We can save you money on postage for letters/packages that are presently mailed Certified/Return Receipt Requested (approximately 300 daily). This will obviously depend upon the various reasons you are sending your letters/packages via this method and upon the level of proof of delivery you require. This savings is possible because the United States Postal Service (USPS) has certified mail information available via the Internet. If you mail letters via this method you should separate them from the letters that have a return receipt to avoid postage errors.

Proper certified bar-coded USPS labels must be used (as shown below left) and can be ordered from the Central Mail Facility. We are also researching methods to mail first-class letters via signature confirmation and delivery confirmation. These methods require an extra step; therefore we are getting firm guidance from our postal representative of the USPS rules regarding this issue before we present these other two options to you.

Certified/Return Receipt Requested letters/packages cost a minimum of $4.42.
$.37 for a one-ounce letter. $2.30 to certify it. $1.75 for the return receipt.

The $1.75 postage cost for the return receipt may now be avoided.
With certified mail, delivery confirmation can be obtained via the Internet thus eliminating the need for a return receipt. A hard copy of the proof of delivery can be printed and saved. All that is required is the proper bar-coded label (above left example) and that the letter/package be mailed certified WITHOUT the return receipt requested, and you retain the bottom portion of the certified label that has the traceable 20-digit tracking number.

From the USPS website, http://www.usps.com click the Track & Confirm option located in the red bar at the top of the page, or go directly to: (delivery information should be available 2-3 days after you mail it)
http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm?from=global&page=0035trackandconfirm

This page can be printed as your proof of delivery and the cost of your certified letter/package is reduced, saving $1.75 per letter/package. This information is available for six-months on the USPS site, and is available off-line at the main post office for two years.

The bar-coded label should be placed in the position as shown in the picture above left so there is enough room for the meter stamp on the top right, which is approximately three inches. Presently, the Central Mail Facility is getting some certified mail pieces returned by the USPS because the meter stamp is unreadable, making the verifying postage process very difficult for them. Because of this, we are forced to have our customer’s re-address some certified pieces and essentially pay for the postage twice. We realize that some return addresses are quite long, but it is more important to cover some of it than to have these items returned.

NOTE: Electronic records are acceptable as signatures. See the law!!!