What is USPS Certified Mail Tracking?

Most people use USPS certified mail tracking to get updated about the whereabouts of their package. It’s not surprising that USPS has delivered over 200 million certified mail and is still counting.

This is because USPS Certified Mail guarantees proof of mailing, delivery, and even includes tracking for important and sensitive documents.

Unlike First-class mail, it provides an additional level of security by giving a unique USPS Certified Mail tracking number which has 22 digits and is usually found on the shipping label.

You can use this number to check the progress of your mail at any time through the USPS tracking website or a third-party tracking platform.

Let’s find out more about USPS Certified Mail tracking and what you should do if your mail is not delivered on time.

How Does USPS Certified Mail Tracking Work?

The method used by USPS to track Certified Mail is the same used to track pretty much any other piece of mail they handle. You just have to visit the USPS website and choose certified mail tracking.

When you send your Certified Mail, you’ll be given a tracking number, and it becomes active immediately within the USPS tracking system. Click the “Track” button after entering the tracking number in the field.

However, you cannot type in more than 35 tracking numbers. The location of your package will now be displayed if your mail has not yet been delivered

From that point on, you can watch as it is scanned until it reaches its final destination. Then, you’ll have a tracking confirmation that it was delivered and proof of delivery sent back to you.

Meanwhile, if you want to track your USPS Certified Mail offline, you can visit the post office, download their mobile application, or send an SMS to a number they’ll provide.

Why Should I Use USPS Certified Mail?

If you’re wondering why you should use USPS Certified Mail, here are some reasons below:

1. Keeps Documents for a Long Time

For up to two years after the date of shipping, the USPS keeps records of certified shipments.

This procedure makes it easier to keep records, which is required in many regulated businesses, including finance.

You have a choice between paper mail and electronic receipts because both are required by law.

2. Security Assurance

Using Certified Mail offers a great deal of security that you just won’t receive if you drop off first-class mail at the post office or in one of their drop boxes.

When sending first-class mail, you will never know when it will be picked up, processed, begun to move along its route, or delivered to its final location.

 Certified Mail totally gets rid of all of those problems! You can detect any issues at any point in the delivery process and take appropriate action.

3. Attention Grabbing

Compared to regular letters that could get lost in the shuffle, certified mail is much more noticeable to the recipients.

Certified Mail literally jumps out of the mailbox because of the special labeling and envelope attachments that make it very clear that it isn’t first-class mail.

People who receive Certified Mail always want to open the envelope or package as soon as possible, because they know it was delivered to them on purpose and it should contain something special.

4. Flexibility

The flexibility and adaptability of certified mail are excellent.

Your first-class or priority mailings can be enhanced, and it can combine various add-ons for thorough tracking and quick delivery.

This may, in essence, meet all of your mailing demands.

5. Cost Effective

USPS Certified Mail is not really expensive. It costs around $4.35.

This is with other additional charges for return receipt and restricted delivery.

Hence, it is a great choice for people who want to mail sensitive and important papers safely.

What if My USPS Certified Mail is Not Delivered?

Usually, Certified Mail with First Class postage is delivered between 3 to 5 business days.

However, the delivery time for your Certified Mail might be sped up to 2 to 3 days if you decide to purchase Priority Mail Delivery.

But when it stays longer than the specified dates, then there’s a problem. If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation, here’s what you need to do:

1. Follow Up and Confirm

You can visit the USPS website’s ‘Track and Confirm’ page if more than seven business days have passed and you still don’t have a proof-of-delivery receipt.

This will require you to enter the label ID number on this page.

After this, information about your package’s whereabouts will be displayed on the screen.

2. Speak with an Employee

There’s an option to contact the USPS customer care number. You will be placed on a call with a customer care agent who will assist you in tracking down your package.

Your label ID number will be required by the representative, so always have it handy.

Then, your details will be forwarded by the agent to the relevant post office. According to USPS policy, the post office must get in touch with you before the end of the business day.

3. Request for Mail Search

You can either make a request in person at your neighborhood post office or online using the Missing Mail Search portal on the USPS website.

This is the right action to take if your mail has been missing for longer than seven working days.

The USPS will send you an email to confirm that they have received your request and have begun their investigation.

4. Talk to the Police

It’s unfortunate when porch pirates occur. Your parcel is more likely to be stolen if your delivery coincides with the Christmas season.

You could be a victim of theft if you’ve checked with your neighbors and the USPS confirms that your package was delivered to the correct address.

At this point, let the USPS and the authorities in your area know that you think your package was stolen.

Meaning of USPS Certified Mail Tracking Notifications

USPS Certified Mail tracking notifications are regularly updated when your package is in transit on USPS official websites or other tracking platforms.

If you don’t know what these notifications mean, you can easily become confused.

Below are some of the tracking notifications and their meaning:

Tracking Notifications	Meaning
Accepted	Your mail has been received by USPS and is now being processed.
In Transit	Your mail is currently on its way to your destination and might make several stops along the route.
Out for Delivery	Your mail is out for delivery and will soon arrive at your address.
Delivery Attempted	USPS tried to deliver your mail, but no one was available to accept it.
Delivered	Your mail has been successfully delivered to your address, and someone there has signed for it.

When Will My USPS Certified Mail Tracking Notifications be Updated?

Although there are no hard and fast guidelines regarding how frequently USPS Certified Mail tracking is updated, you should expect updates every day.

In actuality, a tracking update will be sent out each time your Certified Mail moves from one point to another.

This means that you can only receive updates when your Certified Mail is accepted by the post office and entered into the system when it leaves the post office and gets to the next USPS processing facility.

You will also get an update when it leaves that processing facility and gets to its final destination, which is usually the post office closest to the delivery address.

So, you can expect to get an update every 24 hours, or you can even get multiple updates.

However, there are instances when you won’t receive updates for a day or possibly even two, especially during periods of high mail volume like the holiday season.

USPS Certified Mail tracking gives you peace of mind as the sender.

You can even follow the delivery process in real-time. This will help keep your important documents and packages safe.