Hello Al!
Thanks for your questions!
The USPS handles electronically-filed Certified Mail and the traditional Certified Mail essentially the same from an acceptance, i.e., round-stamp and delivery/signature capture perspective. The fee is the same as well.
Electronically-filed Certified Mail is different than electronic Return Receipt. Certified Mail provides optional proof of mailing if the mailer has the mailpiece round-stamped by the postal clerk at the post office. Certified Mail provides delivery status information. It is the Return Receipt, when combined with Certified Mail service, that provides a signature of the recipient to the mail owner.
The electronic Return Receipt, while the USPS considers it the "equivalent" of the the traditional "green card" Return Receipt is a bit different. For starters, eRR is $1.20 less in cost than the "green card" RR. Mailers need not fill out a form/label for RR when they are requesting eRR. With eRR, the signature files are made available to the mail owner electronically, in .PDF format; no "card" is returned to the mailer via the mail.
Many mailers find the eRR not only more cost-effective, but also more efficient from a processing and filing perspective. Electronic files are available from the USPS and also via Pitney Bowes solutions, such as on MyAccount at pb.com.
As mentioned, while the USPS considers the eRR the "equivalent" of the "green card" Return Receipt, they make no claims relative to its legality. That is up to the user and the court systems. Some court systems, like the Ohio Court System, widely use eRR's; other entities have not yet embraced eRR.
Something that mailers might consider as they determine the use of eRR is this... the peach form PS 3849 is used for signature capture of USPS "accountable mail" such as Certified Mail, Express Mail, Signature Confirmation. It is used to provide a mailer with delivery information for the Return Receipt after Mailing option. If a business or organization is comfortable in the use of signature information from the services just noted, perhaps they will feel comfortable in eRR, as the same peach form, PS 3849 is used.
Thanks so much for participating in our Forum! Please join again... and let me know if you have additional questions!
Kind regards,
Elizabeth
