dated dispatch record · same-day dispatch
Get a dated dispatch record, without queueing for it
The free certificate of posting is great, if you own a printer, live near a Post Office and can get there before it shuts. Upload your letter as a PDF instead: we print it, hand it to Royal Mail after production, and email you a dated dispatch confirmation to keep. From £1.79 all in.
Know what the record shows
A PostOwl dispatch email records when our fulfilment system says a letter was printed, enclosed and handed to Royal Mail. It can help you keep an organised paper trail alongside the PDF and order reference. It does not establish delivery, the legal validity of the document, or compliance with a particular service rule.
What you get with every PostOwl letter
Your paper trail, automatically
- Your own copy of the PDF you uploaded
- A dispatch-confirmation email recording the date it was handed to Royal Mail
- An order reference tying the two together
- A status page showing the limited fulfilment record
No extra fee and nothing to ask for; the dispatch email arrives on its own with every letter.
How PostOwl sends it
Upload your PDF, type the address, choose first or second class, and pay by card or Apple Pay. No account, no subscription. Order before the cutoff on a working day and your letter is printed, enveloped and handed to Royal Mail the same day. A one-page letter costs £1.79 second class or £2.69 first class, and your PDF is permanently deleted after dispatch; we keep the order record, not the contents.
Where a dated record earns its keep
The letters people most often need proof for are the ones we have written guides about: cancelling a gym membership before the next payment date, a letter before action that a court will later want to see, HMRC correspondence with a deadline attached, and parking ticket appeals where the window is measured in days. The sending instructions for the specific organisation or procedure remain the source to follow.
Proof of posting FAQs
What is proof of posting, exactly?+
A Royal Mail Certificate of Posting is issued when an eligible item is accepted at a Post Office branch. Different contracts, public bodies and legal procedures can require different evidence, services or deadlines, so check the rule that applies to your letter.
Is PostOwl's dispatch email the same as a certificate of posting?+
No. It is not a Royal Mail Certificate of Posting. It is a PostOwl record that our fulfilment system reported the letter as printed and handed to Royal Mail. Keep it with your PDF, but check whether the recipient, contract, court or authority requires an official certificate, tracked service, signature or another method.
Do I need proof of posting or proof of delivery?+
It depends on the applicable rule. A dispatch record, postal acceptance certificate, tracking scan and signature prove different things. Ordinary first- and second-class post does not provide end-to-end delivery tracking. Read the relevant instructions or take legal advice before relying on one method.
What if the recipient says the letter never arrived?+
A PostOwl dispatch email does not prove receipt. Keep the email and your PDF, check any tracking information if you bought a tracked service, and follow the dispute or replacement process that applies. For an important deadline or formal notice, get advice about acceptable service and evidence.
Send it and keep a dated record
Send it now → from £1.79This page is general information, not legal advice. Whether a particular record satisfies a particular clause depends on the clause; when the stakes are high, read it or take advice.