Key:post_box:type

The physical style (size/shape) of the post box, and how it is mounted.

Usage

This is a properties tag and should be used in combination with post box:

• amenity=post_box
  • post_box:type=*

For other tags that can be used in combination with post box see Extended Usage.

Values by country or operator

Canada

Value	Description	Example picture
pillar	A freestanding box, square in shape.
community	Community mailboxes contain individual mailboxes, plus an outbound mailslot. See Canadian tagging guidelines#Community mailboxes.

United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland

Value	Description	Example picture
pillar	A freestanding box, taking the form of a column. Usually cylindrical in shape in the UK, but rectangular forms can also be seen. pillar box
lamp	A self-contained box, smaller than a pillar box, and designed to be mounted above ground level. Usually attached to a pole, slim pedestal, lamp post, or telegraph pole in the UK, but can be mounted on (or very rarely within) a wall. lamp box
wall	A box designed to be set into a wall. Can be found mounted in walls, walls of buildings, and also in free-standing brick pillars. wall box
meter	A special type of post box that was originally designed to only accept pre-paid business mail (known as "meter mail" or "franked mail" in the UK). The special adaptations may include a larger aperture and/or mechanisms to prevent unauthorised persons from using the box. While this value is about the physical appearance/design of the box rather than the mail types accepted, it was normally used on boxes that only accepted this special type of mail. In the UK these "meter" boxes are normally larger square pillar boxes with a larger mechanical aperture that is locked outside specified opening hours. Since 2019 Royal Mail has changed the role of these meter boxes to also accept parcels, they added a "P" to the end of the reference, extended the opening hours of the box and stuck decorations on the to advertise that they now accepted parcels. Since this classification is distinct from, and in some sense orthogonal to, the other post_box:type=* values, it has been suggested that a different key should be used for this attribute, leaving post_box:type=* to tag the box with the best fit from pillar, lamp, and wall.

United States

The United States Postal Service operates multiple types of collection boxes. [1][2] As of November 2022, post_box:type=pillar is the most common value in the United States, most likely denoting any freestanding collection box.

• United States Postal Service
  operator=United States Postal Service
operator:wikidata=Q668687
• 
  Standard collection box:
  amenity=post_box
post_box:type=pillar?
• 
  Snorkel collection box:
  amenity=post_box
post_box:type=pillar?
  drive_through=yes
• 
  Jumbo snorkel collection box:
  amenity=post_box
post_box:type=pillar?
  drive_through=yes
• 
  Storage box (left):
  ???

  ---

  Relay box (right):
  amenity=relay_box
• 
  Cluster box:
  amenity=letter_box? or amenity=post_box post_box:type=community?
• 
  Style B letter box:
  amenity=post_box
post_box:type=lamp?
  post_box:mounting=concrete_post
• 
  Mail chute:
  amenity=post_box
post_box:type=wall?
  indoor=yes
• 
  Lobby drop or wall drop:
  amenity=post_box
post_box:type=wall?
  indoor=yes

• Private parcel carriers
• 
  amenity=post_box
post_box:type=?
operator=FedEx
operator:wikidata=Q459477
• 
  amenity=post_box
post_box:type=?
operator=UPS
operator:wikidata=Q155026

Japan

Some boxes in Japan can be classified as either pillar or lamp.

• 
  classic pillar style (1号丸形; lit. No. 1 round form).
  post_box:type=pillar
• 
  post box combined with relay box, now very rare (6号; lit. No. 6).
  post_box:type=pillar
• 
  looks similar to UK's lamp box (14号; lit. No. 14).
  post_box:type=lamp
• 
  on the wall (2号; lit. No. 2).
  post_box:type=lamp

However, most boxes are on the halfway between pillar and lamp.

• 
  large angle box with short leg (12号; lit. No. 12)
  post_box:type=pillar?
• 
  moderate box with moderate leg (13号; lit. No. 13)
  post_box:type=pillar?
  post_box:type=lamp?
• 
  slim box with moderate leg (10号; lit. No. 10)
  post_box:type=lamp?

Other countries

Pillar Boxes:

Type	France	Poland
pillar

See also

• amenity=post_box - A box to deposit outgoing postal items.
• post_box:design=* - more specific designs of post boxes
• post_box:mounting=* - Type of support for certain features
• The proposal page for this tag: Proposed features/Extend post box