Sometimes you have an email that is very important. as such, you want to make sure it gets to its intended recipient, and you probably want to know about your journey every step of the way.
That’s why many consumers choose the United States Postal Service’s certified mail service. the service offers customers the ability to track packages and mail and confirm delivery was successful.
However, sometimes consumers misplace their receipt and lose the ability to reference their tracking number. so what? Do you know how to check certified mail without receipt?
read on and we’ll show you what you need to know.
return to usps branch
There are a few steps you can take if you find you no longer have your certified mail receipt. One of the simplest is to go through the USPS branch from where you initially sent your mail.
some employees may claim that without the tracking number there is little they can do. but many post offices have a daily list of packages shipped and their tracking number. if you know what time the package was shipped, they may be able to help you find the tracking number.
your luck will be better if you return to the post office the same day you sent the package. if you are returning at a later date, please make sure you know what day and time you originally shipped your package.
Post office clerks are not required to help you with this task, so be courteous and considerate of your time and you’ll likely get better results.
trust your receiver
Without a tracking number, it can be difficult or impossible to properly track the progress of a package. instead, you may need to rely on the recipient to notify you that they received the package themselves.
This is probably not a step you wanted to take when you initially signed up for certified mail. but if news of a successful arrival is important to you, it’s probably your best move.
Phone the person you’re sending the package to or send them an email. explain the situation to them and ask if they would mind being notified in person when they receive the package or mail in question.
Most people won’t mind doing you this little favor and you can rest easy knowing you’ll be on top of your package’s delivery. Unfortunately, there may be some situations where you won’t be able to trust the receiver to relay information to you.
if your package doesn’t show up
If you’ve waited a few days and your package hasn’t arrived, what can you do? the inability to track it only makes things worse.
If you want to find out what may have happened to a package without a tracking number, you can try filing a lost mail claim. You can file a claim on the USPS official website and you will need to provide as much information as possible if you expect your claim to be accepted.
You will need to provide both your address and the address of the intended recipient. The size of the envelope or the dimensions of the package you sent must also be disclosed. Also, take the time to describe in detail what was inside the package itself; use lots of details if you can.
an extra step you can take is to include photos of the items or packaging, if you have them. most people don’t take photos of their mail before they send it. but if you’ve taken any photos, definitely include them with your claim.
There is no guarantee that you will find new information when submitting a claim. Many lost mail claims go unresolved and it’s hard to be sure the USPS is investigating. but if you’ve lost your receipt and have no way of tracking a lost package, it might be your only course of action.
find your tracking number elsewhere
Even if you’ve lost the physical copy of your receipt, make sure a digital copy doesn’t exist elsewhere. Did you take a photo of your receipt when you received it or did they send you a digital copy to your email? it may be worth checking twice.
A tracking number is similar to a credit number: a string of numbers divided into segments. make sure it does not exist in the material you currently have in your possession.
If you used an online service to help send your certified mail, there is likely information stored such as an electrical log. you can log in to your online account and find your tracking log there.
This convenience is just one of the reasons many people turn to online services to help send and manage their certified mail process. Companies like Certified Mailing Labels store copies of their shipping tracking numbers for 10 years, so you can always refer to them if you need to.
how to check the status of certified mail without a receipt
It can be incredibly frustrating to lose a small piece of paper that contains such important information. but humans make mistakes, and it happens. The information above can help you learn how to check certified mail status without a paper receipt.
Want help sending future mail more responsibly? Take a look at how we can help.