How to Send a Certified Email (PEC) with Poste Italiane: A Comprehensive Guide

In Italy, the Posta Elettronica Certificata (PEC), or Certified Email, is not just another email service; it’s a legally recognized form of electronic communication with the same legal validity as a registered letter with return receipt. This makes it essential for official communications with public administrations, businesses, and professionals. Poste Italiane, the national postal service of Italy, offers its PEC service, known as Postecert. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of obtaining and using a Postecert account to send certified emails.

Why Use a PEC Email?

Before diving into the how-to, it’s crucial to understand why a PEC email is so vital in Italy:

• Legal Value: PEC emails have legal validity, providing proof of sending and receipt, similar to a registered letter.
• Official Communication: It’s the preferred method for communication with government agencies, notaries, lawyers, and various public entities.
• Contractual Agreements: PEC is often used for sending contracts, invoices, and official notices, establishing a verifiable chain of communication.
• Reduced Delays: Compared to traditional mail, PEC offers faster delivery and eliminates the risk of lost documents.
• Cost-Effective: While there’s a cost for the service, PEC can be more economical than sending multiple registered letters, especially for businesses.

Postecert: The Certified Email Service by Poste Italiane

Postecert is Poste Italiane’s PEC service, providing secure and legally valid electronic communication. They offer various plans catering to individuals, professionals, and businesses.

Steps to Obtain a Postecert Account

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to obtain a Postecert account:

Step 1: Choose Your Plan

Postecert offers several PEC plans. Consider your needs and choose the plan that best suits your requirements:

• PEC for Individuals: Typically offers a smaller storage space and is suited for personal use.
• PEC for Professionals and Businesses: Offers larger storage, often with additional features for business communication, and can include multiple PEC addresses.
• PEC for Public Administrations: Specialized plans with high storage and specific functionalities.

You can find the details of each plan on the Poste Italiane website. Pay attention to the included storage space, the cost per year, and any additional services.

Step 2: Visit the Poste Italiane Website

Navigate to the official Poste Italiane website (www.poste.it). Look for the section related to certified email or PEC. You’ll typically find it under “Business Solutions” or a similar heading.

Step 3: Start the Registration Process

Once you’ve found the PEC section, you’ll need to start the registration process. This usually involves:

• Selecting a Plan: Confirm the plan you’ve chosen.
• Entering Personal Information: Provide your personal details, including your name, address, date of birth, and tax identification number (Codice Fiscale). If you’re registering for a business, you’ll also need to provide the company’s details, including the VAT number (Partita IVA).
• Choosing a PEC Address: Select your desired PEC address. It usually follows the format [email protected] or [email protected]. Choose a professional and easy-to-remember address.
• Creating a Password: Choose a strong and secure password for your account.
• Uploading Identification Documents: You’ll likely need to upload a copy of your identity document (Carta d’Identità or Passport) and possibly your Codice Fiscale. For businesses, you might need to provide a company registration document. Ensure the documents are clear and legible.

Step 4: Verify Your Identity

Poste Italiane needs to verify your identity to ensure the authenticity of the PEC account. This might involve:

• Online Verification: In some cases, you can verify your identity through an online process using your digital identity (SPID) or a webcam.
• In-Person Verification: You might be required to visit a Poste Italiane office with your identification documents to complete the verification.

Follow the instructions provided during the registration process carefully to complete the verification successfully. This step is crucial to activate your PEC account.

Step 5: Payment

Once your identity is verified, you’ll be prompted to make the payment for your chosen PEC plan. Poste Italiane usually accepts various payment methods, including credit/debit cards and bank transfers.

Step 6: Account Activation

After payment confirmation, your PEC account should be activated. You will receive an email with your login credentials and instructions on how to access your Postecert account. This email contains your username, which is usually your entire PEC address, and a temporary password that you must change after the first login. Follow the instructions to access the PEC portal for the first time.

Accessing Your Postecert Account

You can access your Postecert account through two main channels:

1. Webmail Portal

The primary way to access your Postecert account is via the webmail portal. Go to the Poste Italiane website and navigate to the Postecert login page. Enter your PEC address as the username and the password you set up during the registration.

2. Email Clients

You can also configure your PEC account on email clients like Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail. This is useful for those who prefer using a dedicated email application. To do this, you need to enter the following server settings:

• Incoming Mail Server (IMAP): imap.pec.poste.it, Port: 993 (SSL/TLS)
• Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): smtp.pec.poste.it, Port: 465 (SSL/TLS)
• Authentication: Use your PEC address as your username and the password you set up for your Postecert account.

Ensure you select the correct encryption protocol (SSL/TLS) for secure communication. Detailed guides for setting up your Postecert account in different email clients can usually be found on the Poste Italiane website.

How to Send a Certified Email with Postecert

Now that you have your Postecert account set up, let’s explore how to send a certified email:

Step 1: Compose Your Email

Log in to your Postecert account using either the webmail portal or your email client. Start a new email as you usually would. Fill out the recipient’s PEC address in the ‘To’ field.

Important: You can only send PEC emails to other PEC addresses. Sending a PEC email to a regular email address will not result in a certified delivery. The email will be delivered as a normal mail without any legal value.

Compose the subject and body of your email. Add any necessary attachments.

Step 2: Attach Files

If you have any documents to send, attach them to the email. Be mindful of the size limitations for attachments. Postecert usually has a maximum limit for attachment sizes, which is similar to most e-mail services. Make sure you keep your attachments under the limit for faster sending and less chances of failing.

Step 3: Send the Email

Once you’ve composed and attached everything, double-check the recipient’s PEC address and click the “Send” button. The system will automatically convert your email into a certified email.

Step 4: Understand the Delivery Confirmation

After you send your certified email, you’ll receive a series of automatic system-generated confirmations:

• Acceptance Confirmation: This email confirms that your message has been taken into charge by the Postecert server. It includes a timestamp and a message ID, which are crucial for establishing the legal value. The sender gets this confirmation immediately after sending the email.
• Delivery Confirmation: This email confirms that the recipient’s server received the message. It also includes a timestamp and the same message ID. It constitutes the actual confirmation of delivery of your message to the recipient’s PEC address.

These confirmations are your legal proof that you sent the email and that it was delivered. Save these emails securely. You might need them as proof of delivery in case of disputes. They contain all the details and legal stamps required for that kind of communication.

Step 5: Handling Read Receipts (Optional)

In the context of PEC email, there is no “read receipt” in the same way it exists in normal emails. The delivery confirmation serves as proof that the message was received on the recipient’s server. It’s up to the recipient to open the message. However, most PEC providers offer a functionality to notify the sender of opening by the recipient’s server and not the user specifically. This is useful if you need to know exactly when and if the email was actually viewed by the recipient’s PEC server. Check your settings to see if this option is available and activated. Keep in mind that this doesn’t confirm that the person has actually read the email. It only confirms that the server delivered it to the recipient’s inbox and that at least the server opened and processed the content of the email.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Here are some common issues you might encounter and how to resolve them:

• Login Issues: If you have trouble logging in, double-check your username (PEC address) and password. If you’ve forgotten your password, use the “Forgot Password” link on the login page. You might have to confirm your credentials again.
• Email Delivery Failures: Check if the recipient’s address is indeed a PEC address. Also, review the delivery failure message for hints. Check for attachments that might be too large or with unsupported extensions.
• IMAP/SMTP Issues: If you can’t configure an email client, double-check the server settings (imap.pec.poste.it and smtp.pec.poste.it) and your encryption settings (SSL/TLS).
• Missing Confirmations: Usually, delivery and acceptance confirmations are delivered within minutes. If you don’t receive them within a reasonable time frame, double-check your spam folder and make sure that the sender is not blocked. If the problem persists, contact the Poste Italiane support for help.

Tips for Effective Use of PEC Email

• Keep Records: Maintain a record of all sent and received PEC emails, including the acceptance and delivery confirmations.
• Use Clear Subject Lines: Use clear subject lines that clearly indicate the content of your emails.
• Be Brief and Professional: Keep your messages concise and professional. Use the correct formal language, specially when dealing with official communication.
• Check PEC address: Always double-check the recipient’s PEC address to avoid sending it to the wrong recipient. The difference between one character can send the email to the wrong recipient and that can invalidate the communication.
• Protect Your Credentials: Keep your username and password secure. Avoid writing them down and make sure to use different passwords from your normal e-mail. Change them periodically to avoid security issues.
• Keep Software Updated: Make sure that your software and devices are updated to the latest versions. This is important for security and it can resolve possible issues.

Conclusion

Using Postecert for certified email in Italy is crucial for legal and official communication. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily obtain a Postecert account and start sending legally valid emails. Remember to always verify your identity correctly, save your confirmation messages and follow best practices for secure communication. This ensures that your communications are both efficient and legally compliant.

This guide should provide a clear and concise explanation of the process of obtaining and using the certified email service (PEC) offered by Poste Italiane. By understanding the importance of PEC in the Italian context and following the outlined steps, you will be able to use this service effectively and ensure legal validity of your communications.