Does USPS First Class Mail Have Tracking?

The USPS delivers more than 50 million First-Class Mail items every year. Yes, that’s the news! Individuals and businesses use USPS services to send envelopes and packages even in today’s digital age.

You can send anything from crucial documents to marketing collateral smoothly through the USPS. Also, its services are fast and affordable, which makes USPS one of the leading postal organizations worldwide.

There are many mailing options available for you, like Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, etc., but First-Class Mail is the basic one.

Most people refer to First-Class Mail as regular mail as it is the default USPS service.

But, they might still not know everything about First-Class Mail and have some doubts, like:

• Does First-Class Mail have tracking?
• How many days does First-Class Mail take to arrive?

In this blog, we will discuss how to track First-Class Mail so that you can view the delivery status of your sent mail any time you want.

Also Read: Bulk Or Mass Mailing Services

Let’s dive in!

First-Class Mail and Package services help you mail your targeted audience at the lowest USPS rates. You can buy Forever stamps at only $0.63 per piece, which lets you send postcards and letters weighing up to 1 oz. 

The best part is that Forever stamps never expire. Hence, you can buy them now and use them forever, even when the prices increase. Thus, many individuals and businesses stock them in advance.

The postage for First-Class Package services starts at $4.75. You can use this service to send items weighing up to 13 oz. 

You can add tracking to First-Class Mail using paid add-ons. But it can add to your costs. 

Hence, please add this feature only when you send critical mailers or documents with sensitive information. 

Or use PostGrid’s direct mail automation software to save on printing and shipping expenses. It enables you to conduct mailing campaigns online and cut manual effort at the lowest rates. 

You can use PostGrid to send First-Class Mail that offers the following features: 

• Prices based on shape and weight: You can use First-Class Mail for letters, postcards, and large envelopes. The rates differ depending on whether your items are rectangular or square-shaped and if they fit the USPS size dimensions.
• $5,000 insurance: You can claim coverage of up to $5,000 in case of loss or damage to merchandise. It helps you protect your items and reduce the financial burden of losing them. 
• Get a single price for items that weigh up to 3.5 oz: Ship items weighing up to 3.5 oz at the same commercial rates for postcards and letters. Thus, sending these mailers is affordable via the First-Class Mail option, even when you conduct mass mailings. 
• Delivery within one to five days: The Post Office ships your envelopes and postcards within one to five business days. Packages take between two and five days to arrive. 

You can add tracking to First-Class Mail to check whether USPS fulfills deliveries in the specified time frames. 

USPS offers tracking on several mailing classes like Priority Mail and First-Class Package Service. It helps mailers access the delivery status of their sent items.

They can get the tracking number at the time of posting their mailpieces. There is no need to pay anything extra as tracking is included in the postage of these services.

You can enter the tracking number on the USPS website and view the current location of your items. Other details like attempted delivery, date, time, etc., are also available for you to check.

Please remember that USPS tracking does not guarantee or expedite your mail delivery. It only acts as a way for mailers to view their mailpieces as they move through the USPS system.

Moreover, the USPS also enables mailers to track international mail sent via most mailing classes. You can understand all the features of the USPS services in advance to check which of them includes tracking.

So, does First-Class Package have tracking?

Fortunately, yes, you can track parcels sent via First-Class Mail Package Service. But, there is no way to track postcards, letters, and flats.

Read More: Address Verification Process | Find Out If An Address Exists – PostGrid

As said above, there is no USPS First-Class Mail tracking available for small-sized items like postcards, letters, and flats. The USPS machines that read these mailpieces cannot capture barcode information.

But, why does the USPS not offer First-Class tracking for these items but does so for packages?

The correct answer to the above question is postage. First-Class Mail is the standard USPS mailing option, and thousands of people use it because it is affordable.

Hundreds of First-Class Mail items are sent out every week, making it difficult for the USPS to keep tabs on every mailpiece.

The cost of implementing a system to track all First-Class Mail items can increase postage rates significantly. Also, not every person needs tracking information on all their sent mail.

Thus, there is no tracking for First-Class Mail to keep costs low and speed up deliveries.

Yet, some mailers would need to confirm if their mail items are delivered to their destination. Luckily, there are several USPS special or add-on services that allow them to do that!

First-Class Mail letter tracking is possible by using USPS services that give you proof of mailing and delivery. We have listed some of these services for you below:

Certified Mail

It is the most popular option that mailers use to get tracking on First-Class Mail.

Certified Mail gives you a mailing receipt (PS form 3800) and electronic verification that your item was delivered or delivery was attempted.

The mailing receipt has a First-Class USPS tracking number. You can visit the USPS website at any time and view the delivery status of your mailpiece.

Another helpful feature that Certified Mail offers is a record of delivery. The USPS captures the recipient’s signature at the time of delivery and stores it for up to two years.

You can opt for a Return Receipt or green card at the time of mailing by paying an extra fee. After delivery, this receipt is mailed back to you with the recipient’s signature.

Also Read: Best Direct Mail Marketing Companies

For added security, you can combine Certified Mail with some additional services, like:

• Restricted Delivery: This service directs the USPS workers to deliver your Certified Mail to only the addressed recipient.
• Adult Signature Required: You may direct the USPS delivery to only an adult (21 years or older).
• Adult Signature Restricted Delivery: You can limit delivery to only an adult addressee using this service.

Hence, you no longer need to think- can First-Class Mail be tracked? Certified Mail costs $3.75 for every item you send, but it assures accurate mail delivery offering peace of mind to mailers.

Registered Mail

Registered Mail is yet another option that allows you to track First-Class Mail USPS.

You can combine Registered Mail with the following mailing classes:

• First-Class Mail
• First-Class Mail Package Service
• Priority Mail

There is already USPS First-Class Package tracking available, which might make you wonder why you need Registered Mail.

Well, Registered Mail is the safest way to mail something through USPS. Also, it offers insurance coverage of up to $50,000.

Registered Mail is an excellent way to add tracking to First-Class Mail. It enables you to view the delivery information or the current status of your items.

Quick Read: How to Speed Up Direct Mail Delivery? 

Signature Confirmation

Signature Confirmation also helps mailers get US postage First-Class tracking. Under this service, your mail recipient is asked to show a valid ID to prove that they are the actual addressee before handing them your mailpiece.

Informed Delivery

All the above add-ons are for the sender and may not necessarily benefit the recipient. Unless the sender contacts the recipient beforehand and provides the tracking number, there is no way for them to know about incoming mail.

Thus, the USPS introduced the Informed Delivery service for recipients. They can sign up for free and get incoming mail notifications.

Informed Delivery cannot be considered 1st Class Mail tracking, but it is helpful for the recipient to know that an item is on its way to them.

If your recipients use Informed Delivery, you can directly ask them for the mail status.

All the above options to get First-Class Mail with tracking can increase your costs, so it is advisable to use them only when needed.

Also Read: First-Class Mail International

Continued to this section: How Do I Track First-Class Mail?

Priority Mail

Priority Mail is one of the best USPS services to help you send trackable mailers. If you don’t want to pay extra to add tracking to First-Class Mail, use this option to know your item’s delivery status. 

Priority Mail lets you ship items within one to three business days. Hence, it is apt for sending urgent documents or marketing mailers with time-sensitive offers. You may also use it when sending items with sensitive information, like tax documents, statements, invoices, and checks. 

You can check the delivery estimates for the city and state you want to ship to. 

Priority Mail is also better than First-Class Mail for some companies because it lets you ship up to 70 lbs. You may use it to send your packages to any state within the US at flat-rate pricing. 

It means you only pay for the weight of your packages, irrespective of the shipping distance. 

Also, you can buy pre-paid Priority Mail boxes and envelopes to ship your items conveniently. 

Here are more features that Priority Mail offers: 

• Free pickup: You can request the Post Office to provide free package pickups from your office or home for shipping. It makes the mailing process time-saving and efficient. 
• USPS tracking: Use Priority Mail to get free USPS tracking instead of adding this feature to your First-Class Mail items. It lets you see as your mailers move through the USPS network and stay notified about their delivery updates. 
• $100 insurance for almost all shipments: USPS offers $100 insurance coverage to protect your mailers against losses, damage, and misplacement. 
• Free Saturday, rural, and residential deliveries: You don’t need to pay surcharges for Saturday deliveries, which means your items can arrive faster. The postal carrier doesn’t need to wait until Monday to drop off your items at your recipients’ delivery addresses. Also, you don’t pay extra for deliveries to rural and residential areas. 

Priority Mail Express

Priority Mail Express offers a next-day to 2-day delivery guarantee. So you can claim a refund if your items don’t arrive at your intended recipients’ addresses by 6 pm on the next working day. 

You can avail yourself of this service 24 x 7 on all days of the year. 

This option lets you send packages weighing up to 70 lbs to any city or state at flat-rate pricing. The prices start at $28.75. 

You don’t need to add tracking to your Priority Mail Express shipments. 

The price includes free USPS tracking to inform you where your items are throughout delivery. 

Most Priority Mail Express features are similar to Priority Mail. But it also enables you to get holiday and Sunday delivery for an added fee. 

Also, the postage includes a signature on delivery if you request it at the time of purchase.

Also Read: What Is the Difference Between First Class and Standard Mail?

Is USPS First-Class Mail Tracked Automatically?

Many believe all mailers they send via USPS are automatically tracked, including First-Class Mail. But it is untrue!

Only First-Class Packages have the automatically tracked feature. 

First-Class Mail does not offer free tracking under any circumstances. 

Also, you need to get the receipt from the Post Office to get your tracking numbers. Senders who attach postage stamps and labels to their mailers and drop them in mailboxes may not get this benefit. 

Hence, even the automatically tracked items are only trackable when you visit the Post Office and drop off your items at the counter. 

If you want to avoid this legwork, use PostGrid’s direct mail marketing services. It allows you to track your items in real-time via your dashboard. You don’t need to manually affix stamps, presort items, or visit the postal outlet to get the tracking feature. 

Select the USPS delivery option you want to use when creating print and mail tasks on our platform. Then, track the progress whenever needed. 

Also, you can access timely reports and analytics to check your campaign’s performance. 

How Much Is the First-Class Mail With Tracking Cost?

First-Class Mail is an affordable mailing service that helps individuals and companies mail easily. It does not offer USPS tracking on most items, but you can pay a little more and add it to your service.

So, how much is tracking for First-Class Mail?

You get free USPS tracking if you send packages, irrespective of your mail destination.

But, you need to avail of any one of the above options for sending First-Class Mail letters, postcards, and flats. Find below the prices of these services:

• Certified Mail: $3.75
• Registered Mail: $13.75
• Signature Confirmation: $2.90 if you pay online and $3.45 at the Post Office
• Informed Delivery: Free

There are two ways of sending First-Class Mail items with tracking:

At the Post office: You can take your mailpieces to the Post Office where a USPS employee will weigh them and ask you to pay the postage. If you want to ship parcels, USPS tracking is automatically activated. Otherwise, you can select an add-on service and pay accordingly.

Online: If you want to avoid going to the Post Office and save a little extra, you can print shipping labels yourself. Plus, you can buy the additional services online before you affix these labels to your items and drop them off at a mailbox.