I recently used Certified Mail (with no special features) to send some letters out. By the time I got home from the Post Office, I was able to use "Track and Confirm" from the USPS site and see that the item was "accepted" at the post office. I was even able to follow the items to the next post office along the way.
Edit: Finally got through to the P.O. They did a "courtesy scan" on these ... which is why I had immediate access to "track and confirm" information.
Last Friday, I mailed something Certified Mail / Return Receipt Requested and as of this morning I still get the message "There is no record of this item."
Edit: They did NOT do a "courtesy scan" on this one. 
According to the USPS FAQs ... tracking is not provided for this level of service ... just delivery confirmation. Is the reason that I was able to access the data prior to delivery on the Certified Mail letters just because they enter the information at the drop-off point if they feel like it that day?
Edit: Yes ... they can do a "Courtesy Scan" but they don't have to.
I'm still looking, but is there a less expensive way of sending CM / Return Receipt Requested if you don't ask for the "green card" back and just confirm online and print that out?
Edit: Finally found it ... Electronic Return Receipt must be requested at the counter at the Post Office ... nothing on the forms show it is an option. You just gotta know to ask for it @ $.85 instead of $2.15.
According to the FAQ, you should be able to access the Certified Mail item number through Track & Confirm immediately, in order to input the email address you want the receipt sent to.
Personal note: It appears that an advantage to requesting an Electronic Return Receipt instead of the Green Card is that you aren't relying on a courtesy scan to enable you immediate online access to your item.
And ... since delivery of Certified Mail (with no special features) requires a signature ... why isn't Certified Mail (and the online delivery confirmation) adequate for sending to CAs?
Edit: I suppose the answer to this one is that you are looking for evidence that it was delivered to the address you say you mailed it to. You don't get the address information with Certified Mail alone even though the postal carrier obtains that with the signature at the time of delivery.
Message Edited by denbar2003 on 01-28-2008 10:15 AM