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Home > Guides > Tracking vs. delivery confirmation vs. proof of delivery
Tracking shows where your letter was scanned on its journey; delivery confirmation shows that it reached the address; proof of delivery ties the delivery to a person: usually with a signature. They are three different things, and only the last one can tell you who actually received your letter. This is general information, not legal advice.
| Tracking | Delivery confirmation | Proof of delivery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | A series of scans: accepted, in transit, out for delivery, delivered. | A single scan at the point of delivery, confirming arrival at the address. | A record tied to a person: typically a signature, or a postal record of who signed for it. |
| What it proves | The letter moved through the postal system and arrived somewhere. | The letter arrived at the delivery address. | A specific person accepted the letter. |
| What it does not prove | That it was delivered at all: a letter can stall after its last scan. | Who picked it up: a roommate, a neighbour, or a porch thief could have it. | That the signer read or agreed with the contents. |
| How you get it | Included with most tracked mail products; the barcode on the envelope is scanned at each handling point. | In recent years USPS has folded standalone "delivery confirmation" into its tracking service: the delivered scan is the confirmation. | Choose a service that captures a signature: US certified mail in the US, registered mail in Canada. |
Less than it sounds. "Out for delivery" means the letter was loaded onto the carrier's truck that morning: not that it is at the door. The delivered scan that follows is the carrier's handheld scanner recording the drop, often after the letter lands in a mailbox or mail slot. Neither scan identifies who was home. If your whole case depends on a particular person having the letter in their hands, tracking alone will not get you there.
Because the postal system's job ends at the address, not at the person. A delivery scan records that a letter was left at 123 Main Street: it says nothing about whether the addressee, their spouse, their roommate, or a passerby picked it up. Proof of delivery closes that gap by attaching a human to the event: someone signs, and the carrier keeps a record of the signature. That is the practical difference between "it arrived" and "they got it."
Both tracking and proof of delivery. The registered option (US certified mail for American addresses, Canada registered mail for Canadian addresses) adds scan-based tracking through the postal network and a signature-backed delivery record. That is why it is the standard choice for demand letters, contract notices, and anything where you may later need to show a specific person received it. Your assistant can check the tracking and delivery status of a registered letter any time.
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.
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