<P> While common usage refers to all types of postal facilities as "substations", the USPS Glossary of Postal Terms does not define or even list that word . Post Offices often share facilities with other governmental organizations located within a city's central business district . In those locations, often Courthouses and Federal Buildings, the building is owned by the General Services Administration while the U.S. Postal Services operates as a tenant . The USPS retail system has approximately 36,000 post offices, stations, and branches . </P> <P> In the year 2004, the USPS began deploying Automated Postal Centers (APCs). APCs are unattended kiosks that are capable of weighing, franking, and storing packages for later pickup as well as selling domestic and international postage stamps . Since its introduction, APCs do not take cash payments--they only accept credit or debit cards . Similarly, traditional vending machines are available at many post offices to purchase stamps, though these are being phased out in many areas . Due to increasing use of Internet services, as of June 2009, no retail post office windows are open 24 hours; overnight services are limited to those provided by an Automated Postal Center . </P> <P> In February 2006, the USPS announced that they plan to replace the nine existing facility - types with five processing facility - types: </P> <Ul> <Li> Regional Distribution Centers (RDCs), which will process all classes of parcels and bundles and serve as Surface Transfer Centers; </Li> <Li> Local Processing Centers (LPCs), which will process single - piece letters and flats and cancel mail; </Li> <Li> Destination Processing Centers (DPC), sort the mail for individual mail carriers; </Li> <Li> Airport Transfer Centers (ATCs), which will serve as transfer points only; and </Li> <Li> Remote Encoding Centers (RECs). </Li> </Ul>

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