’ve already won half the battle. The vast majority of crooks will move on to the next house where the loot is clearly visible.
Here’s what to do to make your packages disappear:
- Create a hidden landing spot: Could be a deck box, a storage bench, behind a side gate, or even a spot behind a big planter or hedge.
- Then standardize that "spot" across carriers:
- FedEx Delivery Manager lets you add permanent delivery instructions, including “leave at back door” or “side gate box.”
- USPS Delivery Instructions and the USPS “Manage” page let you specify where packages should be left or held.
- UPS My Choice and similar tools allow you to set delivery preferences and change drop-off points.
Once your delivery instructions are saved, you can rest assured that every delivery is more likely to land in your predetermined “invisible” spot instead of on your porch with the proverbial spotlight shining on it.
2. Give expensive packages their own “safe route”
It’s smart to prioritize the security of some deliveries over others. Especially those boxes that contain expensive items that would really hurt if they disappeared.
Keep a mental short list of “always protect” items: phones, laptops, gaming systems, high-end sneakers, prescription items, or anything limited-edition.
Then when getting one of these items delivered, make sure to route it differently. Specifically, pick one of the following to avoid the box ever sitting unprotected at your house:
- Amazon Hub Lockers (and Apartment Lockers) are secure, self-service kiosks that are no-brainers for expensive items. They exist at many grocery stores, college campuses, and apartment buildings. Your package will sit in a locked compartment until you show up with a code and open the locker.
- UPS Access Point locations lets you redirect packages for ID-verified pickup to retailers like CVS and Michaels.
- FedEx Hold at Location is a must use if you get a lot of expensive packages via FedEx. It allows you to send packages straight to FedEx or even partner retailers like Walgreens for pickup at your convenience.
- USPS Hold for Pickup keeps packages behind the counter at your local Post Office until you show your ID.
Think of these safe options as a “VIP lane” for the stuff porch pirates would be thrilled to grab for themselves.
3. Use tracking apps as a defense system
Many consumers will track their packages incessantly, then once it’s delivered, forget about them completely and leave it on the porch for hours.
A much smarter move is to treat package tracking as a “trigger” to take action immediately once a box gets delivered.
Use the following apps to make it happen:
- USPS Informed Delivery (now with its own app) shows today’s incoming mail and packages (get alerted every morning) and lets you give delivery instructions directly from your phone.
- FedEx Delivery Manager and UPS My Choice let you change your delivery times, reroute to pickup locations if needed, or request holds when you realize you’ll be gone.
- I love the idea of creating a “package plan” with the members of your household or one trusted neighbor:
- When an important “Delivered” alert shows up on your phone, whoever is closest (or home) grabs it and texts “picked up.”
- Also, if you’re traveling, have a friend or neighbor on-call to go grab a box if needed. Speaking from experience, even with the best planning, it’s easy to have a late package arrive after you’ve gone on vacation.
4. Make the brown box look boring on purpose
Porch pirates are not dumb; they have a keen eye for boxes and packaging that give away the contents.
Could be a gaming console, small appliance, or shoe brand. I’ve even had a 55” Samsung TV show up on my porch in the original box.
Do the following to quietly remove that temptation:
- On Amazon specifically, look for the line “Item arrives in packaging that shows what’s inside. To hide it, choose Ship in Amazon packaging at checkout.” Be sure to ALWAYS select that option so they throw the branded box in a plain brown Amazon box at no extra cost.
- For other retailers, look for the “discreet” or “unbranded” packaging option during checkout. You’ll often find this under “shipping options.” I’ve noticed in the past year that more merchants are now offering this as a privacy feature.
- Lastly, when shipping gifts to someone that lives in a high-theft area, consider mailing the original box inside a larger, generic shipping box so it looks like any other boring shipment.
5. Build a micro “package watch” group
Popular neighborhood apps (like Nextdoor) can be great for asking for plumber recommendations, not so awesome for trying to protect packages on your porch.
Instead, try to build a tight, informal “package watch” with just a couple nearby households as it will be much more effective.
Here are some tips on how to set it up:
- Have a simple rule that everyone agrees to. “If you see a box sitting for more than ~60 minutes at any of our doors, grab it and text ‘got it.’ We’ll do the same for you.”
- If you have a neighbor who’s almost always home (remote worker, retiree, stay-at-home parent), ask them if they would consider being the unofficial “package captain.” As a thank you, maybe everyone chips in for a nice gift card to a local restaurant at the end of the year.
- For apartment and condos, ask management if a camera can point to the mail area and whether packages can be staged inside a locked package room instead of the open lobby. It’s not an unreasonable request as many buildings are already moving this way after repeated theft.
6. Insure the porch as well as the purchase
Even after implementing some of my above tips, some pirates are still going to win.
To that end, you have the ability to basically “insure your porch” before any package ever goes missing.
Here are some things to consider:
- Dedicated package insurance: New services like PorchPals charge $120 a year and will reimburse you for stolen packages, up to certain limits. For PorchPals specifically, you’ll get coverage for unlimited packages with a 10% deductible per claim, and $2,000 max protection per year.
- Credit card purchase protection: Did you know many cards will cover theft or damage for 60–90 days after purchase? The card issuer, not the retailer, will be the one reimbursing you if a package is stolen. (Check your card’s benefits before you rely on it.)
- Renters or homeowners insurance: Some policies cover theft from your property, including packages on the porch, after you meet your deductible. If your neighborhood tends to be a hot spot, ask your insurer how claims like that are handled.
- Always keep screenshots of your order confirmation, any tracking info that shows the box “Delivered,” and any camera footage. All of this together serves as useful documentation when it comes to claims, chargebacks, and potential police reports.