FedEx 2Day Now Available at LetterStream to Send Letters

For those of you who see us promoting FedEx letters on our website but can’t quite find the button to make it happen; we have great news! Most of you will now be able to send FedEx 2Day letters, with ease on our website.

What is FedEx 2Day?

FedEx 2Day is just one of the many FedEx fast delivery products that is offered. FedEx 2Day offers the speed, security, tracking and confidence that all FedEx products offer. It’s like an overnight letter that takes one extra day to get there.

LetterStream offers the standard FedEx 2Day letter option, which will get your letters or documents delivered by 5 P.M. the second business day from when you mail it. FedEx does offer a 2Day A.M. product, which we do not currently offer.

How Fast is FedEx 2Day?

FedEx 2Day is pretty quick. Like the name implies, it will take two (2) business days for your letter to arrive and will arrive by 5 P.M. to most destinations. Let’s break this down. If you combine the speed that LetterStream offers along with this FedEx product, then your letter will get there in no time.

If you were to load the documents to our website on Monday, then they will arrive at your intended destination by Wednesday. Keep in mind; no trips to the FedEx store, or post office, no scheduling pickup for your letter, no hassle of buying a FedEx envelope. Just the ease of sitting at your computer, uploading your document and easily sending it on its way.

FedEx envelope with FedEx letter to represent FedEx 2Day shipping.

Why Would I Choose FedEx 2Day?

FedEx 2Day is a great solution for sending a lot of different documents, since it’s not that much more expensive than Certified Mail, especially when you need to send a lot of documents to a specific location. Around 50, 8.5 in. x 11 in. documents, can be placed in a single FedEx 2Day envelope and be delivered for around $18.

FedEx gives you tracking information so you can see where your letter is at any moment. It provides you with proof of mailing and proof of delivery. Unlike other items with tracking, FedEx is dedicated to ensuring your letter reaches its destination. This allows them to achieve a much higher delivery rate than maybe some of their competitors, in our humble opinion.

What’s more, FedEx is a known and trusted brand for delivering on time, nearly every time. When a FedEx package arrives, you know it is something special, that it’s something important that you should embrace and open.

Some competing products that offer tracking don’t quite capture that same vibe. Think about it; have you ever received a letter with a green bar across the top and put it off because you might not want to know what is inside? FedEx generally doesn’t give people that same feeling. Wouldn’t you agree?

How Do I Send FedEx 2Day?

Oh yes, I nearly forgot. You are probably wondering, “how do you actually send a FedEx 2Day letter?”

Sending FedEx 2Day letters is an easy selection when you start to create your mailing on the LetterStream website. You simply click “To Send a Letter,” and you can choose from multiple options like First-Class, Certified Mail, and now FedEx 2Day.

Step-by-Step Process for FedEx 2Day

Backend of LetterStream portal where you create a job and choose send letters

Head to the homepage for www.LetterStream.com.
Log into your LetterStream account.
On the main dashboard page, select the button to “Send Letter(s).”
Name your job, select the address source and then, on the same page, choose the delivery method on the right hand side. There should be an option for FedEx 2Day to select.

LetterStream online portable that shows where you upload your job and how to choose the FedEx 2Day option

If by some chance you’re not seeing that seeing that option:

For security reasons the FedEx product is not available to users who have not been a customer for less than 90 days. It gets complicated but let’s just say we don’t want to block any users from finding this product, so if you have a legitimate need for the FedEx2Day option and you can’t seem to find it, reach out to our support team and we’ll get you taken care of.

When Will Overnight Options be Available?

The FedEx overnight option is currently available to a few select customers who meet our criteria. However, if you have the need to send more than 100 overnight letters per year, reach out to us and we may be able to qualify you for this added service.

To learn more about FedEx 2Day, click here.

Certified Mail – Return Receipt vs Electronic Return Receipt (ERR)

What is the difference between a Return Receipt and Electronic Return Receipt (ERR)?

Actually, let’s get more specific, shall we? What are the different types of Return Receipt for Certified Mail?

There are two different ways to get a Return Receipt through the United States Postal Service (USPS) for your Certified Mail. The first is the traditional green card, also known as PS Form 3811, which the Postal Service calls a Return Receipt.

The second method is an Electronic Return Receipt (ERR). No special forms are needed to purchase or take advantage of with ERR. An Electonic Return Receipt, simply put, is an electronic version of a Return Receipt.

Do I Need a Return Receipt?

Let’s back up just a bit and point out that you may not even need a Return Receipt for your Certified Letter. A simple Certified Letter without a Return Receipt will provide tracking on USPS.com or various other websites that have access to USPS tracking data, like LetterStream.com and www.OnlineCertifiedMail.com. So, if you just want to know the status of your letter, you may not need to spring for the additional expense of a Return Receipt.

The Return Receipt, however, does give you the added information of the name and signature of the person who received your letter. This provides you with a little extra information and might help you prove that someone actually saw your letter and took it into their hands.

Return Receipt Vs Electronic Return Receipt

So, back to the differences between Return Receipts. A Return Receipt, also known as a green card, is a green pre-printed postcard that you can pick up at your local post office and apply to the back of the Certified letter you are about to mail.

You will need to add your address to the green card or the address where you’d like the green card sent after the letter gets signed for. You’ll also want to put the tracking number from the Certified Mail barcode label (PS Form 3800) on the green card as well so you will know specifically which letter the green card relates to.

After paying the extra fees for Return Receipt and attaching the form to your letter, you are ready to give the letter to the USPS and let them do their part. When they deliver your Certified letter with Return Receipt included, they will have the person who gets your letter sign the green card.

The postal carrier will then take the green card back to the USPS and put it in the mail so it will be returned to the sender. If all goes well, you’ll have your green card back in no time (or maybe longer, just depends).

The process gets a bit simpler with Electronic Return Receipt. You simply tell the USPS cashier that you’d like to send your Certified Letter with ERR. No extra forms are required, but there is a charge for this service. The cashier will scan the Certified Mail barcode (PS Form 3800) that you’ve placed on your letter. This tracking number will appear on your USPS receipt along with the fees for Electronic Return Receipt. You will then be able to use this tracking number to check the status of your Certified letter.

Collecting a Signature

When the mail carrier delivers your Certified letter, they will collect a signature either on the green card or on their digital tracking pad. When they get back to their office, they will either scan it into their computer system or they will download the signatures from their digital tracking pad.

Once the signature is in their computer system, they will create an electronic document/letter providing details of the delivery. It will show the date the letter was delivered and include the signature of the person who received the letter. If you choose to send it as a Return Receipt, the green card will get mailed back to you. If Electronic Return Receipt is choosen, this document will not be mailed to you; however, you can go to USPS.com, enter the 20-digit tracking number from your receipt and request the signature via email when it is available.

If you choose to mail you Certified letter, either through LetterStream or OnlineCertifiedMail.com then you can access a copy of the Electronic Return Receipt right in your online portal.

Is There a Difference Legally?

Some people want to know if there is a difference in the legal authority of a green card compared to an ERR. Long ago the USPS claimed on their website that there was no legal difference, however, they soon discovered that they are not the judge of that. Instead, the ultimate authority belongs to the local judge who gets to determine whether they are the same or not.

From our experience, the Electronic Return Receipt is accepted by most judges. We haven’t heard even a rumor of a judge tossing out the ERR as valid proof of delivery. If in doubt, we suggest that you contact the local authorities and see if they can confirm that an ERR is just as binding as a green card.

To sum it up, Return Receipt and Electonic Return Receipt both provide the same value when it comes to the added information of the name and signature of the person receiving your Certificated letter. One actually just is a bit more convenient than the other.

What Does My Tracking Information Mean?

What Do Certified Mail Tracking Numbers Mean?

Using your LetterStream account you are able to track the entire process of your created Certified Mail – from job creation to successful delivery, and all other statuses in between.

Although we want nothing but the best for our customers, LetterStream cannot guarantee the success of a delivery or timeliness to your intended recipients since this is dependent upon the United States Postal Service (USPS). We do, however, offer real-time transit status and tracking information for each piece of Certified Mail, which provided directly from the USPS.

Here is a breakdown of the various status levels along the journey:

Mailed: Your Certified Mail piece has been printed, inserted into envelopes, and given to the USPS for processing and to attempt to be delivered. This begins the transit stage of your Certified Mail. Mailed pieces shouldn’t be confused with Delivered mail, as “mailed” simply means that your letter(s) are in the mail stream/system.

In Transit: Your Certified Mail is in the hands of the USPS. At this point, we are at the mercy of the USPS in regard to a successful delivery to the intended recipient.

Delivery Attempted: Delivery to the intended recipient has been attempted. The Post Office likely left a notice of attempted delivery for the recipient with instructions on how and where the item can be received.

Unclaimed By Recipient: After attempts of delivery had been unsuccessful, and the recipient does not make an attempt to receive the item, the status is changed to “Unclaimed By Recipient.”

Refused By Recipient: If the intended recipient refuses to accept and/or sign for the mail piece, the status is changed to “Refused By Recipient” and is returned to the sender.

Returned To Sender: In the event the mail piece is undeliverable due to a bad address, the recipient is no longer at the address, etc., then the status is changed to “Returned To Sender.”

Delivered: Your Certified Mail was successfully delivered to the recipient, and a signature was acquired. Once this status is achieved and the USPS gives you access to the electronic signature file, you can view the signature by clicking the “View” link to the right of the status indicators for each recipient.

You will also see 3 status boxes next to each recipient within your LetterStream account. These are color-coded by status.

See below for the color that represents the corresponding status:

White – No action has occurred, or the Post Office has not updated the tracking information

Lime Green – Recent status updated successfully

Light Yellow – Unclaimed/Business Closed

Orange – Out for Delivery/Attempted

Violet – Forwarded

Pink – Returned to Sender

Dark Green – Returned (2nd box will be pink)

Red – Refused (2nd box will be pink)

These rules are applied to the tracking status bar at the top of the page as well.

Never be out of the loop along the journey.

Proposed USPS Price Updates For July, 2023

proposed_usps_postage_rate_increase_july_2023 The USPS (United States Postal Service) has submitted new price requests to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), and the new rates will go into effect on July 9th, 2023. These rates are still under review, but the USPS typically gets what they ask for.

In similar fashion to the last postage increase, the price of a first-class stamp will be raised by three cents again. Below are the other notable changes that will have an impact on some of the other products LetterStream has to offer:

First Class Letters (1 oz.) are going up, from $.63 up to $.66 cents
First Class Flats are going up, from $1.26 to $1.35
Certified Mail is going up, from $4.15 to $4.35
Certified ERR is going up, from $2.10 to $2.20
International Letters (1 oz.) are going up, from $1.45 up to $1.50
Domestic Postcards are going from $.48 up, to $.51
International Postcards are going from $1.45 up, to $1.50
Extra Ounces staying at $.24
Registered Mail is going up, from $24.35 to $25.90

If you’re looking for an electronic way to send your statements, we provide an email delivery service (eDoc Delivery), which allows you to send your documents via email directly through your LetterStream account. This can be done in place of real mail or in addition to your real mail. Click here for more information.

For more information regarding this price increase, visit the USPS website or download the complete list of July 2023 USPS rate changes.

Visit our website for more information about LetterStream and how to send your mail online without ever touching a piece of paper.

Pro tip:  if you want to get the old pricing but don’t want your mailing to go out before July 10th, you can always use our schedule job option to schedule your job to be mailed on a future date!

USPS Pricing Updates – January 2023

usps_january_2023_postage_price_update

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has approved the January 2023 price increase for a number of products and services that the USPS offers, and the new rates will go into effect on Sunday, January 22, 2023.

The price of a first-class stamp will be raised by three cents. Below are the other notable changes that will have an impact on some of the products LetterStream has to offer:

First Class postage is going up 3 cents; from .60 to .63
Certified mail is going up 15 cents; from 4.00 to 4.15
Certified ERR (Electronic Return Receipt) is going up 10 cents; from 2.00 to 2.10
First Class flats are going up 6 cents; from 1.20 to 1.26
Postcards are going up 4 cents; from .44 to .48
Extra Ounces (Letters) are going up 4 cents; from .20 to .24
International postage is going up 5 cents; from 1.40 to 1.45
Registered mail is going up .80; from 18.25 to 19.05
Standard/Marketing mail is going up 4 cents; from .26 to .30

If you’re looking for an electronic way to send your statements, we provide an email delivery service (eDoc Delivery), which allows you to send your documents via email – directly through your LetterStream account. This can be done in place of, or in addition to, your real mail. Click here for more information.

For more information regarding this price increase, visit the USPS website or download the complete list of January 2023 USPS rate changes.

Visit our website for more information about LetterStream and how to send your mail online without ever touching a piece of paper.

USPS Raises Postage Rates Twice in 2022

usps_july_2022_postage_price_update

For the second year in a row, the US Postal Service is raising their prices twice within a single year.

The USPS traditionally issues a price update annually (at the beginning of each year). However, moving forward they will implement price updates on a semi-annual basis (in January and July), starting in 2022.

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has approved the 2022 mid-year price increase for a number of products and services that the USPS offers, and the new rates will go into effect at Midnight on Sunday, July 10, 2022.

The price of a first-class stamp will be raised by two cents. Below are the other notable changes that will have an impact on some of the products LetterStream has to offer:

First Class postage is going up 2 cents; from .58 to .60
Certified mail is going up 25 cents; from 3.75 to 4.00
Certified ERR (Electronic Return Receipt) is going up 15 cents; from 1.85 to 2.00
First Class flats are going up 4 cents; from 1.20 to 1.24
Postcards are going up 4 cents; from .40 to .44
Extra Ounces (Letters) are staying the same at 20 cents
Extra Ounces (Flats) are going up 4 cents; from .20 to .24
International postage is going up 10 cents; from 1.30 to 1.40
Registered mail is going up 1.10; from 17.15 to 18.25
Standard/Marketing mail is going up 2 cents; from .24 to .26

For those who rely on LetterStream as their valued print and mail partner, the new rates will go into effect at 4pm the last business day before the USPS implements their new prices (July 8th, 2022).  This is because orders that are received after 4pm Pacific Time will not be mailed until the new rates are in effect on Monday.

For more information regarding this price increase, visit the USPS website or download the complete list of August 2022 USPS rate changes.

Visit our website for more information about LetterStream and how to send your mail online without ever touching a piece of paper.

USPS Raises Postage Rates Twice In 2021

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For the first time in 20 years, the US Postal Service is raising their prices twice within a single year.

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has approved a mid-year price increase for a number of products and services that the USPS offers. The new rates will go into effect at Midnight on Sunday, August 29, 2021.

Below are some of the notable changes impacting letters, postcards and certified mail:

First Class stamps are going up 3 cents; from $.55 to $.58
Certified mail fees are going up 15 cents; from $3.60 to $3.75
Electronic Return Receipt for Certified letters is going up 10 cents; from $1.75 to $1.85
Flats (large envelopes) are going up 16 cents; from $1.00 to $1.16
Postcards are going up 4 cents; from $.36 to $.40
International postage is going up 10 cents; from $1.20 to $1.30
Extra ounces are staying the same at $.20 per extra ounce (for letters and flats)

For individuals and businesses who rely on LetterStream as their valued print and mail partner, the new rates will go into effect at 4pm the last business day before the USPS implements their new prices. This is because orders received after 4pm Pacific Time will not mail until the new rates are in effect on Monday.

As a reminder, LetterStream rarely raises our prices. We simply increase our prices by the amount of the annual (in this case, semi-annual) USPS rate increases.

For more information regarding this price increase, visit the USPS website or download the complete list of August 2021 USPS rate changes.

Visit our website for more information about LetterStream and how to send your mail online without ever touching a piece of paper.

Pro tip: if you want to get the old pricing but don’t want your mailing to go out before August 30th, you can always use our schedule job option to schedule your job to be mailed on a future date!

USPS Postage Rates 2021

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The proposed price changes that the United States Postal Service (USPS) filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on October 9th were approved. Starting on January 24th, 2021, these new USPS prices officially went into effect.

The good news is that there wasn’t an increase in cost for First-Class Mail postage, but there was an increase in some other products. Here’s the list of some items that were unchanged by the 2021 rates:

First-Class stamps staying at $0.55
International Rates are staying the same at $1.20
Registered Mail staying the same at $12.60

Here’s the list of some items that did see an increase:

Certified mail fee went up from $3.55 to $3.60
Electronic Return Receipt fee went up from $1.70 to $1.75
Extra Ounces went up from $0.15 per ounce to $.20 per ounce
First-Class Postcard Rate went up from $0.35 to $.36

Sorry, this year we didn’t find any fees that went down for the products that we offer.

We should remind you that LetterStream rarely raises our prices. We simply modify our prices according to the USPS rate changes each year, and you can expect the same this year as well.

Review the USPS press release for January 2021 USPS postage rates.
Review and download the complete list of January 2021 USPS rate changes.

COVID-19 & Holiday Mail Delivery

LetterStream blog
It has been a while since our last COVID-19 update, but that’s because nothing much has changed in our protocols or a capability to process mail. Our systems remain strong despite large increases in web traffic and our team remains healthy because of the many safety measures that we’ve been operating under.

We do have some concerns however about how the United States Postal Service will keep up with the increase in mail volume this December. There are large increases in package deliveries this year as shoppers avoid stores and shop online due to the Cornavirus. These packages will take up truck and delivery vehicle space and may limit the amount of mail or the speed at which mail can be delivered. We are already seeing our inbound freight shipments being delayed. That said, we encourage all our customers to send mail early this year for timely delivery.

While not promoted heavily on our website, we do offer electronic delivery of documents in the event you have email addresses for your recipients. If interested, please contact our support staff or your sales representative.

Coronavirus Update March 25, 2020 – Mailing Continues

LetterStream continues to print and mail your critical business correspondence.

Arizona, home of LetterStream, Inc., has yet to implement a shelter in place order but even if they do so, both the State and Federal language around Essential Services should allow us to remain operational for the foreseeable future.

Governor Doug Ducey issued an Executive Order on March 23, 2020 which classifies mail and shipping businesses as Essential Services. A similar order came from the US Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on March 19, 2020 stating that “Postal and shipping workers, to include private companies” are a part of the Essential Critical Infrastructure. That said, we believe we will continue to process your mail even if conditions worsen across the country.

Additionally we are taking extreme steps to make sure our workforce is practicing CDC recommendations as well as embracing preventive measures as quickly as we implement them.

To improve Social Distancing we have taken three key actions. First, we have asked that all administrative employees to work from home. Secondly we have extended our normal operating hours allowing fewer people to be working at any one time. And finally we have temporarily suspended the use of our Express Letter job type (click to learn more – Express Letter Temporarily Unavailable ). Each of these actions along with the commitment of all the amazing LetterStream team members should keep us positioned to get your mail out.

Thank you for your continued support of our business and for trusting us with your critical mail.