Does Certified Mail Require a Stamp?

Key Takeaways:

• Certified Mail requires both USPS postage and a Certified Mail fee, with optional Return Receipt for proof of delivery. The USPS fees can be paid via stamps, using labels at the Post Office or from a meter, or using Certified Mail software.
• For Return Receipt, mailers can choose between traditional Green Cards (costly, slow, and prone to loss) or the more efficient and affordable Return Receipt Electronic, which is valid for legal actions and easier to store.
• Online services like SimpleCertifiedMail.com let customers prepare and send Certified Mail from their computer, automate forms, reduce labor time by up to 80%, and securely store mailing records digitally for 10 years.

Like all mail, Certified Mail requires postage to be sent through the U.S. Postal Service, depending on whether you want your Certified Mail letter to be delivered via First Class Mail or Priority Mail. Postage for Certified Mail can be either:

• A stamp (or multiple stamps) depending on the weight of the letter
• Purchased at the Post Office counter
• Printed from a postage meter
• Purchased using online postage and printed from a standard printer

In addition to postage, you will also pay a Certified Mail fee and if selected, a fee for Return Receipt that provides a signature from the recipient who received the Certified Mail letter – an important requirement for most customers who use Certified Mail.

What is Certified Mail and what is it used for?

Certified Mail is the most popular Extra Service offered by the USPS, with approximately 160 million pieces mailed each year. Certified Mail is used by businesses, consumers and government departments to send important documents when Proof of Mailing and Proof of Delivery are required for legal reasons. This Extra Service provides mailers with an official receipt that proves the letter was mailed, includes online tracking all the way to delivery, and for the majority of mailers, a signature from the recipient proving that the mail piece was delivered.

Certified Mail usually takes 1 to 5 days for delivery when the service is added to First Class Mail (delivery depends on how far the letter has to travel) and 2–3 days when sent via Priority Mail.

What are the required postage fees for sending Certified Mail?

All Certified Mail letters require postage and the Certified Mail fee. Both fees can be paid at the Post Office counter using stamps or a label, from a postage meter, or online using Certified Mail software. Let’s go over your options:

Postage Options

Just like any USPS mail piece, this is the fee paid for the actual delivery of your item. For this fee, you have two options: First Class Mail or Priority Mail.

• First Class Mail is used for regular letters and flats weighing up to 13 ounces. The cost ranges from $0.78 for a one ounce #10 envelope ($0.74 if purchased from SimpleCertifiedMail.com), to $8.39 for a large envelope (a “flat”) weighing 13 ounces.  
• Priority Mail is used for documents weighing more than 13 ounces, as well as documents that need to get to their destination faster than First-Class Mail.

Certified Mail Fee Options

In addition to the standard postage, you will also pay $5.55 for the Certified Mail service, which includes provides you with a receipt confirming the item was sent, and a 22-digit code enabling you to track your Certified Mail letter online.  

• Post Office

When purchasing Certified Mail at the Post Office, you are required to use PS Form 3800, which is attached to the right of the return address, folding over the backside of the envelope. It provides a receipt for the sender along with the 22-digit tracking number. To track your Certified Mail piece, you must enter the 22-digit tracking number at USPS website, which is a cumbersome process.

• Online

When purchasing Certified Mail online using a software service such as SimpleCertifiedMail.com, you simply print a Certified Mail cover sheet on plain paper, fold the cover sheet and place it into a special Certified Mail window envelope, along with your letter.

Tracking information is automatically updated in your online account which receives the information electronically from the USPS. For example, the USPS Proof of Acceptance Electronic is posted to your account very soon after your Certified Mail letter receives its first scan by the Post Office.

Additionally, senders have the option of adding a Return Receipt to their Certified Mail. Return Receipt is an extra service that ensures the USPS gets a signature from the recipient upon delivery and is crucial for proof in court that the item was delivered. There are two options for Return Receipt:

• Return Receipt by Mail

This option requires the sender to fill out the PS Form 3811, commonly known as the Green Card. Costing $4.40, this service requires that the Green Card is signed by the recipient and mailed back to the sender as Proof of Delivery. Disadvantages to using Green Cards include the cost, the lengthy wait times for the card to be returned, cards often getting lost in the mail, cards needing to be physically stored for record, and the original card serving as the only valid legal form of signature documentation (scans or copies of the card are not valid in court.)

• Return Receipt Electronic

Introduced by the Post Office more than 20 years ago, the Return Receipt Electronic is only to users of online software such as SimpleCertifiedMail.com. The Post Office prices the Return Receipt Electronic at just $2.82, a 36% discount versus Green Cards, because it saves the USPS money. Beyond the cost savings, the Return Receipt Electronic is automatically posted to your SimpleCertifiedMail.com account, and is the legal equivalent to the physical Green Card. It can be saved on your computer, emailed, and printed at any time.

How SimpleCertifiedMail.com can help

Looking for ways to simplify your Certified Mail needs? SimpleCertifiedMail.com uses digital USPS postage and streamlined services to help you save time when sending important mail pieces. Here’s how it works:

• No more trips to the Post Office! Use your own computer to prepare, print and send Certified Mail with or without Return Receipt using plain paper and free Certified Mail window envelopes.
• Since postage is printed directly on the labels from any printer, there’s no need to lease a pricey postage meter machine.
• Say goodbye to manual forms and filling out Green Cards by hand that are prone to error. SimpleCertifiedMail.com automates everything to eliminate manual processing errors.
• Conveniently store your Green Cards digitally and eliminate potentially losing your only physical copy.
• Print one at a time, or batch print hundreds from a Microsoft Excel file. Mailers can reduce labor time by more than 80%.
• Get quicker turnaround times by having your USPS Electronic Proof of Acceptance, Proof of Delivery and Return Receipt PDF files automatically posted to the sender’s online account where they are saved for 10 years.

Ready to save time and money when sending Certified Mail?

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