How Does Certified Mail Work?
Certified mail – the specialized mail delivery service that the U.S. Postal Service offers, is well-known by a lot of people, but the thing is, they don’t really know how it works. Well, after reading this, that is definitely going to change. So, let’s start from the top and walk you through how certified mail works:
Preparing Your Certified Mail
This takes about 30 seconds or less. All you have to do is go to a secure postal site, key in the recipient’s address and choose the appropriate address from the site’s built-in address book. After that, you will need to upload an excel file that will be used for batch processing or you can easily connect directly to the site’s systems through API’s.
Once you have been able to upload the excel file, you need to print out a USPS Certified Mail label, with address, Electronic Postage, and USPS Certified Mail barcode, for each receiver, on a label or standard paper.
Sending Your Mail
You can either hand your mail to your mail carrier or send from any mailbox. What you do is that you insert the printed USPS Certified Mail label and your document in the envelope provided by the postal service or your own boxes or envelope with a USPS Certified Mail label that is 5” x 8 ½” in size.
Verifying Your Mail
Within hours after your Certified mail has been delivered, you get a signed confirmation with an electronic Return Receipt sent to your account. The recipient’s typed address will also be added since it can sometimes be hard for signatures to be read.
Accessing Your Data
Even after your mail has been delivered, a complete record of your transactions is stored online for about ten years. You will be able to view, print, and download the electronic return receipt or Proof of Acceptance if you need it for Affidavits of Service and so on.
You can also download reports on USPS costs and activities in excel format which are sorted by project, client, and business unit. This makes it easier for you to bill costs back to clients.
In Conclusion
Using certified mails is quite easy and fast. You don’t need a postage meter; you can easily get Proof of Acceptance right in your office without having to take trips to the post office; and, you don’t have to worry about losing valuable data because they are digital and you can print them anytime, anywhere.
