With a paper registered letter someone signs at the door, but who really signed? With TransferGuard you know for certain: we verify the identity of the person who actually opens your documents. This article explains how digital registered delivery works and where our strength lies.
A brief history of registered post
The paper registered letter goes back in the Netherlands to 1850, when the State Telegraph Office introduced an additional service on top of ordinary letter post. The idea was simple: the sender paid extra, and in return received proof of presentation and a confirmation of receipt as soon as the addressee signed. In legal practice the registered letter was used well into the 21st century as the standard way to send deadlines and formal demands with provable effect.
Our strength: you know who really received the document
The biggest difference between TransferGuard and traditional delivery methods lies in the level of identity certainty. A signature on a receipt card proves that someone signed, not that it was the intended person. TransferGuard takes that to the highest level: with biometric identity verification the recipient scans their own passport or ID, takes a live selfie, and our technology checks via a liveness check that it is the real, living person who belongs to that document.
For the legal profession, the notarial profession and the construction sector, this is the difference between "someone received it" and "this specific person, demonstrably the one they claim to be, opened it at this exact moment". That is strong evidence leaving very little room for doubt.
What a TransferGuard delivery produces
Every delivery produces a complete, self-contained, readable evidence package. The building blocks:
- Verified identity of the recipient, from email or SMS confirmation to full biometric passport verification, depending on the level of evidence you choose.
- An independent verified timestamp that independently marks the exact moment of dispatch and receipt, recorded by a third party.
- A cryptographic file hash (SHA-256) that rules out the document having been altered between dispatch and receipt.
- A verifiable audit report with IP address, geolocation, device and the verified identity, captured in a single PDF report, ready to retain and present.
For the vast majority of business, contractual and legal applications this evidence package is exactly what you need in proceedings: the court weighs evidence on its substance (free assessment of evidence), and the combination of verified identity, independent timestamp and SHA-256 hash answers the questions that truly matter: what, when, to whom and unaltered.
For completeness: TransferGuard is not a qualified electronic registered delivery service (QERDS) within the meaning of Article 44 of the eIDAS Regulation. That is only relevant in the rare situations where legislation explicitly prescribes a QERDS or formal service of process; in all other cases the quality of the evidence itself is what counts, and TransferGuard records that demonstrably from dispatch to receipt.
The practical advantages at a glance
In addition to identity certainty, digital delivery offers concrete advantages over the paper route:
- Delivered instantly. No waiting 1 to 3 working days, no post office. The recipient has access within minutes.
- Evidence about the content. A paper envelope may have been empty; our SHA-256 hash proves exactly which file was delivered.
- Large files. Up to 100 GB per delivery: video interviews, complete project archives and multi-GB scans fit effortlessly.
- Full traceability. IP address, device details and geographical region of the recipient, not just a track & trace status.
- Archive-proof. A verifiable PDF audit report with a SHA-256 integrity check and an independent verified timestamp, durable for years.
When do you choose which form?
Digital is usually superior for: formal demands, notices of default, terminations, sharing draft deeds, files between lawyer and client, and international deliveries. Speed, evidential weight about the content and identity certainty are then decisive.
Paper remains the designated route for situations where statutory service explicitly prescribes paper post (certain cases under the Dutch Code of Civil Procedure (Rv)) or where the counterparty demonstrably has no digital means of receipt. For writs of summons in particular we refer you to the article Sending a writ of summons digitally: step-by-step plan.
Conclusion
Digital registered delivery is faster, more cost-effective and proves more than the paper letter, but the decisive strength of TransferGuard is identity certainty. You know not only that your document was received, but precisely who opened it, verified down to the biometric level. For modern legal practice, the notarial profession and the construction sector, that is the difference between plausible and demonstrable.
See how TransferGuard shapes digital registered deliveries on the features page or read our complete guide for law firms.