GLOSSARY
Return receipt
By Justin Winter · Updated August 28, 2026
A USPS add-on that sends the sender a copy of the recipient’s signature as proof the piece was delivered and to whom.
A return receipt is bought alongside Certified, Registered, or insured mail. It comes in two forms: the paper green card (PS Form 3811), which is physically signed at delivery and mailed back to you, and the electronic return receipt, which arrives as a PDF containing the signature image.
The distinction that matters: Certified Mail on its own proves you mailed something and shows a delivery scan. Only the return receipt gives you the signature of whoever accepted it.
See also
- Electronic Return Receipt — The digital version of the return receipt: instead of a green card in the mail, you get a PDF with the recipient’s signature image.
- PS Form 3811 — The paper return receipt — the "green card" that is signed at delivery and mailed back to the sender.
- Certified Mail — A USPS extra service that adds a dated mailing receipt and delivery tracking to a letter, with the delivery record kept by USPS.
- Restricted Delivery — A USPS extra service that limits delivery to the addressee, or to someone the addressee has authorised in writing.
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