The return receipt option is a feature offered by some email service providers. Just as with physical “snail mail,” using this feature can be very useful. For one thing, it serves as confirmation of delivery. It may also provide additional information of value, such as the time and date the email was read, and the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the local computer or network that received it.

However, requesting a return receipt doesn’t necessarily mean one will actually be received. First, the recipient’s email application may not support this feature. Also, privacy policies usually allow individual users to opt-out of email tracking. This means that the recipient may disable the return receipt feature and still read the email. In addition, if the sender’s email address is not pre-approved or is otherwise filtered, the email may be automatically directed to a “spam” folder and never be viewed at all.

While there are dozens of web-based email providers -- and some that don’t require an internet connection at all -- surprisingly few offer the return receipt feature. However, some of the more mainstream email clients do, such as America Online (AOL), Netscape, and Microsoft Office Outlook. Still, be aware that even though these applications may have this option, it is disabled by default. In fact, it can sometimes take a few extra clicks for the sender to figure out how to send email with this feature enabled.

For example, the Microsoft Office Outlook application has a number of return receipt options, which can be accessed by selecting “Options” from the pull-down menu under “Tools” from the main menu bar. From here, the user can elect to request a return receipt for all email sent, to be prompted before sending individual email, or to disable the feature entirely. The user can also choose to send a return receipt for incoming email.

America Online is much more straightforward with its return receipt options. With this application, there is a tab that reads “Request Return Receipt” at the bottom of the window from which email is composed that can be checked. In addition, since AOL is a subscription-based service, members can track the status of all email sent to other AOL members. This feature is available without even requesting a return receipt.

With Netscape Mail, return receipt options are available in the “Mail and Newsgroups” area under “Preferences” from the “Edit” pull-down menu. As with Microsoft Office Outlook, Netscape users can choose to request a return receipt for all outgoing email or only for some. However, like AOL members, Netscape users can simply select “Compose” to launch a new email window and check the box to request a return receipt from there.