In France, between 150 and 200 million registered letters are sent out every year, and in the real estate sector in particular, registered letters are commonly used to send out compromises, reminders of unpaid bills, lease cancellations or to convene general meetings of co-owners. The electronic registered letter (ERL) is a dematerialized alternative to the classic registered letter, and with the digital transformation, sending paper registered letters seems increasingly obsolete.
Since the of the eIDAS regulation regulation came into force on January 1, 2019, the sending of registered letters by electronic means has been regulated by law in France. The LRE has the same legal value as its paper counterpart. Proofs of dispatch must be kept for seven years in accordance with the eIDAS regulation, but some players, including AR24, choose to keep them for longer on secure servers in France.
In France, AR24 is a pioneer in this field, being the first eIDAS-qualified LRE provider. The 100% online routes allow letters to be sent and received thanks to an identity check that enables recipients to be identified remotely.
The LRE is also less expensive than a paper registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, costing no more than €4, i.e. two to five times less than a conventional letter. Heavy attachments can also be sent at no extra cost. Sending LREs therefore offers savings at every level, with lower mailing and printing costs, as well as fast and virtually instantaneous turnaround times. Transactions are also more secure, thanks to evidence that is easier to trace and demonstrate.
In conclusion, electronic registered mail is an effective digital alternative to paper registered mail. It offers equivalent legal value, is less costly, and enables faster document processing. Service providers such as AR24 or NETHEOS are able to guarantee data security and confidentiality, by storing proof of sending for a long period on secure servers in France.
