Plan on 3 to 10 business days. USPS does not guarantee or specify an exact delivery time.  However Certified Mail is First Class mail and considered Special Service Mail and receives a high priority of importance.

Remember someone at the delivery address must sign for the Certified Letter.  If you are mailing to a residential address and no one is home, a USPS delivery reminder will be left by the letter carrier. This reminder informs them the certified letter can be picked up at a nearby Post Office.  If no one picks up the letter after 5 to 7 days, USPS attempts a second delivery to the delivery address. Again USPS will leave a delivery reminder that the letter can be picked-up at the nearby Post Office.  Finally after 10 to 12 days a third and final delivery attempt will be made to the delivery address.  The final notice reminder is left and the letter is taken back to the Post Office.  This time frame can take 17 to 21 days if no one has claimed the letter.  USPS will then mark the letter Unclaimed and returned the letter to the sender. 

If I have questions about USPS letter delivery who do I call?

The USPS Help Line is 800-275-8777.  However we found the best place to call is the local USPS Post Office responsible for the final delivery of the letter.  In other words, the Post Office closest to the final delivery address. To locate this information call USPS and request the name of the Post Office responsible for mail delivery at the final delivery address. 

What about the Green Card?

The Green Card has been the icon of Certified Mail for more than 225 years. This little Green Card has been difficult for both the sender and the U.S. Postal Service to handle and manage.  In July 2001, the U.S. Postal Service began providing electronic delivery confirmation that provides the sender proof of letter delivery for Certified Mail using electronic delivery confirmation.

Today Electronic Return Receipt ERR(TM)  is used by Certified Mail customers nationwide and is quickly replacing the old fashioned Green Card. Clearly the ERR Electronic Return Receipt ™ will save time and money.  You can’t loose an electronic delivery record like you can loose a  Green Cards.  Plus each letter can be tracked ‘in-route’ with a patented ETC (Electronic Tracking Confirmation) service included with each Certified Mail Envelope you mail.  The service provides you in-route tracking scans and the final proof of delivery service provided by the U.S. Postal Service.
 

How do I print the Green Card or Electronic Return Receipt?

1.  Log into your online account.
2.  On the navigation bar, select the ETC Tracking, then ETC Active Mail Pieces
3.  Search to locate OR Highlight the record you want to print
4.  Click on 'Print ETC Receipt' that is located on the bottom of the screen
5.  You will be ask if you wish to preview or send the report to the printer.
What receipts are provided with Certified Mail?

What Receipts are provided by using your Certified Mail Envelope service?

Two receipts are provided with our Certified Mail Envelope Service. 

The first receipt is the proof of mailing PS-3877 manifest or firm sheet.  This proves your a record that your letter was accepted by USPS.  This receipt is available by using our approved USPS Mail Manifest.  We suggest you have this sheet signed and dated when you turn your mail over to the Postal Service.  If you drop your letter into any USPS mail pickup the Electronic Tracking scan will serve as your proof of mailing.  Be careful to note the pickup schedule dates and times at local mail drops. 

The second receipt is proof of delivery or the Electronic Return Receipt ERR(TM). This serves as your proof USPS successfully delivered the Certified letter to the delivery address specified  or that the letter was returned to sender.

ERR (TM) is the Electronic Return Receipt (Green Card). This report is printed from our web software and is used to provide legal proof of letter delivery.  This report shows Certified Mail delivery information.  The information is authored by the United States Postal Service.  This is a report that can be printed from the web software. The data may also be exported to your local computer or network and kept as a part of your companies data warehouse.


What if we need a Signature from the person that signed for the letter?
Signatures of the person that accepted the Certified Mail letter are electronically collected and stored by USPS. When any Certified Mail letter is delivered the USPS letter carrier must collect a signature for each letter.  The signature is collected by the delivery carrier then electronically scanned and stored by the U.S. Postal Service. You can print the Electronic Return Receipt (ERR) (TM) from our Certified Mail Envelope Software free.  If you wish to purchase the Signatur PDF image, USPS charges $0.85 at the time you mail the letter for each signature. If you decide you need the Signature after you mail your letter and did not pre-pay for the Signature, USPS will sell you the Signature After Mailing from any local Post Office for up to two years from the date of mailing. 

If you ever need the U.S. Postal Service to provide a copy of the actual image of the signature you can purchase this from USPS for up to two years after your mailing date. The cost to retrieve the image of the signature is $3.25.  Please allow 24 to 48 hours for USPS processing.  The delivery signature can be returned to you by fax or email.

Common USPS issues reported by Certified Mail Customers

The USPS person behind the local Post Office may not be familiar with all Certified Mail vendors and services.  You should trust that our Certified Mail Envelope is approved by USPS to provide Certified Mail services.

The counter clerk may not want to sign and date the manifest. This is primarily educational issues within USPS.  Explain you need to have a receipt of the mail entry - that is the purpose of the manifest.  Ask for the clerks name and local Post Office phone number we can have someone from USPS headquarters contact this Post Office to conduct training and eliminate future acceptance delays.

Purchasing ‘Signature After Mailing’ our customers reported several USPS Post Offices will only check the Internet web site then inform you that no signature was found.

This was NOT correct. You should inform the USPS person the Signature is a part of the Certified Mail service you purchased and paid for.  They should research the internal IN-TRA-NET not the web site.  If you continue to have problems ask for the Local Postmaster, and request the product again.  If they cannot provide you the Signatrue you should request a refund for non performance of service.

If you are told no signature is available, you are entitled to a refund since service was not preformed.

Ask to file PS-Form 3533 the Application and Voucher for Refund of Postage and Services. USPS does not like to issue refunds for Service Not Rendered so they will work extra hard to locate your Signature.

If you continue to have problems, customers have found reporting service problems to USPS Headquarters in Washington, DC.  Ask for Special Services or the Postmaster General.