How do I prove I mailed a package: SCAN form, Certificate of Mailing or receipt?

For one or two pieces, a Certificate of Mailing (PS Form 3817, $2.45 each) is USPS's postmarked evidence that it accepted the piece that day, and three or more go on a firm sheet (PS Form 3665) at $0.75 a piece; USPS keeps no copy. For packages insured online, a claim needs the label record plus either a postmarked firm sheet (PS Form 3877) or an electronic acceptance scan from a Form 5630, the SCAN form, followed by a USPS scan.

Fees from USPS Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026 (the same since Jul 12, 2026); rules quoted from the Domestic Mail Manual and usps.com, each with its section. USPS decides every claim and refund; this is a guide to its published rules.

Rates verified on Oct 19, 2026

Certificate of Mailing, 1 or 2 pieces: $2.45 each
Firm sheet, 3 or more: $0.75 per piece
Where: Post Office counter, at mailing
SCAN form (PS Form 5630): No fee in Notice 123

Certificate of Mailing

“may be presented only at the time of mailing and provide evidence that individual mailpieces have been presented to the USPS for mailing.”

— DMM 503.5.1.1, checked Oct 19, 2026

“Certificates of Mailing do not provide a record of delivery, and the Postal Service does not retain copies of either form.”

— DMM 503.5.1.1, checked Oct 19, 2026

Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026; Before: the Apr 26, 2026 edition.
Service	Fee now	Before Jul 12, 2026	Change
Individual article (PS Form 3817)	$2.45	$2.40	+$0.05
Firm mailing sheet (PS Form 3665), per piece listed, minimum 3	$0.75	$0.70	+$0.05
Additional copy of PS Form 3817 or 3665, per page	$2.45	$2.40	+$0.05

Available for Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, Media Mail, Library Mail and Bound Printed Matter (DMM 503 Exhibit 1.4.1). Ground Advantage isn't on that list.
PS Form 3817 is for fewer than three pieces presented at one time, so at most two certificates at once; three or more go on PS Form 3665 (DMM 503.5.1.1 and 5.1.3).
Firm sheets with under 50 pieces and under 50 lb go to a retail counter; 50 pieces or 50 lb or more go to a Business Mail Entry Unit (DMM 503.5.1.6).
It's postmarked and handed back to you as your receipt. A duplicate of a 3817 later needs the original (DMM 503.5.1.4).

SCAN forms (PS Form 5630)

“Mailers who wish to obtain an electronic entry scan must submit either Form 3152, or Form 5630, with each mailing to include the electronic file number associated with that mailing.”

— DMM 503.1.7.4, checked Oct 19, 2026

The form carries the electronic file number for the mailing, which is how one form gives a whole batch of labels an electronic entry scan. For an insurance claim on a package insured online, DMM 609.3.1 accepts that scan as evidence of mailing, but only together with the online label record and followed by a USPS scan:

“either a postmarked (round-dated) original mailing receipt (Form 3877 firm sheet), or an electronic shipment acceptance scan (generated from Form 5630) followed by a valid acceptance scan event or a physical scan event must also be available”

— DMM 609.3.1, checked Oct 19, 2026

What a claim accepts as evidence

From DMM 609.3.1 and 503.1.10, checked Oct 19, 2026.
Evidence	Good for	Limits
Original retail mailing receipt	Any insured, COD, Registered or Priority Mail Express claim	A photocopy works for insured and COD mail; Registered Mail needs the postmark
Outer packaging with the insured label and both addresses	Proof of insurance	Indemnity can be limited to $100
Online label record printout	Insurance bought online	Plus a postmarked PS Form 3877 or a Form 5630 acceptance scan followed by a USPS scan
Certificate of Mailing	Proof of the mailing date	Not proof of insurance or of delivery

“Except for Registered Mail and COD items, the USPS keeps no mailing records for mail pieces bearing extra services.”

— DMM 503.1.10, checked Oct 19, 2026

Worked example: 12 books at the counter

Worked example: Twelve Media Mail packages listed on one firm sheet (PS Form 3665)
12 pieces at $0.75	$9.00
Where	Retail counter (under 50 pieces and 50 lb)
Same 12 on individual PS Form 3817s	Not allowed: at most two 3817s at a time

Which one to use

To show when you mailed something, such as for a dispute over shipping on time: a Certificate of Mailing.
To back up a claim on a package insured online: the label record, plus a postmarked PS Form 3877 or a SCAN form that USPS scanned.
To show delivery: tracking, a signature service or a return receipt.

Questions

Does a SCAN form prove delivery?

No. It records that USPS accepted the batch; delivery evidence comes from tracking or a signature service.

Can I get a Certificate of Mailing for Ground Advantage?

DMM 503 Exhibit 1.4.1 lists Certificate of Mailing for Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, Media Mail, Library Mail and Bound Printed Matter, not Ground Advantage.

Can I get a Certificate of Mailing after I've mailed it?

No. It's available only at the time of mailing (DMM 503.5.1.1).

Is a tracking acceptance scan proof of mailing?

USPS's refund rules treat a valid acceptance or processing scan as evidence (DMM 604.9.2.4), and DMM 503.4.3.1 accepts a processing scan for insurance eligibility. A Certificate of Mailing is the dated USPS document for the mailing itself.

How do I file a USPS insurance claim for a lost or damaged package?
Online at usps.com or on PS Form 1000: the window, the evidence and what happens after.
Will USPS pick up my packages for free, and does Media Mail count?
Free with regular delivery, but Media Mail only rides along; Pickup on Demand is $26.50.
How do I get USPS proof of delivery with a signature?
Tracking gives no signature: the four ways to get one on record, what each costs, and keeping it for years.
When should I ship with USPS Registered Mail instead of insurance?
Up to $50,000 of coverage, and cheaper than insurance on high values, but counter-only.
How much is Certified Mail with a return receipt, and should I choose the green card or electronic?
$5.55 plus a green card or an emailed receipt, and when Signature Confirmation fits better.

More in Managing packages: intercept, searches, pickup, Hold For Pickup, Hold Mail, proof of mailing: Package Intercept · Hold For Pickup · Missing Mail search · Hold Mail for sellers on vacation

All 20 questions: USPS claims, refunds and extra services

How we checked this

Fees come from Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026, read on Oct 19, 2026 by USPS's own price code for each fee and matched to the USPS price file; earlier fees come from the same codes in the Postal Explorer archive editions back to Jul 13, 2025. Every fee on these pages is the same in the Jul 12, 2026 and Oct 4, 2026 editions: the Oct 4 holiday edition changed package postage, not extra-service fees. Rules are quoted word for word from the Domestic Mail Manual sections and usps.com pages listed below, fetched on Oct 19, 2026. Package postage in examples is USPS's own price; selling platforms and label services can charge their own.

Sources

Rates verified on Oct 19, 2026 from each official page below.

Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices

What each platform takes from a $10, $25 and $50 sale, Media Mail 1-10 lb, Ground Advantage to Zones 1, 5 and 8, and the Forever stamp, on one printable page. The link appears as soon as you sign up.