How much is Certified Mail with a return receipt?
$9.28 at the post office for a one-ounce letter with the electronic return receipt, or $11.02 with the physical green card, under the USPS rates effective July 12, 2026. Both totals stack the same two pieces under the receipt: $0.82 in First-Class postage and the $5.55 Certified Mail fee. Here is what each receipt option buys, and when a legal notice actually needs one.
The USPS fees, piece by piece
- First-Class postage, one ounce$0.82The letter itself; each extra ounce adds postage
- Certified Mail fee$5.55Required under any return receipt: the tracking and proof
- Electronic return receipt$2.91The recipient signature, delivered as a PDF
- Return receipt, physical green card$4.65The same signature on a postcard mailed back to you
These are USPS's own counter prices from the current Notice 123 price list, not MatterSnail's. For the certified fees without a receipt, read the guide on what Certified Mail costs.
Two receipts, one signature
The return receipt exists in two forms, and both capture the same USPS record: who signed for the letter, and when. The difference is how that record reaches you.
Electronic: $9.28 total
Postage, the certified fee, and the $2.91 electronic receipt. The signature arrives as a PDF that files directly into the matter.
Green card: $11.02 total
Postage, the certified fee, and the $4.65 green card (PS Form 3811), addressed by hand and mailed back to your office after delivery.
When a notice actually needs the receipt
Certified Mail alone proves the letter was mailed and delivered; the receipt adds the signature. When a statute or contract says "certified mail, return receipt requested", the receipt is part of the requirement, not a nicety. When the requirement is only proof of mailing or of delivery, the certified service by itself usually satisfies it, and the receipt fee is optional insurance.
Sent through MatterSnail, the electronic return receipt replaces the green card: no postcard to address on both sides, no return trip for it to survive, and the signature lands with the mailing's tracking history. Every mailing is itemized line by line before you submit.
Common questions
How much is Certified Mail with a return receipt in 2026?
At the post office, $9.28 for a one-ounce letter with the electronic return receipt: $0.82 First-Class postage, the $5.55 Certified Mail fee, and the $2.91 electronic return receipt fee, under the USPS rates effective July 12, 2026. The physical green card costs $4.65 instead of $2.91, bringing the total to $11.02.
What is the difference between the electronic return receipt and the green card?
Both capture the same USPS record of the delivery signature. The green card (PS Form 3811) is a postcard you address by hand and USPS mails back to you after delivery; the electronic return receipt is the same signature delivered as a PDF. The electronic version is cheaper, cannot get lost on the return trip, and files directly into the matter.
Is the return receipt fee separate from the Certified Mail fee?
Yes. The $5.55 Certified Mail fee buys the tracking number, acceptance scan, and delivery record. The return receipt is an optional add-on on top of it: $2.91 electronically or $4.65 for the green card. You cannot buy a return receipt without the certified (or another qualifying) service under it.
Do I need a return receipt with Certified Mail?
Certified Mail alone already proves the letter was mailed and delivered. The return receipt adds who signed for it. Many statutes and contracts call for "certified mail, return receipt requested" by name, in which case the receipt is part of compliance; when the requirement is only proof of mailing or delivery, certified alone is usually enough.
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