tip. you can choose between physical and electronic return receipts. Physical return receipts are signed by recipients in the presence of a mail carrier and then sent to you by signed mail (PS Form 3811). with electronic receipts, you will not receive a paper notice. The recipient signs for the delivery electronically, and you can receive a copy via email through the USPS Track & Confirm page. both types of receipts have legal force.
certified mail includes a tracking number so you can check its location
If you have doubts about the traceability of a certified letter, we have good news for you. This type of mail comes with a USPS tracking number that you can enter on the official USPS website to verify certified mail and its location. is an added benefit that improves control over mail delivery. you can instantly see if the delivery attempt was successful and how many business days delivery takes.
precision and safety
compared to regular postal services, certified mail is more accurate and reliable. With delivery verification, the sender also has the opportunity to follow the piece of mail on its way to the destination. as a result, they can instantly tell when something goes wrong so they can resend the notification or take other steps to notify the recipient.
In addition to the benefits listed, certified mail is very versatile. You can use it to power other mail services, such as First Class Mail, Priority Mail, or Express Mail, with advanced tracking. this makes mail more flexible and allows customers to combine multiple plugins at once. More on the uses of certified mail and other tips in this article.
how to send usps certified mail? corporate & individual senders
Now that you know the superpowers of certified mail, it’s time to get down to some practical guidelines. sending a certified letter is not rocket science, just follow these steps:
- go to the nearest post office and get a ps of 3800. you will use the barcode on it to verify certified mail in the usps system.
- fill in the necessary details , including the recipient’s address and name. locate the barcode on the top of the envelope near the return address.
- pay a fee of $3.55 for certified mail and $2.85 if you wish to receive a return receipt.
- send and verify certified mail.
Please note that certified mail can be combined with various additional services offered for an additional fee. The certificate of postage ($1.50) includes the date you mailed the piece of mail to the United States Postal Service. the signature confirmation ($3.15 at a post office or $2.65 if paid online) provides information about the date and time of shipment or attempted delivery. premium tracking (starting at $2.1) offers a detailed tracking history that is not available in the free option.
how to track a certified letter?
Registered mail can be tracked by default through the barcode provided with the shipping form you purchase from the post office. so once you know the mail piece number (for example, 9407 3000 0000 0000 0000 00), you can enter it on the usps website (www.usps.com) to verify certified mail.
Other than that, USPS supports alternate tracking options. Those who do not have access to the internet or only know how to track a registered letter by phone, can contact the postal service and share the tracking number for details. Senders who provide an electronic manifest can track certified mail using bulk electronic file transfer.
While the USPS-provided tracking feature is primarily intended for senders, there is also an option for recipients. USPS Informed Delivery allows users to manage incoming mail from a dedicated online account. so if you find yourself on the other end of the delivery, consider this option to be notified about each piece of mail that is sent to you.
benefits of mail automation for mail tracking and delivery
With back-office automation services like inkit, you don’t need to figure out how to track a certified letter, verify certified mail, or collect proof of posting. Any communication you send is documented in the system with complete information about the time and process of sending.
inkit allows users to view all offline communications sent to a specific recipient in a single client profile. so you can see if the print notice hit the target, estimate the planned delivery date, and check the sent mail pieces to make sure nothing is missing. In case you need to log mail for regulatory compliance, mail automation is also suitable. inkit generates and stores pdf copies of the communications, so you can extract them from the system at any time.
These capabilities completely replace certified mail and allow you to send highly trackable mail at regular prices. we’ll tell you more: the ink kit has many other features for direct mail marketing, offline communications and official correspondence. advanced content personalization, numerous integrations, trigger-based delivery, validation and data enrichment are just a basic package. To learn more about our automation offerings, check out inkit features.
If you have any questions or additional queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.