HomeServicesRecorded delivery

Recorded delivery, and what actually replaced it

Recorded delivery is the name most people still use, and it no longer exists as a product. What people want when they say it does exist, under different names, across several carriers. Here is what to ask for and what it costs.

Tracked, signed, proof of delivery

What you probably want

Tracking

A record of where the parcel is at each scan. Every service ParcelMatch quotes includes tracking as standard, and all of them appear on one tracking page rather than seven.

A signature on delivery

Proof that a named person took the parcel. Not every tracked service includes it, and for anything legal or valuable it is the part that matters. Services with a signature requirement are marked in your results.

Proof of delivery you can produce later

A record you can download and send to somebody else. Useful for contracts, disputes and anything you may need to evidence months afterwards.

Is it worth it

When a signature is worth paying for

For an everyday parcel to a home address, tracking alone is usually enough and costs less.

Pay for a signature when

Legal documents, contracts and anything with a deadline you may need to prove
Items of real value where you would need to evidence the handover in a claim
Anything going to a business address where parcels pass through a post room
Deliveries to an address where items have gone missing before

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Tracking alone is enough when

It is an everyday parcel going to a home address
Tracking is included as standard on every service we quote
Every carrier appears on one tracking page rather than seven
You would rather put the difference towards cover than a signature

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The retired name

What happened to recorded delivery

Recorded delivery is the name most people still use, and it no longer exists as a product.

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Royal Mail retired the nameRoyal Mail retired the Recorded Signed For name and folded the service into its Tracked and Signed For range.

The name stuck anywayThe name stuck in everyday use because it describes the thing people actually want: a parcel that is followed and signed for at the other end.

Other carriers never used the termOther carriers never used the term at all. They call it tracked, signed, or proof of delivery. Same idea, different label.

A signature adds a little, not a lot

It adds a small amount to most services rather than doubling the price.

Compare both side by side

Compare tracked and signed options side by side on your route and you will usually find the difference is smaller than expected.

VAT is included in both

VAT is included in both, and any collection fee is shown before you pay.

Price

What it costs

A signature requirement adds a small amount to most services rather than doubling the price.

Compare tracked and signed See pricing

Cover

Cover is a separate question

A signature proves delivery. It does not pay out if the parcel is lost or damaged.

Every service includes a standard amount of cover and most let you buy more
Check the included amount against what the contents are actually worth, and buy up only if there is a gap

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A recipient signing for a delivered parcel

Proof of deliverydownloadable on every signed service

Questions

Recorded delivery questions

The things senders ask when they want a parcel signed for. Anything else, just ask.

Still stuck?Our UK team replies in minutes.

Does recorded delivery still exist?

Not under that name. Royal Mail folded Recorded Signed For into its Tracked and Signed For services. The thing people mean by recorded delivery, a tracked parcel signed for on arrival, is widely available across carriers.

What is the difference between tracked and signed for?

Tracked follows the parcel through the network. Signed for adds a signature at the point of delivery. Many services include both, some include only tracking, and your results show which is which.

Is recorded delivery proof of postage?

A receipt at the drop off point is your proof of postage. The signature at the other end is your proof of delivery. They are different documents and for anything legal you want both.

How much does a signature add?

Usually a small amount rather than a large one, and it varies by carrier and service. Compare tracked and signed options on your route to see the exact difference, VAT included.

Does a signature mean the parcel is insured?

No. A signature proves someone received it. Cover against loss or damage is separate, included up to a standard amount on every service, with more available to buy.

Signed services by carrier

Royal Mail owns the name people still use. Other carriers call the same thing something else.

Postage costsWhat a parcel really costs to send, and how much a signature adds on a typical route.

Ready when you are

Compare tracked and signed services

Two postcodes and a parcel size. See every tracked and signed for option on your route, what each one costs, and exactly what proof you get.

Get a quote Track a parcel

Tracking included as standard on every service we quote

A courier handing a parcel to a customer at the door

Delivery team loading parcels into a collection van

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