Understanding Letter Status: From Accepted to Delivered

Every letter that AutoLetter sends via DHL E-PostBusiness goes through several processing stages. In your dashboard, you can view the current status of each letter -- both in the campaign detail view and in the customer profile. This article explains what each status message means.

The 5 Status Stages at a Glance

1. Acceptance

The letter has been received by DHL E-PostBusiness. In this step, DHL checks whether the submitted file is formally complete and correct. The acceptance confirms that the letter has been registered in the DHL system and is scheduled for further processing.

What happens: DHL checks file format, page count, and basic structural requirements.

2. Processing

The letter is being validated by DHL for E-Post conformity. This means the content is checked against the technical requirements of the E-PostBusiness system. If everything is in order, the letter is released for printing.

What happens: Validation of address data, page formats, and print specifications. Release for production.

3. Submitted to Print Center

The letter has been successfully validated and handed over to the DHL print center. From this point, the letter is in the production queue and will be printed shortly.

What happens: The print job is forwarded to the physical print center.

4. Print Center Processing

The letter has been printed, enveloped, and prepared for postal delivery at the print center. This status marks the completion of digital processing -- the letter is now on its way to the recipient. In AutoLetter, it is marked as "sent" from this point on.

What happens: Physical printing, enveloping, and submission to the postal service. Delivery typically occurs within 1-2 business days.

5. Processing Error (Status 99)

A technical error occurred during processing. The letter could not be printed or sent. In this case, DHL provides a detailed error message that you can view in the letter details.

What happens: The processing was aborted. The DHL error message provides information about the cause (e.g., invalid address format, faulty PDF structure).

Where Can I See the Status of My Letters?

You can find the status of your letters in two places:

• Campaign detail view: Open a campaign and switch to the "Letters" tab. There you see all sent letters with their current status, sorted by delivery date.
• Customer profile: In a customer's profile, you will find all letters sent to that customer including their status under "Letters".

In both views, you can click on an individual letter to see the full details -- including batch ID, page count, print options, and the DHL error message in case of errors.

How Is the Status Updated?

The automatic status query works as follows:

• AutoLetter sends requests to the DHL interface at defined intervals
• In case of temporary connection problems, the query is automatically retried (up to 4 retry attempts with 5-second delays each)
• Once a letter reaches the status "Print Center Processing", the delivery process is considered complete from AutoLetter's perspective

Typical Timeline

The total turnaround time from upload to delivery is typically 2-4 business days.