Send or mail a letter online

Yes. To send a letter online with PostalForm, upload a PDF or write the letter in your browser, add the sender and recipient addresses, then check the printable PDF and the exact price before you pay. After checkout, PostalForm prints and mails the letter for you. One limit to know: it mails printed paper only, so it cannot enclose checks, IDs, keys, or other physical items.

Yes. Sending a letter online means the document starts as a file in your browser and arrives as paper in an envelope. With PostalForm, you review the printable PDF, enter the mailing addresses, and see the price first — nothing is printed until you approve and pay.

• Start from a PDF, write the letter in PostalForm, or upload DOCX/HTML/Markdown/RTF and preview the generated PDF.
• Add a typed or drawn signature to supported letter flows before mailing.
• PostalForm turns the file into a stamped, addressed mailpiece and hands it to the carrier.
• Mailing options depend on the destination. For qualifying U.S. mail, that can include First Class, Expedited, signature-required Expedited, Rush Express, and Certified Mail.
• Combine multi-page packets into one PDF, and mail early if you have a deadline.

To mail a letter yourself, write or print the letter, place it in a rectangular paper envelope, write your return address in the top left, write the recipient address in the center, add enough postage in the upper right, and send it from your mailbox, a blue collection box, or a Post Office. USPS says one current $0.82 Forever stamp covers a standard 1-ounce domestic letter as of July 12, 2026. The exact sheet count depends on the paper and envelope weight.

Use the Post Office counter when you need the clerk to weigh the letter, sell the correct postage, add Certified Mail or Return Receipt, or hand-cancel the mailpiece for a same-day postmark. Use PostalForm when the problem is earlier in the workflow: you need the letter printed, enveloped, stamped, and mailed from a browser.

The traditional way: print or write the letter, seal it in a paper envelope, put the recipient address in the center and your return address in the upper left, add postage in the upper right, and drop it in a mailbox, blue collection box, or at the Post Office. USPS lists a 1-ounce First-Class Mail Forever stamp at $0.82 as of July 12, 2026. Heavier or nonstandard mailpieces cost more.

Sending it online flips who does the work: you supply the file and the addresses, and PostalForm supplies the paper, envelope, postage, and the trip to the carrier. The PDF preview and exact total still come before payment.

Bring the completed letter in an addressed envelope. A USPS retail associate can weigh it, sell the right postage, and add extra services such as Certified Mail or Return Receipt. If the mailing date matters, USPS says you can ask for a hand-cancel so the mailpiece gets that day's postmark.

This route works when the paper letter already exists. If it exists only on your phone or computer, the counter cannot help until you have printed it somewhere — which is the step PostalForm removes.

Use this format whether you mail the letter yourself or upload it to PostalForm as a PDF:

[Date]

[Recipient Name or Department]
[Company, Agency, or Organization]
[Street Address or PO Box]
[City, State ZIP]

Re: [Account, case, claim, invoice, or subject]

Dear [Recipient Name or Department],

[Write the request, notice, explanation, or document list.]

Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed Name]
[Phone or Email, if appropriate]

For the envelope, USPS says the return address goes in the top left and the delivery address goes in the center. Print addresses clearly, use the ZIP Code or ZIP+4 when available, and include apartment, suite, unit, PO Box, or department details exactly as the recipient gave them.

If you are sending a letter to a PO Box online, put the PO Box address in the recipient fields exactly as written in the instructions. PostalForm prints that address on the envelope and includes your return address so undeliverable mail can come back.

For ordinary letters, not really. USPS.com sells stamps, publishes the letter-mailing rules, and creates shipping labels for eligible package services through Click-N-Ship — Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express. What it will not do is take your letter PDF, print the pages, and mail them for you.

If you need online postage for a package, use USPS Click-N-Ship or Label Broker. If you need "print this letter and mail it for me," use PostalForm or another print-and-mail service.

For the USPS-specific comparison, see Can you send a letter online through USPS?.

If the letter is already written, the fastest path is to export it as one PDF and upload it here. The file drops straight into the order flow, which collects the recipient, sender, print options, and delivery choices, then shows the total.

Call it send a letter online, mail a letter online, or mail a PDF online — once the file is finished, the job is identical: upload it, confirm the mailing details, and approve the order.

For document-first jobs, see Mail a PDF online. For print-option comparisons, see Print and mail a PDF.

If your letter is already in Word, Google Docs, Pages, or another editor, export it as a PDF before mailing. A PDF preserves page breaks, signatures, letterhead, and attachment order better than copying text into a new document.

1. Save or export the letter as one PDF.
2. Combine attachments after the letter if they should travel in the same envelope.
3. Upload the PDF to PostalForm and check every page in the preview.
4. Enter the sender and recipient addresses exactly as the recipient or instructions provide them.
5. Choose available mailing options and confirm the total before you pay.

Use the PDF path for signed notices, dispute letters, invoice packets, forms, and letters with exhibits. If the recipient only accepts email or portal upload, use that official digital channel instead of physical mail.

For searches like "how to write a request mail" or "mailing letter template," keep the letter short and specific:

1. State what you are requesting in the first paragraph.
2. Include the account, claim, invoice, application, or case number if there is one.
3. List enclosed documents or attachments.
4. Give the recipient a way to contact you.
5. Sign the letter if the recipient requires signed written notice.

If the letter includes supporting documents, combine the request letter and attachments into one PDF before uploading; the packet prints exactly as you assembled it.

Everything that usually goes wrong with mailed letters gets checked before checkout: the PDF preview, both addresses, print settings, delivery speed, proof option, and total price. That means you catch a wrong attachment, a missing apartment number, or a service mismatch before anything is printed, not after.

Use standard delivery when ordinary timing is enough, expedited delivery when timing matters, and Certified Mail for qualifying U.S. First Class mail when the record of mailing and delivery is the point of the letter.

PostalForm reviewed 317 paid, non-scam, positive-price orders placed from January 10 through June 17, 2026. The data excludes names, addresses, filenames, unpaid orders, and suspicious orders; the full aggregate is published in PostalForm online mailing data: 2026 Q2 order patterns.

The pattern points to the simplest path: one finished PDF, Certified Mail only when proof matters, and a look at the pre-payment total to catch page-count, color, or service surprises.

"Send a letter online" covers several different jobs. Pick the path that matches what the recipient actually requires.

USPS's online tools cover buying postage, preparing package labels, finding a Post Office, and reading the mailing rules. None of them print and mail an ordinary letter for you.

Compare online print-and-mail services

Email and portals cover most communication. Physical mail survives for the cases they can't:

Legal notices — Courts, agencies, and contracts often require mailed notice. "I emailed them" doesn't satisfy a requirement that says "written notice by mail."

Proof of delivery — When you need to prove you sent something, Certified Mail creates a paper trail with signatures. Certified Mail with Electronic Return Receipt

Recipient requirements — Some people and institutions only accept physical mail. Insurance companies, government agencies, older landlords, certain courts.

Deadlines — When instructions say "must be postmarked by [date]," USPS postmark timing matters for U.S. mail.

If the recipient accepts email or portal uploads, use those. If they require physical mail, keep reading.

• A PDF of your letter — Export from Word, Google Docs, or scan a signed document. Up to 100 MB and 199 pages.
• Recipient's mailing address — Use exactly what's on any notice or instructions you received.
• Return address — So undeliverable mail comes back to you.

That's the whole list. The printer, envelopes, and stamps are our problem, not yours.

If you mail the letter yourself, postage depends on weight, size, shape, and any extra services. Final USPS Notice 123 effective July 12, 2026 lists these common starting points:

If you are unsure whether one stamp is enough, check the current USPS price list, use the USPS counter or kiosk, or use the print and mail cost calculator when you want PostalForm to handle the full mailing.

1. Upload your PDF — From phone or computer. We show you a preview.
2. Enter addresses — Autocomplete helps, and we validate before printing.
3. Choose delivery options — Service levels vary by destination; qualifying U.S. mail can include First Class, Expedited, signature-required Expedited, Rush Express, and Certified Mail.
4. Checkout — We print, stuff the envelope, add postage, and hand it to the appropriate carrier.

Standard mail
The default for most letters. For qualifying U.S. mail, this is USPS First Class Mail, typically 3–7 business days after acceptance.

Expedited mail
When timing matters. Faster transit costs more and depends on the selected destination. For qualifying U.S. mail, Expedited uses USPS Priority Mail and can require a signature at delivery. A separate Rush Express upgrade uses USPS Priority Mail Express when available.

Certified Mail with Electronic Return Receipt
Available with First Class only. Adds USPS tracking and requires a signature on delivery. You get a digital record showing who signed and when. Learn more about Certified Mail

Production and mailing — Getting the letter printed and into the carrier's hands usually takes 1-3 business days.

Carrier transit time — U.S. First Class is typically 3–7 business days. USPS describes Priority Mail, used for regular eligible U.S. Expedited orders, as a non-guaranteed 2–3 day service. Rush Express uses Priority Mail Express, a 1–3 day service with a money-back guarantee subject to USPS terms. Other supported destinations show available options at checkout.

Expedited timing — If you submit before 10 AM Eastern, qualifying U.S. expedited mail can sometimes be printed and handed to USPS the same business day. Later expedited orders usually reach USPS by the next business day.

After carrier acceptance — Once the carrier accepts the letter, transit and delivery are in its hands. Delays at that stage are outside PostalForm's control.

Postmark or carrier acceptance date — For USPS mail, the postmark is when USPS accepts the letter, not when you check out. If you have a deadline, mail early.

Detailed delivery times

When instructions say "must be received by" or "must be postmarked by" a certain date:

1. Postmarked by — For USPS mail, the postmark comes when USPS accepts the letter, so build the usual 1-3 business days of production into your deadline math. If timing is tight, qualifying U.S. expedited mail submitted before 10 AM Eastern can sometimes reach USPS the same business day.
2. Received by — Count backwards from the deadline. If it's 7 days away and you're using First Class, you're cutting it close.

When in doubt, choose an expedited option and mail several days early.

If you're sending a letter with attachments (forms, supporting documents, proof), merge everything into one PDF before uploading — pages print in the order they appear.

Suggested order for packets:

1. Cover letter or cover note (optional but helpful)
2. Main document or form
3. Attachments and supporting pages

Cover note template:

Date: January 19, 2026
To: [Recipient / Department]
Re: [Subject / Account / Claim Number]

Enclosed:
- [Document 1]
- [Document 2]

Contact: [Your name, phone, email]

A cover note tells the recipient what they're looking at and how to reach you if there's a problem.

Add Certified Mail when:

• The recipient requires proof of delivery
• You're sending a legal notice or demand letter
• You want documentation in case there's a dispute later
• Instructions specifically require certified delivery

Don't need proof? Standard First Class is fine.

• Physical enclosures — We can't mail checks, IDs, keys, or anything that isn't printed on paper.
• International mail — Limited to supported destination countries, and mailing options vary by country.
• Same-day delivery — We're not a courier service. Qualifying expedited orders submitted before 10 AM Eastern can sometimes reach USPS the same business day, but delivery occurs later. Rush Express uses Priority Mail Express when available.

If physical items have to go in the envelope, mail it yourself or use a courier.

Use a return address where you can actually receive mail. If a letter is undeliverable, USPS returns it to the sender address.

If you're traveling or don't have stable housing, consider using a family member's address or a mail forwarding service.

Include apartment, unit, or suite numbers exactly as written.

From a document:

• Word: File → Save As → PDF
• Google Docs: File → Download → PDF
• Pages: File → Export to → PDF

From a signed paper document:

• iPhone: Use the Notes app or Files app to scan
• Android: Use Google Drive's scan feature
• Any phone: Take a photo in good light, convert to PDF

For multi-page documents, scan all pages into a single PDF. Most scanning apps let you add pages before exporting.

Wrong address format — Use the exact address from any notice you received. Don't abbreviate or rearrange.

Missing reference numbers — If instructions mention an account number, claim number, or case number, include it.

Multiple files instead of one PDF — Combine everything into one PDF. We print what you upload.

Waiting until the deadline — Mail early. USPS transit times are estimates, not guarantees.

• USPS How to Send a Letter or Postcard
• USPS First-Class Mail
• USPS Click-N-Ship
• USPS Priority Mail Express
• USPS extra services: Certified Mail
• PostalForm online mailing data: 2026 Q2 order patterns
• USPS Notice 123 price list