LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Home > Guides > Tracked vs registered
Tracked mail (like Xpresspost) gives you speed plus end-to-end scans so you can watch it move. Registered Mail is a separate secure chain: it needs a signature on delivery and includes coverage for loss, which makes it the right pick when the letter itself is the proof, like a legal notice. Pick speed or pick proof.
| Tracked (Xpresspost, Expedited) | Registered Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Faster parcel/letter services with full tracking scans | A separate secure chain of custody with signature on delivery |
| Signature | Signature is an add-on, not the default | Required: the recipient (or someone at the address) must sign |
| Coverage for loss | Included up to the service's standard limit | Included; higher declared values available |
| Proof value | Proves it moved through the network and was delivered | Proves a specific person signed for it, which courts and contracts respect most |
| Speed | The fast option | Travels at regular lettermail pace through a separate secure stream |
When time matters and nobody needs to prove a signature happened. Sending a time-sensitive offer letter, a contract that just needs to arrive fast, or anything where watching the scans gives you peace of mind: tracked is the call. Xpresspost is the premium tracked tier for documents; Expedited is the workhorse for parcels. Both beat registered on speed, and for most everyday purposes the delivery scan is proof enough.
When the letter itself is the evidence. Legal notices, demand letters, anything where a future dispute might turn on "did they receive it": registered mail's signature record is the strongest paper trail Canada Post sells. The recipient has to sign and show identification, and the chain of custody is logged at every handoff, not just scanned at facilities. If the recipient isn't home, the item waits at the post office for pickup instead of being left at the door, which is slower but far more defensible.
Here's the part people forget: both services can require the recipient to do something. Registered mail always needs a signature, so if nobody is home during delivery hours, the letter sits at the post office until it's picked up. Tracked items with signature add-ons behave the same way. If your recipient is rarely home, or the address is a business closed on weekends, warn them it's coming: an unclaimed item eventually comes back to you, and the return trip is slow. Registered mail is proof, not magic; it still needs a human on the other end.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it's printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com