Ordinary, tracked or registered letter in France: which one?

When you post an important letter, the real question isn't speed. It's what you'll be able to prove later, if the other side says they never got it. In France, the ordinary letter, the tracked letter (lettre suivie) and the registered letter with proof of delivery (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception) leave very different traces.

What each one proves

Cachet's prices are for one page, printing, envelope and stamp included. None of the three proves what was in the envelope: keep a copy of every letter.

The tracked letter, in between

The tracked letter has a tracking number you can check on La Poste's website. The postman drops it in the letterbox without asking for a signature. So the recipient has nothing to do and no post office to go to, and you know when it arrived.

It doesn't prove that the person received it themselves. If the date of receipt matters, or if the other side might dispute it, you need a registered letter.

The registered letter with proof of delivery

The postman hands the registered letter over against a signature. If nobody is in, they leave a delivery notice, and the letter waits fifteen days at the post office. The signed delivery receipt (avis de réception) then goes back to the sender. If the letter is never collected, it comes back marked “pli avisé non réclamé” (notified, not claimed): see unclaimed registered letter.

A registered letter also exists without the delivery receipt. You then have the proof of posting, but not the delivery date. For a letter that starts a deadline running, take the delivery receipt. Cachet's registered letters always include it.

Which one to choose?

• Cancelling a contract, giving notice on a rented home, sending a formal notice: the registered letter with proof of delivery. It's often the form set by the contract or the law, and the date of receipt starts the notice period or the deadline. See writing a mise en demeure (formal notice).
• Chasing an invoice, sending an expected document: a tracked letter is often enough for a first reminder. It shows the letter arrived, without making the recipient go anywhere. If nothing happens, the next reminder goes by registered letter.
• A letter with nothing at stake (thanks, information, a card): the ordinary letter.

Sending any of them without leaving home

Cachet prints and posts all three. Your AI assistant writes the letter, shows you the preview and the exact price, and only sends it once you've paid. The tracking number, the proof of posting and the delivery receipt come back on a tracking page and to the assistant. For a cancellation, the free cancellation letter tool (in French) does the same without an assistant, by registered letter with proof of delivery.

Frequently asked questions