Using a USPS Certified Mail article number you can track your letters delivery information online at 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 activity.  Some letter carriers do a better job of recording the attempted delivery attempts than others.    

USPS Certified Mail article numbers consist of only numbers that begin with a ’70 or 71′ such as 70123456789000000423.  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 the Certified Mail letter USPS will refund the Certified Mail Special Service fee.

All packages entering the mail stream are first scanned by USPS personnel. USPS only provides Special Service tracking service after the labels are printed or shipped from by an approved USPS third-party supplier.  In general most customers report the USPS tracking system needs improvement.  USPS’s Certified Mail article and tracking numbers do not provide in-transit information like there is from UPS or FedEx.

For USPS Certified Mail, proof of mailing and proof of delivery are what most people need. The tracking function only provides information about the actual letters delivery status.  If you use Express Mail or Priority Mail this level of service will provide next day or 2-3 day delivery in the US.  ’In-route’ tracking and delivery confirmation are provided with this level of service.  Remember USPS does not scan each Certified Mail Envelope at every Post Office  like FedEx, UPS or other common carriers.  The USPS letter tracking services are improving slowly across America.  Many users report Certified Mail letter tracking services much different than FedEx or UPS and the data is helpful to tell whether the letter has been delivered.  It is not uncommon for letters and packages to many time display an origin scan then a delivery scan.  Because USPS Certified Mail requires every Certified Mail letter to be signed for, it may take up to 3 weeks sometimes until a change in the tracking/delivery 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.