Creating an Electronic Return Receipt (ERR) shipping label in PitneyShip

You can create and print an Electronic Return Receipt (ERR) shipping label for a package.
Products affected: PitneyShip™

You can create and print a certified shipping label for a package or envelope.

The features and options you see may vary depending upon your role and subscription. If you have any questions regarding your permissions, please contact your administrator.

  1. On the Shipping Labels tab, select Create Shipping Labels, or from the Shipping & Mailing menu, select Create Shipping Label.
  2. If you need to change the sender (from) address, select the From address in the upper left and select one of the following options:
    • To make a change to the currently selected address, select Edit sender address, make the necessary changes, and select Done.
    • To enter a new sender address, select Add new sender address, enter the address, and select Done.
    • To select a different sender address from your address book, select View all senders and select the desired address.
  3. Enter the recipient address, or select the address book icon to select an address from the address book.
  4. To send tracking and delivery emails to the sender or recipient, select the desired boxes under Email the tracking number and Email when the shipment is delivered. To send tracking and delivery emails to addresses other then the sender or recipient, enter the email addresses in the Additional Emails boxes.
  5. Select the package type from the My Packaging menu.
  6. Enter the package dimensions and weight if required for the package type.
  7. Select Select Rates and Services.
  8. By default, services are sorted by Price. To sort by delivery date, select Delivery Date from the Sort Bymenu.
  9. To view only services with delivery by a particular date, select the date from the Deliver By menu.
  10. Select the desired service. If using your own box, select First-Class Mail or Priority Mail. (Note: ERR is not supported in PitneyShip for First Class Mail envelopes.)
  11. Select the Show More button in the Extra Services section.
    Show More button under Extra Services
  12. From the Extra Services list, select Certified Mail.
  13. Select Return Receipt Electronic.
  14. Once all services are chosen, select Choose Service.
  15. If you use cost accounts, either click in the Cost Account field and start typing the cost account name or code to search, or select the search icon to view the entire account list.
    Search the Cost Account menu
  16. (Optional) Enter References and Notes as needed. Select More Reference Options to access all of the fields.
    More Reference Options
    • Memo/Reference: The contents of this field will print on the shipping label and be included in the tracking notification email. It is limited to 30-40 characters depending on the carrier. It will appear in your history. For UPS and FedEx, this field is also sent to the carrier and will appear on your carrier invoice.
    • Reference Two: For FedEx, this field is called Department and will print on the shipping label. For all other carriers, it will not print. It will appear in your history.
    • Reference Three:  For FedEx, this field is called Invoice and will print on the shipping label. For all other carriers, it will not print. It will appear in your history.
    • Reference Four: For FedEx, this field is called PO# and will print on the shipping label. For all other carriers, it will not print. It will appear in your history.
    • Shipper Ref: This field may be used for anything up to 40 characters. It will appear in your history.
    • Transportation Ref: This field may be used for anything up to 40 characters. It will appear in your history.
    • Shipping Notes: This field can contain any notes about the shipment up to 500 characters (255 for FedEx) and will be included in the tracking notification email. It will appear in your history.
  17. Select Print Shipping Label.
    ERR First-Class Mail output options
  18. Select the printer and print size.
  19. (Optional) Select Print Sample to print a test label.
  20. Select Print.

Tracking ERR Shipments

ERR tracking is not available in PitneyShip. Electronic Return Receipts and digital signatures must be obtained from the USPS website.

  1. Go to the USPS Tracking page.
  2. Enter the tracking number of your label. You can find it in your PitneyShip history.
  3. Provide your email address as requested.

If no information is available or the information seems incorrect, contact USPS Customer Service.

UPDATED: October 12, 2023