What is Certified Mail?
By Justin Winter · Updated August 22, 2026
The short answer
Certified Mail is a USPS service that gives your letter a tracking number and a mailing receipt as proof it was sent, then records delivery — with an optional electronic Return Receipt that adds the recipient's signature and delivery time as a standalone proof-of-delivery document.
"Certified Mail" gets used loosely to mean "mail with proof," but it is a specific USPS service level, distinct from ordinary First-Class mail and from Registered Mail. Here is what it actually includes.
What you get
- A tracking number, scanned at each step from acceptance to delivery.
- A mailing receipt — USPS's formal record that you sent it, and when.
- Optionally, an electronic Return Receipt: the recipient's signature and exact delivery time, as its own document.
What it does not include
Certified Mail is not insurance — it does not cover the value of the contents if lost. It also does not speed up delivery; it travels at First-Class speed (typically 3–5 business days), it just proves what happened along the way.
How Certified compares
| Service | Best for |
|---|---|
| First-Class | Routine mail where proof does not matter. |
| Certified | Legal notices, demands, and correspondence where proof of mailing/delivery matters. |
| Registered | Physically valuable items needing maximum security and insurance. |
| Priority | Faster delivery (1–3 days) when proof is not the point. |
Read more: certified mail cost, broken down, how tracking works, Certified vs. Registered Mail, or what counts as proof of mailing.
Keep reading
Questions before you send
Why not go to the post office myself?
You can, and if your time is free it costs less. USPS charges the same fees whoever hands the letter over; paperplane does not replace the post office, it replaces the trip. The mailing record comes from USPS, not from us. $12.99 covers the printing, the envelope, PS Form 3800, a USPS address check before you pay and a handoff the next business day. For a letter you already know how to send, the counter is a fine choice.
Are other online services cheaper for Certified Mail?
Some are. Label services cost less if you own a printer and will mail the envelope yourself. paperplane is for when you want it done: no account, no printer, the exact pages previewed free, your address checked with USPS before you pay, and one all-in price. The certified mail services comparison has the table.
If something goes wrong, do I pay?
If we cannot mail the letter, the hold on your card is released and you are not charged. If a letter fails after your card is charged, you are refunded automatically and in full.
Is Certified Mail the same as tracked mail?
They overlap but are not the same thing. Tracking tells you where a piece is; Certified Mail is a specific USPS service level that also produces a formal USPS mailing record, the standard choice when the mailing date matters.
Certified Mail vs. Registered Mail — what is the difference?
Certified Mail proves a letter was mailed and tracks it to delivery — built for documents. Registered Mail is USPS's highest-security service, built for valuables: it is handled individually, insured up to $50,000, and moves slower because of the extra chain-of-custody handling. For letters and legal notices, Certified is the standard choice; Registered is overkill unless you are mailing something physically valuable.
When do I actually need Certified Mail instead of regular mail?
Whenever you need to prove something was sent and received: security deposit demands, IRS correspondence, legal notices, insurance appeals, and lease-related notices. If proof does not matter — a routine letter, an invoice, a note — First-Class is enough.
How much does it cost?
At USPS retail counters: $6.37 to $9.28 in USPS fees alone, depending on whether you add the electronic Return Receipt, before printing and an envelope. paperplane bundles all of that (printing, envelope, postage, fees) into one price: $12.99 Certified, $14.99 with electronic Return Receipt.