Glossary
Deemed receipt
Short answer
Deemed receipt is a contractual rule that treats a notice as received at a fixed point after dispatch, for example two business days after posting or at the time an email is sent, regardless of whether the recipient actually read it. It sets the date from which a notice period starts running.
By Pactinel editorial teamReviewed on October 22, 2026
Without a deemed-receipt rule, a sender might struggle to prove when a notice arrived. The clause removes the uncertainty by choosing a presumed date.
Typical rules
| Method | Common deemed receipt |
|---|---|
| Hand delivery | At delivery |
| Courier | On delivery, or the next business day |
| Registered post | A fixed number of business days after posting |
| When sent, or the next business day if sent outside business hours |
These are examples only; the contract text controls.
Why it matters
Deemed receipt can work for you or against you. If you are sending a non-renewal notice, a deemed date two business days later pushes the effective date back, and it may fall after the deadline. If you are receiving a notice, you are bound by it from the deemed date even if the envelope sat unopened.
Example
A term ends on March 31 and notice must be received 30 days earlier, by March 1. The clause treats mail as received three business days after posting. Posting on Friday, February 27 is too late, because deemed receipt falls after March 1.
Always count backward from the deadline using the deemed date, not the dispatch date.
See the notice clause and notice period.
This is general information, not legal advice.