In the digital age, certified communication has become an indispensable tool for citizens, professionals, and companies. Certified Electronic Mail, or PEC (Posta Elettronica Certificata), represents the evolution of the traditional registered letter with return receipt, combining the speed of email with legal certainty. In Italy, a country where legal tradition meets technological innovation, PEC has taken on a central role in formal interactions. TIM, one of the main national operators, offers a PEC service designed to be simple and accessible, allowing you to send communications with full legal value directly from your computer or smartphone.
Understanding how to use this tool correctly is fundamental. It is not simply about sending an email, but activating a process that guarantees sending, receipt, and content integrity, which is enforceable against third parties in court. This complete guide will explore every aspect of sending a PEC with TIM, from composing the message to managing receipts, ensuring that every communication achieves its purpose with maximum effectiveness and legal security. The goal is to provide anyone, regardless of their familiarity with technology, the knowledge to master this essential service.
What is PEC and why does it have legal value
Certified Electronic Mail (PEC) is an email system regulated by Italian law that gives an email the same legal value as a registered letter with return receipt. Unlike a traditional email, whose path is not tracked in a certified manner, PEC involves accredited providers, such as TIM through its subsidiary Trust Technologies, acting as guarantors of the process. When you send a PEC, your provider creates a digital “transport envelope,” electronically signs it, and sends it to the recipient’s provider. The latter, after verifying the integrity of the envelope, delivers it to the receiver’s mailbox, generating legal proof of delivery.
Legal value is guaranteed only if the communication takes place between two PEC mailboxes. If you send a PEC to a standard email address, you will only receive the acceptance receipt from your provider, but not the delivery receipt, thus losing the legal proof of delivery. The entire process is regulated by Presidential Decree No. 68 of February 11, 2005, and supervised by the Agency for Digital Italy (AgID), which defines the technical rules and ensures provider compliance. For a complete examination of the differences, it is useful to consult our guide on the differences between email and PEC.
Step-by-step guide to sending a PEC with TIM
Sending a certified communication with TIM PEC is a structured process designed to ensure simplicity and security. The first step is to access your mailbox, which can be done via the dedicated Webmail or the mobile app for iOS and Android. Once logged in, proceed with composing the message. It is fundamental to enter the recipient’s correct PEC address in the “To:” field. Unlike traditional emails, regulations do not allow the use of the “Bcc” (Blind Carbon Copy) field for certified messages.
The subject of the email must be clear and concise, anticipating the content of the communication. The body of the text should be written professionally, exactly as you would for a formal letter. You can attach documents, but pay attention to the maximum size allowed per single message, which with TIM PEC is 100MB. Before pressing “Send,” it is essential to double-check all data. An incorrect address or a missing attachment can compromise the effectiveness of the communication. Once the message is sent, the system will take care of generating the receipts that attest to its legal value.
Acceptance and delivery receipts: the legal proof
The core of the PEC’s legal value lies in the receipts generated by the system. Immediately after sending, you receive the acceptance receipt. This document, issued by your PEC provider (TIM), certifies that the message has been correctly accepted and sent to the recipient’s mail system. The acceptance receipt is the first legal proof, similar to the receipt you get at the post office when sending a registered letter. It contains crucial information such as the date and time of sending and the message’s identification data.
Subsequently, you receive the delivery receipt. This is the most important proof: it attests that the message has been delivered to the recipient’s PEC mailbox and is legally at their disposal. From that moment, the communication is considered legally notified, regardless of whether the recipient actually opens or reads the email. If the message cannot be delivered, for example, because the recipient’s mailbox is full, you receive a non-delivery receipt, which explains the reason. It is fundamental to keep all receipts, as they constitute the legal proof of the communication. To learn how to interpret them correctly, you can refer to our guide to reading TIM PEC receipts.
Common errors to avoid to ensure validity
To ensure the full legal value of a PEC, it is crucial to avoid some common errors that could compromise its effectiveness. One of the most frequent mistakes is sending a PEC to a standard email address, believing that the communication retains the same value. As already specified, legal validity is guaranteed only between two PEC mailboxes. Another critical error is typing the recipient’s address incorrectly. In this case, you will receive a non-delivery notice that effectively invalidates the shipment.
You must also pay attention to your own mailbox. If the storage space is exhausted, it will not be possible to receive new communications, including important delivery receipts or messages from other senders. Similarly, if the recipient’s mailbox is full, our transmission will not be successful. Finally, it is a serious error not to keep the acceptance and delivery receipts. These files are the legal proof of the communication and must be archived carefully, preferably outside the mailbox, to be exhibited in case of litigation. If you have space issues, discover how to free up your email inbox.
PEC in the European context: the REM service and the future
Certified Electronic Mail, born as an Italian standard, is evolving to become interoperable at the European level. This process is driven by the eIDAS (electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services) regulation, which aims to create a single digital market by establishing a common regulatory basis for trust services. The goal is to allow citizens, businesses, and public administrations of different Member States to communicate via electronic tools with the same legal value throughout the European Union.
In this context, PEC is transforming into a Qualified Electronic Registered Delivery Service (QERDS), or REM (Registered Electronic Mail). For users, this means that in the future, their TIM PEC mailbox, once adapted to the new standards, can be used to send legally valid communications in any EU country. This adaptation will require certain identification of the mailbox holder and will guarantee content integrity and certain dating of sending and receipt across borders, further strengthening trust and security in digital transactions.
- Access TIM PEC Webmail or App
Log in to your certified mailbox using the dedicated TIM Webmail or the official mobile application available for iOS and Android devices.
- Compose the new certified message
Start writing the email by entering the recipient’s PEC address in the To field. Remember that PEC regulations do not allow the use of the Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) field.
- Enter subject, text, and attachments
Write a clear subject and a formal body text. You can upload documents or files, being careful not to exceed the maximum limit of 100MB provided by TIM per single message.
- Verify data and send the PEC
Carefully check the recipient’s address and the presence of attachments. A typing error invalidates delivery. Press Send to dispatch your legal communication.
- Wait for the acceptance receipt
Immediately after sending, you will receive the acceptance receipt from the TIM provider. This document officially certifies the date and time the system accepted your message.
- Check the delivery receipt
Wait for the delivery receipt in the recipient’s mailbox. It is the fundamental legal proof that makes the notification valid and enforceable against third parties, equivalent to a registered letter with return receipt.
- Archive receipts legally
Carefully keep both the acceptance and delivery receipts. Save them preferably outside the mailbox, as they constitute the only legal proof of the communication.
In Brief (TL;DR)
This article provides a detailed guide on how to correctly compose and send a Certified Electronic Mail (PEC) message from your TIM account, ensuring full legal value.
From correctly filling out fields to interpreting notifications, here is everything you need to know to use your TIM PEC without errors.
Delve into the key steps for correctly composing the message, inserting attachments, and managing receipts, which are fundamental elements for conferring legal validity to your communication.
Conclusions
Sending a PEC with legal value through the service offered by TIM is an operation that combines the tradition of legal certainty with the innovation of digital communication. As we have seen, the process is simple but requires attention to crucial details: from the correct compilation of the message to the meticulous management of acceptance and delivery receipts, which represent the true legal proof of the communication. Avoiding common errors, such as sending to non-certified mailboxes or neglecting to keep receipts, is fundamental to ensuring the effectiveness of every transmission.
PEC is not just a tool for fulfilling bureaucratic obligations, but a strategic resource for communicating securely and in a certified manner with Public Administration, companies, and other citizens. The evolution towards an interoperable European standard (REM) under the aegis of the eIDAS regulation will only increase the importance and versatility of this tool. Knowing how to use TIM PEC correctly means, therefore, possessing a key skill to navigate securely in the current and future digital landscape, saving valuable time and resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Certified Electronic Mail is legally equivalent to a traditional registered letter with return receipt. It provides enforceable proof of sending and delivery, guaranteeing the date, time, and integrity of the content exchanged between the sender and the recipient, provided both parties use a certified email address.
While it is technically possible to send a message from a PEC account to a standard email, the communication will not have full legal value. You will receive the acceptance receipt from your provider, but you will not receive the delivery receipt, which is the necessary proof that the recipient actually received the message.
When composing a message using TIM PEC, the total size limit for a single email, including the body text and all attached documents, is 100MB. It is important to verify the size of your files before sending to ensure the system accepts the transmission without errors.
To maintain legal validity, you must archive both the acceptance receipt and the delivery receipt. The acceptance receipt confirms that the system took charge of your message, while the delivery receipt certifies that the email successfully reached the recipient certified mailbox and is legally available to them.
Current regulations regarding Certified Electronic Mail do not allow the use of the Blind Carbon Copy or Bcc field. This restriction ensures complete transparency in the certification process, requiring all recipients to be visible in the To or Cc fields to generate valid legal receipts.
Did you find this article helpful? Is there another topic you'd like to see me cover?
Write it in the comments below! I take inspiration directly from your suggestions.