What’s in That Envelope? Document Verification Helps Ensure Secure Deliveries

March 3, 2026 • 6 minute read
Author: Jessica Denbo Smith, Director, US Marketing, UPS

Key Points

• Nearly two-thirds of Americans send physical paperwork one to five times a month, and 36% of businesses send paperwork weekly.¹
• The loyalty to physical paperwork is mainly attributable to its trustworthiness, and 31% of Americans value the security of physical deliveries.¹
• Adding security measures like a signature upon delivery can help ensure your document gets to the correct recipient.

Document Verification Is Vital for Urgent Paperwork

From contracts to depositions, a busy law firm may ship out hundreds of urgent legal documents on a daily basis – each document of critical importance to the firm.

Sending urgent documents is different from regular business mail. Because the contents may be irreplaceable or contain highly sensitive information, the documents require greater security. That’s where UPS comes in to provide secure tracking and timely delivery.

The Reliability Factor for Sensitive Documents

Legal notices, tax returns, healthcare records, event tickets, government communications — some things just need to be sent in physical form.

“With these customers, reliability is number one,” says Seth Hoeger, Strategic Lead, UPS. “They’re sending documents overnight for a reason — they may need it by 8:30 in the morning, and we need to ensure it’s there. It could result in someone not getting their passport on time for a trip or delaying a home sale that needs notarized documentation. Reliability is our number one concern.”

And customers with multiple offices across the world — like Alston & Bird — need a global shipping provider that understands the urgency and sensitivity of their industry.

The Time and Place for Paper vs. Digital

It’s hard to ignore a legal notice when it’s sitting on your doorstep, or a vendor contract when it’s lying on your desk.

While many people and businesses have converted to digital delivery for important documents, sending physical documents is still a mainstay. In fact, nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans send physical paperwork one to five times a month, and 36% of businesses send it weekly, proving that it’s still crucial for their operations.¹

The loyalty to physical document delivery is mainly attributable to its trustworthiness, and 31% of Americans value the security of shipping documents.¹ “Some industries may now lean towards digital delivery, but many of our clients still prefer to ship physical documents,” Hoeger says. “It comes down to trust. They just need to have that wet signature, especially if it’s notarized.”

Securely Follow That Document

For urgent documents, senders need to rely on a shipper with secure handling and serialized tracking. UPS allows senders and recipients to easily see where their documents are en route, including distribution center locations and time stamps. When your package is scanned, shipment movement information is captured.

“People like to know where things are, and the majority of urgent document customers, primarily the receivers, keep refreshing to see where that passport, event ticket or insurance document is,” says Hoeger.

Businesses can sign up for the UPS My Choice^® for Business dashboard, which allows them to view inbound and outbound shipments, proactively receive notifications about deliveries, see delivery windows, and reschedule or reroute shipments if needed.

Advanced technology and shipping transparency are now customer expectations. A recent survey revealed that 90% of consumers want to be able to track their orders. If advanced tracking isn’t available, more than 60% of customers will consider looking for another seller.² This mindset also applies to urgent documents, which may be even more sensitive and irreplaceable than typical packages.

UPS urgent documents use the same advanced tracking system as UPS packages, and some businesses require an expedited delivery timeframe. In fact, 29% of UPS urgent document shippers use UPS Next Day Air^® service.

The Final (Dependable) Mile

When your document reaches its destination, the most critical option customers can choose is UPS Signature Required. By selecting this added service, senders can ensure the urgent document was received by the correct party, minimizing the risk of theft and damage.

“Our clients primarily select this for legal reasons,” says Hoeger. “They need to ensure that whatever document is being sent is received, was received on time, and it was signed for by the person it was sent to. Law offices and hospitals tend to require signatures.”

Urgent documents are far more than paper — they carry trust, intent and legal weight. UPS understands the urgency and sensitivity of these documents, and offers technical solutions, tracking and secure handling to make sure documents get into the right hands.

¹ “Stamps.com Research Shows the Role Mail Plays in How America Communicates,” Stamps.com, August 1, 2024,” Stamps.com, August 1, 2024.
² “90% of Customers Want to Track Their Delivery Orders: Here’s Why,” DispatchTrack, December 1, 2024.

Individual results and options will vary. UPS makes no promises of any specific outcome in this document but instead provides only example outcomes based on certain UPS customer experiences.