The US Postal Board of Governors approves all USPS Postal Rates for sending USPS Certified Mail.  The cost to send a 1-ounce USPS Certified Mail letter with Return Receipt (green card) is $5.75.  A new Certified Mail rate increase was effective Sunday January 22, 2012.  Fees for First Class and Certified Mail rates and service fees were increased.

Three costs make up the current USPS Certified Mail rates:

1.  First-Class Postage $0.45 (this is a letter size envelope, up to 1 oz in weight)
2.  Certified Mail Fee $2.95
3.  Return Receipt (Green Card) $2.35 or Return Receipt Electronic $1.15

Total Cost per Letter $5.75 if using old fashioned Green Cards or $4.55 if Return Receipt Electronic Signature is used.

How to Reduce USPS Certified Mail Costs?

You can reduce the costs of Certified Mail by using web sites like Certified Mail Envelopes that include Electronic Return Receipt and provide proof of mailing, tracking and proof of delivery for each letter.  Other web sites like Send Certified Mail allow you to upload your letter in PDF file Word document and they ‘print and mail’ your letter the same business day.  Today people are looking for easier ways to send USPS Certified Mail and eliminate forms, labels, monthly fees, long term contracts and expensive Pitney Bowes equipment leases.

Imagine no more labels,  forms  or trips to the Post Office!

Sign-up for a  Certified Mail Envelopes free trial (no credit card is needed). During the free trial you will still pay for ($2.95 + $0.45), but you can save the $2.35 green card return receipt fee.  See how fast and easy it can be to address and send USPS Certified Mail.  Certified Mail Envelopes provides the USPS approved Envelopes with free online web access to address, track and print your mailings.  You log i to the web site to print USPS delivery reports and can access your account 24/7.  Your online web account stores all your Electronic Return Receipts safely for 7 years automatically.  USPS has pre-approved Certified Mail Envelopes so the process is fast and easy to use.  No monthly fees or hidden costs.  Just pay as you mail!

Use the Free Trial Sign-Up now to get started.  We will send you a start-up kit including 2 free envelopes.

Follow this link: http://www.certified-mail-envelopes.com/free-trial/

To see the Electronic Return Receipt – ERR. http://www.certified-mail-envelopes.com/electronic-return-receipt-for-usps-certified-mail/

The service includes the USPS SCAN Form 5630 or mail manifest form USPS PS-3800 to provide legal proof of acceptance into the United States Postal Service letter stream.  You also get in-route letter and delivery tracking plus the final USPS delivery confirmation by email.  The Return Receipt Electronic is provided as a PDF file for each letter you mail.  Today many mailers use the electronic return receipt to replace the old-fashioned green cards return receipts.

You get proof with Certified Mail Envelopes. Proof of Mailing and Proof of Delivery from the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Our Certified Mail Envelopes are available in three sizes, #10 business envelope, 6 X 9″ Booklet and a large 9 X 12″ Flat sized envelope all approved by USPS.  We provide online web access to address and print Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) and the Certified Mail bar codes with tracking information.  Electronic Return Receipt to show proof of delivery are included with each mailing,  plus ‘in-route’ letter tracking and the final delivery confirmation for each letter. You can even download a PDF of the Return Receipt Signature if needed.  You may track each letter ‘in-route’ to insure delivery. No labels or stickers are used in this automation process. Just log in to the website to address then print an address sheet with tracking bar codes.  Slide the address sheet into the window envelope that has been USPS approved for  Certified Mail Envelope with your letters, apply USPS postage and drop the envelope into the USPS mail stream.  It’s that fast and easy.

Other USPS Postal Rates:

• Letters – first ounce $0.45
• Large flat envelopes – 1 Oz.  $0.90
• Large flat envelopes – 2 Oz.  $1.10
• Large flat envelopes –  3 Oz. $1.30
• Large flat envelopes –  4 Oz. $1.50

• Additional ounce-  $0.20

Mailers may use Forever Stamps to help ease the transition during price changes. Forever Stamps do not have a denomination and will be honored for First Class Mail whenever they are used for a one-ounce letter mailing.

USPS Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested service can be purchased before or after your mailing.  The old-fashioned green card Return Receipt now cost $2.35  as of January 22, 2012.

This displays whom signed or accepted the letter, the date of letter delivery, and addressee’s address.  Return Receipt Signature service costs $1.15 purchased at the time of mailing. This information displays whom signed or accepted the letter, the date of letter delivery and addressee’s address

USPS Certified Mail Signature After Mailing
Return Receipt Electronic Signature After Mailing cost $4.75 and can be purchased after mailing. The PDF report is a scanned image that displays whom signed or accepted the letter, the date of letter delivery and addressee’s address.

For additional information call Certified Mail Envelopes 800-406-1792.

Related USPS Certified Mail Rate News
•  2011 USPS Certified Mail Postal Rates

The United States Postal Regulatory Commission revised and approved new 2012 USPS Certified Mail Rates  that became effective January 22, 2012.

Last year the United States Postal Service was seeking permission to increase Postal Rates in 2011.  The increase represented an average of 5.6 percent to offset the USPS losses in recent years. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and other businesses were concerned what impact the 2011 rate hike would have on business and became very vocal about the proposal. The Postal Regulatory Commission reached a unanimous vote declining the USPS rate increase in 2011. The reason for the decline was the lack of a solid feasible business plan for “overcoming the fundamental quandary USPS faces.” The Commission concluded the current budget problems and a number of rate cutting measures needed to be taken by USPS first.

The USPS Certified Mail Special Service rates and First Class postage rates increased the cost of sending Certified Mail with green cards to $5.75.  USPS Certified Mail letters cost is made up from three postage fees. The new 2012 Certified Mail Special Service fee costs $2.95.  Second, the Return Receipt service is available in two options.  The old fashioned green card price costs $2.35 for each letter, or the Return Receipt Electronic service can be used and costs $1.15 in place of the green card.  The third and final postage fee that makes up a USPS Certified Mail letter is First Class postage.  The one-ounce rate increased to $0.45.

USPS Mail Service	Old Cost	January 22 2012 Increase	New 2012 Rate
Certified Mail	$ 2.85	+ $0.10	$ 2.95
Green Card Return Receipt	$ 2.30	+ $0.05	$ 2.35
Return Receipt Electronic (PDF)	$ 1.15*	+ $0.00	$ 1.15*
First Class Postage	$ 0.44	+- $0.01	$ 0.45
Cost using Green Card	$5.59 or $4.44 with RRE*		$ 5.75 or $4.55 with RRE*
Certificate of Mailing Firm mailing books First 1,000 pieces Each additional 1,000	$1.10	+ $0.05	$ 1.15 each $ 0.44 each $ 6.70 $ 0.80 per 000

How Can I Reduce USPS Certified Mail Costs? You can reduce the costs to send USPS Certified Mail by using the Electronic Return Receipt – ERR in place of the old fashioned green card Return Receipt.  The Return Receipt Electronic provides the final delivery confirmation signature from USPS when your letter is delivered. This reduces the total cost of each letter from $5.75 to $4.60.  It is a true $1.15 cent postage savings per letter not to mention the time savings.  Certified Mail Envelopes includes Electronic Return Receipt with proof of mailing, in-route tracking and proof of each letters delivery with each Certified Mail Envelope.  This eliminates those forms or peel and stick labels.  Just address your letter online and print the cover page on your local printer. Slide the address cover page into the envelope add postage and mail.  It’s fast and easy.  No more labels, or forms to fill out.  No more green cards – and you can mail your letter from any mail box.

No more trips to the Post Office.

Current Certified Mail Envelope Costs

1.  First-Class Postage $0.45  (this is a letter size envelope, up to 1 oz in weight)
2.  Certified Mail Fee $2.95
3.  Electronic Return Receipt is included with USPS Certified Mail Envelope $1.55

The Total Cost per Letter $4.95   (Includes all postage costs, envelope and use of our online web site to print each address page.)

You can try the service by signing up for the free trial.  No credit card is needed. You still need to add postage ($2.95 + $0.45), but you can save the cost of the $2.35 green card return receipt fee.  This free trial allows you to see how the Electronic Return Receipt works.  You get setup with a web based login to address, print address sheets, track and report each mailing. You have access 24/7 and they file and store each Electronic Return Receipts for 7 years automatically.  USPS has approved Certified Mail Envelopes so the process is fast and easy to use.  No monthly fees or hidden costs.  All you need to do is add postage.

Free Trial Evaluation:  Get 2 Certified Mail Envelopes with Electronic Return Receipt
   Certified Mail Envelopes Free Trial:   http://www.certified-mail-envelopes.com/usps-free-trial-set-up/

Follow this link to read more about the Electronic Return Receipt – ERR.
http://www.certified-mail-envelopes.com/electronic-return-receipt-for-usps-certified-mail/

Last year, in 2011 USPS Certified Mail Postal Rate Increases included the After Mailing cost to purchase the Return Receipt Electronic Signature.  This cost was proposed to increase $0.25 to $4.85 per letter.  USPS said the new postal rates must go up to help cover a potential $7 billion loss projected in 2011.  Each additional ounce of weight would also increase from 17 cents to 18 cents.

The USPS must prove “exceptional or extraordinary circumstances” in order for the new Postal Rate Increase in 2011 to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to approve prices above the rate of inflation.  The PRC will approve the request if it finds pricing above CPI to be “reasonable and equitable and necessary.” The country continues to work through the worst recession since the 1930s. Key business customers have been devastated and have withdrawn from using the mail: credit card companies, financial institutions, real estate companies, retailers.

USPS mail volume has plummeted by more than 25.6 billion pieces, or 12.7 percent, in one fiscal year. Total volume stands at 177 billion pieces.  USPS First-Class Mail is the highest revenue contributor to the Postal Service bottom line and also the fastest volume decline.

Mail volume in general has declined at a higher rate than it did following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. More and more Americans are switching to electronic alternatives, further eroding a dwindling customer base. The Postal Service seeks to balance its financial challenges against the needs of its customers through a moderate increase and to gradually increase some prices to improve their financial performance while mitigating the effect on customers.

Experts believe future price increases can be greatly alleviated if the Postal Service was deregulated and became more competitive  or given the tools necessary to be a more flexible, customer-focused: change delivery frequency, restructure the pre-payment of retiree health benefits and expand access to products and services that are more convenient to customers.

Included in this new proposal is stopping delivery of mail service on Saturday.  A significant USPS price increase is under consideration that will impact 2011 USPS Postal Rates & mailing costs including special services mail like USPS Certified Mail. This includes many of the USPS Special Services that include USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested service, USPS Certified Mail Restricted Delivery, and USPS Registered Mail.

For many consumers the initial focus or cost of mailing a First Class letter may appear to be increasing $0.02 per letter, however due to many new financial and regulatory requirements in banking, health care and lending the cost of sending compliance letters by USPS Certified Mail in 2011 could be much higher.

USPS Mail Prices - Effective January 22, 2012	Prices
Extra Services Prices
Certified Mail	$2.95
Return Receipt (Old Fashioned Green Cards)	$2.35
Return Receipt Electronic	$1.15
Restricted Delivery	$4.50
Registered Mail	$10.75
First Class Letter
1 Ounce	$0.45
2 Ounces	$0.65
3 Ounces	$0.85
3.5 Ounces	$1.05
Large Envelopes (Flats)
1 Ounce	$0.90
2 Ounces	$1.10
3 Ounces	$1.30
4 Ounces	$1.50
5 Ounces	$1.70
6 Ounces	$1.90
7 Ounces	$2.10
8 Ounces	$2.30
9 Ounces	$2.50
10 Ounces	$2.70
11 Ounces	$2.90
12 Ounces	$3.10
13 Ounces	$3.30