What is a Certified Email, When to Use It, and How to Send It with Legal Validity

In the daily operations of any company or professional, email has become the default channel for communicating with clients, suppliers, employees, and collaborators. It is used to send quotes, notices, contractual changes, internal notifications, or simple reminders.

However, this normalization of email has created a false sense of security: just because a message has been sent does not mean it can be legally proven that it was received, read, or that its content was not altered.

In contexts where communication has legal, economic, or contractual consequences, this lack of proof can become a problem. This is where certified email emerges as a digital alternative that provides legal security, traceability, and evidentiary capability, without sacrificing the speed and simplicity of email.

What is a Certified Email?

A certified email is an email whose sending, content, and receipt are recorded and certified by a trusted third party.

Unlike traditional email, this system generates technical evidence that allows proving, to third parties or in a legal proceeding, that a specific communication was sent on a certain date, with specific content, and to an identifiable recipient.

Knowing what a certified email is allows companies and professionals to make better decisions about how to manage their critical communications. It’s not about replacing all emails with certified emails, but identifying those cases where it is necessary to have reliable proof to support what was communicated.

The main benefit is to reduce legal risks and avoid conflicts arising from unprovable communications.

Certified Email vs. Traditional Email: Key Differences

Traditional email is designed for communication, not for proof. Although it technically leaves traces like sending records or read receipts, these elements do not have sufficient legal validity and can be easily challenged. The sender cannot solidly prove that the recipient received the message or that the content was not altered.

Certified email introduces an additional layer of control and verification. Each step of the process is recorded: who sends the message, to whom it is sent, when it is sent, what the exact content is, and what the delivery result is. This information is collected in a certificate issued by a trusted third party, making the email a valid documentary proof.

Aspect	Traditional Email	Certified Email
Purpose	Informal or operational communication	Communication with evidentiary capability
Proof of sending	Limited to internal server technical records	External certification of sending with date and time
Proof of receipt	Not guaranteed; read receipts are optional and manipulable	Verifiable record of delivery status
Content integrity	Cannot prove that the content has not been altered	Content is sealed and certified
Identification of parties	Not legally verified	Sender and recipient identified in the certificate
Third-party intervention	None	Trusted third party validating the process
Legal validity	Very limited or nonexistent	Legal validity as documentary proof
Use in conflicts or claims	Hardly defensible	Acceptable as evidence in legal proceedings

What Happens When a Communication Cannot Be Proven?

When a communication cannot be proven, the risk falls on the person claiming to have sent it.

In labor disputes, customer claims, or contractual conflicts, not being able to prove that a notification was sent and received can invalidate deadlines, agreements, or business decisions. Certified email acts as a preventive mechanism against such situations.

How Does a Certified Email Work?

The operation of a certified email is similar to that of a conventional email from the user’s perspective, but with relevant technical differences.

The sender drafts the message and sends it through a certification platform instead of doing it from a standard email client.

At the time of sending, the platform records the message content, the sender’s and recipient’s data, and the exact date and time. From that moment, the delivery process is monitored and the result documented. All this set of evidence is consolidated into a certificate that can be downloaded and kept as proof.

It would be nice to adapt an image like this to Acumba’s style to make it more visual

The Role of the Trusted Third Party in Certification

The key element of certified email is the trusted third party. This independent actor is the one who guarantees the integrity and authenticity of the generated evidence.

Its function is comparable to that of a digital notary: it does not intervene in the content but certifies that the process has been carried out according to recognized technical and legal rules.

Legal Validity of Certified Email and Applicable Regulatory Framework

The legal validity of certified email is supported by European and national regulations that recognize the validity of trusted electronic services.

In the European Union, the eIDAS Regulation establishes the legal framework for electronic certification services and recognizes their evidentiary value.

This means that a certified email can be presented as evidence in a judicial or administrative proceeding, as long as it meets the required technical and traceability requirements.

It is not just a simple screenshot or an internal record, but a certificate issued by a provider that acts in accordance with current regulations.

Certified Email and eIDAS Regulation

The eIDAS Regulation regulates aspects such as electronic identification, timestamps, and certified electronic delivery services.

Certified email fits within this framework as a service that ensures data transmission between parties with legal evidence of sending and receipt, reinforcing its legal acceptance.

Use Cases of Certified Email in the Business Environment

Certified email is especially useful in communications where it is necessary to document what was communicated. It is not limited to large companies or legal departments but can be applied to multiple common scenarios in SMEs and professionals.

Labor Communications and Human Resources

In the labor field, certified email is used to notify contractual changes, sanctions, calls, or formal communications with employees.

It allows proving that the information was sent correctly, respecting deadlines and procedures, without resorting to in-person methods or postal deliveries.

Legal, Contractual, and Commercial Notifications

It is also frequently used in notices of non-payment, contract renewals, communications with suppliers or clients, and pre-contractual notifications.

In all these cases, certified email provides objective proof that reduces uncertainty and protects the company against possible claims.

How to Send a Certified Email with Acumbamail?

Acumbamail offers a certified email sending service that allows companies and professionals to integrate this type of communication into their regular operations. The process is carried out digitally, without the need for advanced technical knowledge, and generates a downloadable certificate with all relevant sending data.

Acumbamail’s certified email service is aimed at facilitating legal compliance and managing critical communications while maintaining the agility of email as a channel.

From a single platform, it is possible to send the message, certify it, and keep the evidence for future consultations or legal needs.