Product Development

Understanding Certificate of Mailing Options

A certificate of mailing provides evidence that a mailer presented a specific mailpiece or group of mailpieces to the Postal Service™ for mailing. This service does not provide a record of delivery. Certificate of mailing service can be combined with special handling service (providing preferential handling for fragile or perishable items), Parcel Return Service (PRS), and parcel airlift service (PAL) (air service for Parcel Post^® packages sent to or from a mil­itary base outside the 48 contiguous states).

The Postal Service offers three certificate of mailing options, each requiring its own Postal Service form, its own acceptance process, and its own fees. One option pro­vides “evidence of the total quantity of pieces presented” in an identical-weight piece mailing with postage affixed, and the other two options provide “evidence of individual pieces presented.”

PS Form 3606, Certificate of Bulk Mailing, is used for bulk quantities of identical weight First-Class Mail^® (including Priority Mail^®), Standard Mail^®, and Pack­age Services pieces with postage affixed. This option requires the mailer to present the mail and PS Form 3606 showing the total number of pieces mailed. The Postal Ser­vice employee who accepts the mail must weigh the mail­ing and divide by the weight per piece to verify the number of pieces claimed. Certificate of bulk mailing service cannot be used for a bulk mailing paid by permit imprint or for non­identical-weight pieces. This option records only the num­ber of pieces presented. It does not provide evidence that a particular piece was mailed to a particular address. Fees are paid by affixing stamps or metered postage to PS Form 3606. Ensure the following:

• The mailer completes the top portion of PS Form 3606 and affixes meter postage or uncanceled postage stamps in the space provided to pay the fee.
• The employee accepting the mail and verifying the piece count date stamps/cancels the postage stamps or date stamps in the area of the meter post­age, and then signs on the line above “Postmaster or Designee.”
• The employee returns the form to the mailer as a receipt for evidence of mailing.

PS Form 3817, Certificate of Mailing, provides evidence of mailing for individual single-piece First-Class Mail (including Priority Mail) and Package Services mail. The fee is paid by affixing uncanceled or precanceled stamps or meter postage on PS Form 3817 under “To pay fee, affix stamps or meter postage here.” Ensure the following:

• The mailer enters the return address in the “From” section and the addressee information in the “To” section using a typewriter or pen.
• The employee date stamps PS Form 3817 under “Postmark Here” and returns the form to the mailer as a receipt for evidence of mailing.

PS Form 3877, Firm Mailing Book for Accountable Mail, is presented when requesting evidence of mailing if three or more mailpieces are presented at one time. It lists the name and address on each mailpiece presented. Mailers using PS Form 3877 with a permit imprint mailing have the option to pay certificate of mailing fees with permit imprint. If a permit imprint postage method is not used, the fee is paid by affixing ordinary stamps, precanceled stamps, or metered stamps to the PS Form 3877. Ensure the following:

• The mailer either (a) presents the pieces in the same order as shown on the list or (b) consecutively num­bers each entry and lightly numbers each piece to show the corresponding sheet and line number.
• The employee who accepts the mail conducts a sam­pling to verify the listing’s accuracy.
• The mailer and employee initial any alterations made to PS Form 3877.
• The employee date stamps each sheet of PS Form 3877 or approved facsimile PS Form 3877.
• The employee returns the form to the mailer as a receipt for evidence of mailing.

Information on certificate of mailing service can be found in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM^®) 503.5, in Postal Operations Manual (POM) 82, and at usps.com by search­ing for “certificate of mailing.”

— Value Added and Special Services, Product Development, 5-10-07