Answers to the Three Biggest Questions about Mail.dat®

The United States Postal Service® (USPS®) will eventually require all the mailers to submit Postage Statements and mailing documents electronically instead of hard copies. This means mailers must use the PostalOne!® system to transmit all the required mailing documents electronically. Mail.dat is one of the data file types mailers can use to send electronic files to the PostalOne! system. Now, let’s review some fundamental questions you may have about Mail.dat.

What is Mail.dat?
Mail.dat is an industry standard database file set that consists of detailed presort mailing information based on specifications set by the International Digital Enterprise Alliance (IDEAlliance®) (http://www.idealliance.org/maildat). It is a group of files that combines information from a number of sub-files to provide a detailed summary and description of a presorted mailing. Mail.dat is created during the presort process, either by presort software processing name-and-address lists or by MLOCR (multiple line optical character reader) machines. No matter how the sortation is performed, the details that make up the mailing are recorded in the Mail.dat file set for that job.

Why should I use Mail.dat?
Mail.dat is a standard set of files that can be easily exchanged by all the participants in the mailing industry, and it facilitates automation, operational efficiency, and electronic communication. Below are several more reasons why you will want to use Mail.dat.

• Increase accuracy and productivity
• Conduct business with the USPS electronically via PostalOne!
• Exchange postage data with clients and business partners using a standardized format
• Easily make last-minute changes to the initial presort data and generate accurate Postage Statements
• Manage spoilage and avoid paying for pieces that did not get mailed
• Analyze mailings for drop shipping or other work-sharing discounts and combined mailing opportunities (i.e., co-palletization).

Will Mail.dat be replaced by Mail.XML™?
No. Mail.XML is not a replacement for Mail.dat; it is just an abbreviated method to transmit Mail.dat related data. One can consider Mail.dat as the encyclopedia of a given mailing, and Mail.XML as the telegram that you send to someone describing a portion of the encyclopedia. If your recipient only needs a small segment of information, it is much easier to send them a short telegram than to send them an entire encyclopedia. Mail.dat provides a storage/database model for mailing information while Mail.XML enables two-way business-function specific communication between members of the supply chain. The specifications for both Mail.dat and Mail.XML are maintained by IDEAlliance. Visit www.idealliance.org
for more information on the specifications.

As CEO and Founder of Window Book, Jeffery Peoples has created many innovations since 1989 that make using the Postal Service easier and more profitable for mailers and shippers, including the first-ever: electronic Domestic Mail Manual, MAC Gold shipping system, commercial postal statement management system that supports both Mail.dat® & non-Mail.dat presort data, and the first PMOD system that goes from analysis to printing PMOD labels for tracking mailings.

IDEAlliance, Mail.dat and Mail.XML are trademarks owned by the IDEAlliance. The following trademarks are owned by the United States Postal Service: Intelligent Mail, PostalOne!, United States Postal Service and USPS.