What is a Certificate Of Mailing and How To Get It

Learn everything you need to know about a certificate of mailing. When you need it and how to get it.

The postal and shipping industry is booming because of the sheer volume of packages shipped worldwide every day. Shipping companies and postal services develop a mechanism for easily tracking packages by customers. The USPS or US Postal Service also attaches a suitable tracking mechanism for tracking packages. The USPS ships millions of packages every day. It is easy to doubt if your shipped box will remain intact and on the radar among the sea of packages. 


To reduce the chances of loss of a package and ensure better tracking, one should try verified mail shipping. Moreover, it is easy to verify the packages with USPS and get proof of mailing. A US postal certificate of mailing is a fail-proof mechanism of ensuring package recovery. 

Moreover, anyone can get a certificate of mailing from USPS on sending a package through the service. The certificate of mailing USPS option also extends towards letters. 


The Need For A Certificate Of Mailing 

A certificate of mailing creates a written document that records the day of mailing. Thus, you can furnish this certificate from USPS as proof of mailing a package on a specific day. It helps resolve disputes regarding the day or date you sent the mail. It also comes across as proof of you sending the mail in the post. Therefore, the certificate of mailing comes in handy during third-party disputes. Moreover, the postal certification also helps you remember the shipping day and the duration of package delivery


A certificate of mailing works in getting out of legal disputes with other parties, especially the customer. However, the sender needs to be aware of some nuances of the certificate of mailing. For example, the certificate of mailing only notes down the date and time of mailing. The certificate of mailing also does not furnish the insurance details of the package. Moreover, the postal service only creates one copy of the certificate of mailing. Thus, a sender needs to keep his copy of the certificate very safely. 


However, you can request your postal service executive to match the timing fed into the postal system. USPS records the post's date, time, and location for every letter and package as a national postal service. 


How Do I Get a Certificate Of Mailing? 

The answer to how to get proof of mailing is to visit your nearest postal office, where you can contact any USPS executive and inquire about the mailing form certificate. You need to purchase the USPS certificate of mailing form from the executive. Moreover, the executive will give you form 3817, which you must fill. Once filled, you deposit the form with the clerk at the counter. 

However, there are different classes of certificate of mailing forms for people. For example, Form 3655 is a postal certificate form for firms and companies. If you have sent a mail package or letter on behalf of a company, you should fill out the form. 


On the other hand, you can also use Form 3877 for company use. Form 3877 is used as Firm Mailing Book for Accountable Mail. You can use a certificate of mailing for any USPS service like first-class mail, priority mail, etc. The cost of purchasing a certificate of mailing from USPS is $1.50. Moreover, its reasonable price makes the certification affordable for everyone. 


The Difference Between Certified Mail And Certificate Of Mailing

Looking into a certificate of mailing vs. certified mail, you do not need to visit the post office for certified mail. On the one hand, a certificate of mailing only furnishes the day and date of mailing and forgoes any mention of the delivery date. In contrast, the receipt of certified mail includes the delivery date. Moreover, the receipt also requires the receiver's signature so that the date of delivery also has verified status. Filling out and sending certified mail forms are more accessible than the certificate of mailing form. The sender usually fills out, attaches the certified mail form to the mail envelope or parcel, and sends it together. 


Use Of Certificate Of Mailing 

The certificate of mailing helps in different situations. Even eCommerce businesses can use a certificate of mailing. However, the certificate is not mandatory for retail order fulfillment. Besides, e-retail ventures usually have independent mechanisms and shipping verification systems. This system also verifies dispatch and delivery of the package. However, a certificate of mailing does work in case of valuable or legal documents. Time-sensitive packages that have legal or financial repercussions need a certificate of mailing. The certificate of mailing also comes in handy when you send sensitive tax documents. 


Certificate of mailing is proof that you can get it for your satisfaction. If the document or package has possible legal implications, you can also keep the certificate. Since the certificate of mailing from USPS is very affordable, getting a certificate of mailing is an easy process to follow.

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