Certified mail vs return receipt

Certified Mail and Return Receipt are two different services offered by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to provide proof of mailing and delivery of a letter or package. Here's a breakdown of each service:

Certified Mail

Certified Mail is a service that provides proof of mailing and delivery of a letter or package. When you use Certified Mail, the USPS will:

  1. Provide a receipt to the sender, which serves as proof of mailing.
  2. Track the package and provide a delivery confirmation.
  3. Require the recipient to sign for the package upon delivery.

Certified Mail is often used for important documents, such as tax returns, legal documents, and financial transactions, where proof of delivery is crucial.

Return Receipt

Return Receipt is a service that provides proof of delivery and allows the recipient to sign and return a receipt to the sender. When you use Return Receipt, the USPS will:

  1. Provide a receipt to the sender, which serves as proof of mailing.
  2. Require the recipient to sign for the package upon delivery.
  3. Return the signed receipt to the sender.

Return Receipt is often used for situations where the sender wants to confirm that the recipient has received the package and to obtain a signature from the recipient.

Key differences

Here are the key differences between Certified Mail and Return Receipt:

  1. Return of receipt: Certified Mail does not require the recipient to return a receipt to the sender, while Return Receipt requires the recipient to sign and return the receipt to the sender.
  2. Proof of delivery: Both services provide proof of delivery, but Return Receipt provides additional proof that the recipient has signed for the package.
  3. Purpose: Certified Mail is often used for situations where proof of mailing and delivery is sufficient, while Return Receipt is used for situations where the sender wants to confirm that the recipient has received the package and to obtain a signature from the recipient.

When to use each service

Here are some scenarios where you might use each service: