A scan is thin evidence
It places a package near an address at a moment. In a marketplace dispute that is often enough, and in a chargeback against a $600 order it usually is not. The gap between the two is what a signature costs.
Delivery evidence
Proof of delivery: what each product hands back
Proof of delivery is not one thing, it is four, and they cost between $2.45 and $20.90 at USPS. A delivery scan says a package reached an address, a signature record says a person took it, a return receipt puts that signature on a document addressed to you, and a certificate of mailing proves only that you posted it.
Notice 123 feesWhat each artefact showsParcel and freight untangled
Four documents, four prices
Sellers lose disputes by buying the wrong one. The differences are small on paper and decisive in a chargeback.
A real parcel, then the price of proving it arrived
The anchor is a hardcover book, 8 x 5 x 1.5 in at 1 lb, quoted 2026-07-28 from Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303. USPS Ground Advantage came back at $9.91, the entire checkout amount. Tracking rides along at no extra cost on every one of those rates; the products below are what you pay when a scan is not enough.
SMKlog rates for the anchor parcel, quoted 2026-07-28
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $9.91 | 8-9 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $10.31 | 2-3 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $15.13 | 5-6 business days |
| UPS | 2nd Day Air | $15.38 | 2-3 business days |
| UPS | 2nd Day Air A.M. | $20.44 | 2-3 business days |
The proof menu, and what each product returns
Fees from USPS Notice 123 on pe.usps.com, effective 2026-07-12 and re-checked 2026-07-28. Retail prices unless an electronic figure is shown; the electronic price applies when the label is bought online rather than over a counter.
| Product | Fee | What you actually get back |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery scan | Included with the label | A time, a date and a ZIP-level location. No name attached |
| Certificate of Mailing, PS Form 3817 | $2.45 | Evidence that you handed the item over. It says nothing about delivery |
| Return Receipt, electronic | $2.91 | A signature record delivered to you as a document |
| Signature Confirmation, electronic | $4.15 | The recipient signature captured at delivery, retrievable by tracking number |
| Return Receipt, hardcopy PS Form 3811 | $4.65 | The green card, signed at delivery and posted back to you |
| Signature Confirmation, retail | $5.15 | Same record, bought over a counter |
| Certified Mail | $5.55 | A mailing receipt plus a delivery record held by USPS |
| Adult Signature Required | $9.70 | A signature from an adult aged 21 or over |
| Registered Mail | From $20.90 | A signed chain of custody at every handover, plus indemnity to $50,000 |
The two cheapest lines are the ones most often bought by mistake. A certificate of mailing proves posting, which helps against a deadline and not at all against a buyer claiming nothing arrived. Certified Mail is built for letters and notices, and on a parcel it buys a record you rarely need in the form you need it.
Pulling proof from UPS and FedEx
Both carriers expose delivery detail through their tracking pages rather than as a priced product. FedEx does sell one paper version: signature proof of delivery sent by Standard Overnight envelope runs $6 per request in the 2026 Service Guide. UPS records the signature or the release authorization when a Signature Required service was bought, and its My Choice program lets a recipient authorize release without anyone signing, which is worth knowing before you rely on a UPS signature you never paid for.
How long the record lasts
retain scan data or scan and signature data for Your packages beyond the Postal Service's standard data retention periodUSPS Tracking Plus terms, usps.com, fetched 2026-07-28
USPS sells retention as its own product. Tracking Plus extends the period for which scan or scan-and-signature data is kept, up to ten years. That matters for sellers whose disputes surface long after delivery, and it is cheaper than discovering the record has aged out.
Parcel proof against freight proof
Search results mix two unrelated documents under the same phrase. In parcel, proof of delivery is a scan or a signature attached to a tracking number. In freight, it is a signed bill of lading returned by the driver, showing piece count, condition and any exception noted at the dock. If your search brought you here from a pallet question, the freight version is the one you want, and it is part of the paperwork rather than an add-on you buy. We route pallet and LTL work through a freight review rather than online checkout for exactly that reason.
Match the artefact to the argument
If the fight will be about whether you posted it, buy the certificate. If it will be about whether they received it, buy the signature. Paying for the wrong one is worse than paying for neither.
Save the record the day it lands
Download the signature or the delivery detail while the shipment is fresh and file it with the order. Retention windows exist, support queues are slow, and nobody wins an argument with a screenshot they meant to take.
Proof of delivery questions
What is proof of delivery for a parcel?
A record tied to a tracking number showing the package was delivered. At its simplest that is a scan with a time and a ZIP-level location; with a signature product it also carries the name of whoever accepted it.
How much does USPS proof of delivery cost?
Signature Confirmation is $4.15 electronic or $5.15 retail, an electronic return receipt is $2.91 and the hardcopy green card is $4.65, per USPS Notice 123 effective 2026-07-12. A delivery scan itself is included with the label.
What is the difference between a return receipt and Signature Confirmation?
A return receipt delivers the signature to you as a document, on paper for $4.65 or electronically for $2.91. Signature Confirmation captures the same signature and leaves it retrievable against the tracking number for $4.15 electronic.
How long does USPS keep the signature record?
USPS sells extended retention as USPS Tracking Plus, which keeps scan or scan-and-signature data beyond the standard period for up to ten years. Download the record when it lands rather than relying on the default window.