ORLANDO (3/26/01) The U.S. Postal Service announced today at the National Postal Forum that its traditional certified mail product is now available via the Internet. The Postal Service partnered with USCertifiedLetters (USCL) to add this new offering to a suite of hybrid electronic services (correspondence that originates in electronic form and is delivered as physical mail) designed to save customers time and money, and to reaffirm the relevancy of hard-copy mail as well. Customers can create a letter — whether it's just one or a thousand — and transmit the document electronically to the Postal Service via www.usps.com. The certified mail system, powered by USCertifiedLetters, verifies the mailing address, adds the appropriate barcode, prints and folds the letter, and automatically completes the certification forms with just a few clicks of a mouse. Certified mail, available for First-Class Mail or Priority Mail, provides a mailing receipt and a record of delivery, both of which is retained at the recipient's post office. A return receipt that provides the sender with proof of delivery can also be purchased for an additional fee. "The Postal Service is developing products and services that make conducting the business of life easier and more convenient for everyone," said Robert G. Krause, vice president, eCommerce. "With assistance from USCertifiedLetters, we're offering an efficient and effective service that dramatically simplifies the tedious task of manually completing certified mail forms." For First-Class letter mail, the pricing for this service ranges from $3.74 for Non-Return Receipt Certified Mail, and $5.20 for Return Receipt, to $8.40 for Return Receipt with Restricted Delivery. "Our goal and mission is to create a win-win environment for everyone involved — the Postal Service, USCL, and our customers," said Tom Carter, president and CEO of USCertifiedLetters. "Our intent is to remain on the cutting edge of technology, whether it be through existing services or creating new ones that will ultimately enhance the power of electronic commerce." Certified mail can be used whenever proof of delivery is necessary for such things as: collection for bad check recovery, legal documents, notifications, cancellations, applications, and proof of timely tax returns.