The price most consumers focus on is the price of mailing a First Class letter or the cost of the Postage Stamp.  Businesses will certainly feel the cost increase of sending business mail in 2011.

Print Outsourcing USPS Certified Mail

Today’s business economy has many companies looking at print outsourcing to keep up sending USPS Certified Mail. Compliance and regulatory mailings are at all time highs. Many companies are looking to cut costs and lighten staff work loads. This is what Certified Mail Envelopes is hearing each day from companies across America.

Today businesses are out-sourcing many specialized compliance letters and variable print documents to reduce staff and meet compliance deadlines.  Many complicane letters require same day mailing with Proof of Mailing  from the United States Postal Service.  Myrna Brown is the President of Certified Mail Envelopes in Orlando Florida she explains how this service works.  Documents with variable data are electronically sent to our secure printing data center where it is processed and assigned a USPS Certified Mail article number.  The business letters are printed in regional print centers closest to the letters desired destination of delivery and entered into the USPS Mail Stream for same day printing and processing. This helps expedite USPS letter delivery and saves time and money.

USPS Certified Mail is an example of complex mail that requires much administration time to process. Using our companies automated fulfillment processes can improve transactional communications and thousand of important Certified Mail letters can be processed with speed and accuracy daily. Certified Mail Envelopes reports their company provides USPS Certified Mail services nationwide to a network of print partners and fulfillment specialists that can provide full-service printing, intelligent insertion, letter finishing and mailing complex compliance regulatory letters.  Ms. Brown explains “our clients are required to send these important demand letters, product recalls, compliance notifications, and others critical information letters that require same day processing, printing and mailing to meet compliance and regulatory deadlines”. 

Certified Mail Envelopes provides a complete outsourced mailing solution that is automated and includes Electronic Return Receipt that returns proof of mailing and delivery in electronic PDF files saving time and money. The majority of companies send USPS Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested service that includes proof of mailing and final delivery. Each mailing can provide in-route letter tracking to track letter delivery. Call centers have the ability to monitor USPS letter delivery and follow-up with phone calls that have improved collection rates and follow-up. Our service includes USPS data cleansing such as CASS to keep up delivery address changes and NCOA to fast forward letters and expedite letter delivery.  Our automation systems are approved by USPS and generate the reports, tracking bar codes and electronic in-route tracking and proof or mailing and delivery even the Electronic Signature. After the mailing, the mailing data including online letter and delivery tracking is available for call center access or analysis.  The information can also be integrated back into a company’s data warehouse for safe keeping.

Certified Mail Envelopes supplies materials and the Certified Mail automation to a network of print partners and solution providers and  full service letter shop services. Our partners provide  printing, mailing, and address list clean up, letter finishing, folding and intelligent insertion.  IT  file conversions, automated and hand inserting, statement and billing services

With recent changes in the financial economy many companies are looking for print outsourcing for USPS Certified Mail to streamline internal work processes. Outsourcing data for printing has shown no real business standard exists.  Data is processed in almost any format including Microsoft Word, Excel, PDF, CSV, dBase, MySql, Microsoft SQL and even HTML.

Today businesses must work smarter and find improved efficiencies.  Perhaps starting with the USPS Postal Service is a good first step. Looking back at history we could learn a lot reflecting on companies like Western Union that transmitted ‘bits of data’ electronically closest to message delivery area. This is where the message was transcribed and printed.  You would think that doing something this with the speed and efficiencies of the Internet would be no brainer.

To learn more about print outsourcing for USPS Certified Mail and using any of the network Certified Mail print partners, letter shops and business mailers call us toll free at 800-406-1792 for a project estimate and evaluation.  Our automated Certified Mail solutions can help your business  simplify complicated business communications.

When a USPS Certified Mail letter is delivered, proof of delivery is available with Electronic Return Receipt ( ERR). Old fashioned green cards can easily get lost in the mail, are difficult to file and cost $2.30. 

Electronic Return Receipts provides the mailer ‘proof of delivery’ for each USPS Certified letter mailed in the United States.  The U.S. Postal Service began providing electronic proof of Certified Mail letter delivery in 2001.  When a USPS Certified Mail letter is delivered the delivery information  is recorded by USPS as proof of letter delivery and is provided like the old fashioned Green Card.

 What happens to the green card Return Receipt? The old fashioned USPS Green Return Receipt card has been an icon of Certified Mail for many years. This courtesy reply card is used to provide the mailer notification of letter delivered. The little green postcard has been difficult for the mailer and the U.S. Postal Service to easily manage. Mailers have reported missing or lost cards, stuck inside other pieces of mail and were very difficult to organize file and store. 

In July 2001, the U.S. Postal Service began providing electronic proof of Certified Mail letter delivery.  When a Certified Mail letter is delivered by USPS the delivery confirmation for each letter is electronically recorded including a Signature of the person that signs for the letter. The proof of delivery information is electronically stored at the USPS central data tracking center in California, and can be stored electronically by the mailer.

Certified Mail Envelopes includes Electronic Return Receipt ERR plus ‘in-route’ letter delivery tracking information. The information is authored by USPS and is digitally stored then archived in your mailing account for 7 years.  It is easy to search and print the Electronic Return Receipt and in-route delivery scans to show proof of mailing 24/7 from any computer. The report prints to your local printer.

Electronic Return Receipt – ERR (TM) is used by Certified Mail customers nationwide and many mailers are replacing the old traditional Green Card with ERR – Electronic Return Receipt.  The process is more efficient.  It’s ‘green’ and saves both mailers and the U.S. Postal Service time and money. 

The Electronic Return Receipt (Green Card) can be printed as needed to your printer. You can even download the proof of delivery data into an Excel or CSV data file to integrate your mailing and delivery information into your companies data warehouse.

Certified Mail Envelopes are approved by the U.S. Postal Service to send USPS Certified Mail. Each  envelope includes a proof of mailing manifest, in-route letter tracking and final Electronic Return Receipt ERR™ that provides USPS proof of letter delivery confirmation.

No forms or stickers are used in our automation.

Look at the benefits:
 • Eliminates old fashioned Green Card Return Receipt cost of $2.30
 • Each Certified Mail Envelope includes Electronic Return Receipt ERR™
 • Free web software to address, track and print all USPS forms and reports
 • 7 Year data warehouse to store compliance mailing history at no charge
 • Address letters fast and easy.  Import  CSV or Excel batch files for automated processing
 • Track your letter ‘in-route’ and print USPS delivery confirmations
 • Prints on regular white paper from any printer in your home or office
 • Includes all USPS bar codes and electronic tracking information
 • Skip the trip to the Post Office
 • No forms or labels to fill out by hand
 • No software to buy or install
 • No monthly fees or contracts
 • Now available with pre-paid Certified Mail Postage Stamps

This is How It Works
Log into our website to address your letter or upload an Excel address list.  Our automation prints all the USPS Certified Mail bar codes and tracking information for each letter. We call this the Address Sheet. We also print the paperwork required by USPS for acceptance including the postage statement.

Slide the Address Sheet  into our special Certified Mail Envelope with your letter then add postage (stamps, meter strip or indicia). 

Finally drop the letter into the USPS Mail stream.
How to Track Your Certified Mail
Our automated tracking provides USPS mail manifest reports, ’in-route’  letter tracking and final USPS delivery confirmation. You can print Electronic Return Receipts or USPS Certified Mail Signatures for each letter.  Approved by the U.S. Postal Service  (USPS).

Scalable USPS Certified Mail Automation
Send 1 letter or 100,000 letters as needed.  No forms or peel and stick  labels are used.  Our Certified Mail Envelopes  are USPS approved and include Electronic Return Receipt delivery confirmation authored by the United States Postal Service. 

 You can purchase Certified Mail Envelopes as needed.  Our process can be automated and supports CSV and Excel file processing.  No more forms, or peel and stick labels.  No software to purchase or maintain.  Certified Mail Envelopes with Electronic Return Receipt will save you time and money!

No written forms or labels are used.  Log into our web site  to address and print USPS Certified Mail article numbers and bar codes.  You print your address page on your local printer using plain white paper.  Insert this address page into our special window Certified Mail Eenvelope.  Just add your letter pages, apply the correct postage and drop it in the mailbox. 

No written forms or labels are used in our patented process.  Each envelope includes “in-route” letter tracking and Electronic Return Receipt – ERR™ to save you money.  We support USPS Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested that provides ERR – Electronic Return Receipt & Signatures returned to you in PDF file format.
 
Save time and money with our certified mail automation.  Outsource your  mailing throught our regional print network to provide same day printing and mail entry of your compliance letters and variable letter data. Our regional printing and mailing service providers are experienced in USPS Certified Mail transactional data processing and mailing requirements. Our certified mail printers can automate USPS Certified Mail including  ‘HIPA’ compliant regulations and high volume business and commercial mailings.

Using a USPS tracking number you can track your letter or package online at www.usps.com for up to 90 days after mailing. The information reported may include messages like “Arrival at Unit’  Notice Left, Returned To Sender, Refused and Delivered.  Our experience has shown a wide variation of scan information.  Some letter carriers do a better job of recording the attempted deliver attempts than others.    

USPS tracking numbers consist of only numbers such as 01939665695397.  If you mistakenly input a FEDEX tracking number into USPS it smart enough to spit out an error that you put in an invalid USPS tracking number. If USPS tracking is unable to confirm delivery of a package or Certified Mail letter USPS will refund the delivery confirmation or special service fee.

All packages entering the mail stream are first scanned by USPS personnel. USPS only provides tracking service after labels are printed or shipped from an approved USPS third-party supplier.  In general most customers report the USPS tracking system needs improvement.  I have used the USPS’s tracking numbers to track my package on-line but there is no in-transit information on my package like there is from UPS or FedEx.

For USPS Certified Mail the  tracking function only provides information about the letter delivery status.  If you use Express Mail and Priority Mail provides ‘in-route’ tracking and delivery confirmation with your USPS tracking number.  Remember USPS does not scan each Certified Mail  label at every Post Office  like FedEx, UPS or other common carriers. The USPS tracking service is improving slowly but is still being upgraded. Many users report it is much differant than FedEx or UPS and is only helpful to tell whether the letter has been delivered.  It is not uncommon for letters and packages to only display an origin scan then  a delivery scan.   Because USPS Certified Mail requires ever letter be signed for, it can take up to 3 weeks sometimes until a change in the tracking status changes.

If you send the USPS Money Order it is suggested you obtain a tracking confirmation. While en route scans may be provided in the future they are not a feature of Delivery Confirmation service today. 

Delivery confirmation is provided as a part of  Priority Mail and Certified Mail.  If you use Express Mail you will receive a confirmation email with a USPS tracking number. Your postage service includes the Delivery Confirmation and Tracking service fees. Additionally USPS sells Signature Confirmation services that provides a PDF file of the Signature when your item was delivered.

In summary USPS Certified Mail tracking is improving slowly.  USPS tracking is not available for military APO/FPO deliveries.  If USPS Certified Mail delivery confirmation  is unable to confirm delivery of your letter you are entitled to a refund for the Certified Mail special service because it was not properly administered or recorded. 

Remember USPS tracking is really delivery confirmation and may not show up until the letter  is delivered. The USPS system is primarily used to verify that something is sent or been delivered.

Certified Mail Envelopes Security

Even though we do not store confidential data (USPS Address information is considered public domain information) we still protect your data using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) banking grade data encryption. 

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
Secure Socket Layer is an extra level of security for online consumers. It requires you to log on through a secure server, which prevents hackers from accessing your information. SSL uses technology known as encryption. This is software that scrambles the data with secret code. You can typically tell your data has been transmitted safely when a small lock icon appears at the bottom of your browser.

When you log-in to access tracking or delivery information on our site you enable SSL encryption for your data. Even though USPS address data is considered public domain information collected by the United States Postal Service we secure all our clients data processing and reporting. At all times you data is behind a SSL-secured site encrypted banking grade firewall. Each member of your office is required to log in to the site with SSL encryption enabled, so you can share your information through confidential data access.

Passwords:
You are in control of setting up your passwords. Short passwords that contain a small number of characters are more vulnerable to hackers. For this reason, we require all of our passwords be at least six characters long.  

Password expiration:
To ensure maximum password security, it’s a good idea to change your password frequently. By default, users are not ever required to change their passwords. But you can require them to change passwords regularly by enabling this option.

Password complexity:
To make passwords that are easy to remember, many people create passwords that contain their name or email address, or are a string of familiar digits, such as their phone number or birthday. The problem is, simple passwords like this are easy for hackers to guess, and could compromise the security of your site. The most effective passwords do not contain parts of your name and are “complex.”

If you have highly sensitive data on your site, the administrator can ensure that all users are employing “complex” passwords. Complex passwords must meet all of the following requirements.

We suggest the password be made up of three out of four of the following:

upper case letters (A-Z)
lower case letters (a-z)
digits (0-9)

If members attempt to create a password that does not meet these requirements, they receive an error message and must create a different password before they can log in.

Never send passwords by email
When a password appears in an email message, it is a potential security loophole. For the utmost password security, you can require that passwords are never emailed

Forgot your password feature:
When a user forgets their password, the only way they will be able to access the site is for the administrator to assign a new password to the user. Users who forget their passwords will not have the recourse of using the “Forgot my password” link, as this feature functions by emailing the password to the user. For the same reason, users will not be permitted to retrieve their password by contacting to the Help Desk.

If you have any additional information about data security please contact our Director of Technology and Data Processing at 800-406-1792

The Quick Print Kit is a proven Certified Mail solution used by Fortune 500 companies nationwide to automate processing, printing and mailing of complex compliance letters and documents.  Our USPS Certified Mail includes proof of mailing, in-route tracking, and Electronic Return Receipt and Signatures images from the United States Postal Service.  

Certified Mail solution Quick Print Kit is designed for high volume mail houses, letter shops, and printers desiring to process and print compliance mailings and letters that need to be sent USPS Certified Mail.

Automated Certified Mail solutions included in the Quick Print Kit are 1,500 Certified Mail Envelopes that include Electronic Return Receipts, data processing, Windows ‘lights out’ software and a USPS Special Service quick print bar kit.  Our materials and services have been pre-approved by the United States Postal Service (USPS) and tested nationwide in the USPS mail and letter stream.  Our Certified Mail solution was designed to help a business or commercial mailer gets online quickly and begins processing, printing and mailing compliance letters USPS Certified Mail. 

The Quick Print Kit Includes the Following:

• 1,500 Certified Mail Envelopes with Electronic Return Receipts. Available in three size envelopes.  (#10, 6″X9″ and flat sized 9″ X 12″ envelopes).
•  The ‘Lights Out’ Windows software to automate processing and reporting clients data on demand 24/7 365 days a year.
• USPS Special Services Bar Code printing kit.  This kit contains font tools to provide assistance with application integration.

The Windows application is software that processes data inside your company. It is truly an automated USPS Certified Mail solution.  Install the application on any machine with Internet access.  You can set-up multiple accounts for automated processing to manage the reporting and billing for client.  Set-it and forget-it – that’s the beauty of our Certified Mail Solutions. 

Certified Mail Solutions System Processing:
Required USPS Certified Mail article numbers
USPS Certified Mail Electronic activation
Certified Mail letter tracking data
USPS postage statements
Manifest PS-3877
USPS Special Services reports

Our Quick Print Kit also includes a USPS Special Services Bar Code Printing Kit.  This kit contains font tools to provide assistance with application integration.  Automatically format the start, stop and check characters for the barcode fonts. We support multiple versions of the Postnet barcode fonts provided in this kit for various implementations and printers.
 
This includes Intelligent Mail Barcode Fonts – The unique encoding we supply is from  IDAutomation’s Postnet fonts allow printing of Intelligent Mail and Postnet with the same font.  Intelligent Mail is a routing, sorting and tracking barcode type based on the 4-State Barcode and is used for services such as OneCode Confirm & OneCode ACS. This barcode type has been previously referred to as the OneCode Solution, 4-State Customer Barcode, USPS4CB and 4-CB. Planet Barcode Fonts Included – PLANET barcodes are used to track mail.

How It All Works:
Most commercial mailers install our process after the CASS/Pre-Sort process in the data department.  Our Windows application will use the CASS data output and create a CSV data file that includes USPS Certified Mail article numbers and tracking information.  Because each of our clients uses many types of software programs for printing such as Planet Press, Microsoft Word, or other post script print applications and files – we provide a special USPS Special Services Bar Code Printing Kit.  This allows you to format your raw data into USPS Certified Mail bar codes and USPS Special Services barcodes fast and easy.  Generate EAN128 – Code 128 fonts for printing EAN-128 barcodes used with our USPS Certified Mail Envelopes with Electronic Return Receipt and delivery confirmation.

Quick Print Kit – Font Tools Provided:
.NET Framework Assembly DLL (100% managed code)
C++ header file
C# .NET Class Library
Check digit calculator with Visual Basic 6 and FoxPro source code
Crystal Reports Formulas
Crystal Reports UFL (User Function Library)
DLL for Windows®
FileMaker Pro Plug-ins
FoxPro Program Module
LotusScript Functions for Lotus Notes, Domino and Approach
Microsoft® Office Macros and VBA for Word, Excel and Access
Microsoft Reporting Services
Online Font Encoder (used to create bar codes one at a time)
Oracle Reports Libraries and PLL
OpenOffice & StarOffice VB macros
Source Code in Visual Basic, C++, PowerBuilder, FoxPro and JAVA
VB.NET Module

For additional information about Certified Mail Solutions including the Quick Print Kit contact Certified Mail Envelopes at 800-406-1792.  Ask fo rthe Quick Print Kit.

The cost for each Signature Confirmation if pre-paid at the time of mailing is $1.10
Or you may purchase only what you need with the Signature After Mailing service for $4.60.  

USPS Signature Confirmatiuons are stored by USPS for up to 2 years from the date of mailing. Certified Mail Envelopes provides a 7 year archive your mailing including in-route tracking, proof of delivery confirmation and the optional Extra Services Signature service.  

 Signatures – USPS Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested

USPS Certified Mail Signature Confirmation are made available in a PDF file from the U.S. Postal Service and may be purchased either before or after you mail your USPS Certified letter.  A copy of the Return Receipt Requested Signature is collected even if you do not pay for the Signature at the time of mailing. The signature is collected and digitally stored by USPS as a part of the United States Postal Service Certified Mail Extra Services Delivery Confirmation system in San Mateo, California. USPS Special Services provides similar services for Express and Priority Mail.

Each Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested Signature is created in PDF file format from USPS and printed on United States Postal Service stationary.  The Signature displays either a signature or stamp from the recieving company including the date and time your USPS Certified Mail was delivered.

USPS sells this Signature Confirmation service in PDF file format. The signature is collected by the letter carrier at the time of letter delivery.  The image is either the recipient’s actual signature or a stamp used to mark the letter delivered.

USPS charges $1.10 for the Signature service if you purchase the service in advance of the mailing.  You can also purchase the Signature service ‘After Mailing’ that costs $4.60.  Even though it costs more, our experience has found most companies only need to provide proof of delivery, and proof of mailing.  The USPS proof of delivery is summarized in the Electronic Return Receipt – ERR that displays the actual Certified Mail article number, date, time, deliver post office and delivery address information.   Should you need a PDF of the Signature, you can purchase it as you need it ‘After the Mailing’. 

Certified Mail Envelopes supports options for Proof of Mailing, Electronic Return Receipt delivery confirmation and the Signature Confirmation service from USPS in PDF file extracts delivered to your secure data warehouse, in our website, bulk download, or secure FTP delivery signature extract files for download.