Intelligent Mail® Full-Service Countdown
You've already converted your mailpiece barcodes from the old POSTNET barcode to the Intelligent Mail barcode, which was required by the USPS® this past January in order to keep receiving automation discounts. Effective January 26, 2014, you will be further required to use Intelligent Mail Full-Service® to be eligible for those automation discounts. Time is rapidly ticking away toward this deadline - are you ready?
Read More
Emerging Technologies Promotion
Beginning August 1st and running through
September 30, 2013, the United States Postal Service® (USPS®) will be offering a
promotion to mailers who use Augmented Reality, Authentication or Near Field Communication
technology in their mailpieces in order to improve the value of their mail. The
promotion includes three separate and independent components, and mailers must use
one of the three components to qualify for the discount.
Read More
Shedding light on Mail.dat’s many ZIP codes and permits
Ever wonder why there are so many fields
for ZIP codes in a Mail.dat® file? The same goes for all the different permits.
What exactly are all these ZIP codes and permits, and what are they used for? If
this is confusing to you, you are definitely not alone. This week we've put together
a Mail.dat file ZIP code and permit FAQ list.
Read More
Picture Permit Imprint Indicia Promotion
Beginning August 1st and running through
September 30, 2013, the United States Postal Service® (USPS®) will be offering a
promotion to mailers who use the Picture Permit Imprint Indicia service that was
originally introduced last year. There are some specific requirements for using
this service offering.
Read More
Updating
Destination Data
You've most likely heard of terminology
such as Labeling Lists, Drop Ship Destination Data, City-State Files, Zone Chart
Data, and so forth, but what do all these terms really mean, and why are they important
to your mailing operations? The USPS provides to mailers what are termed "Destination
Data Files" which may be downloaded from the USPS web site. There are a number of
different files included in this group of Destination Data Files, all of which are
critical to insure that your mail is prepared properly and is labeled and routed
to the correct postal facilities for processing and delivery. This data can – and
does - change often, so it is critical that mailers pay attention to these changes
and update their presort and post-presort software with the new data as it becomes
available.
Read More
Simplified TEM Certification Process
In an effort to reduce the amount of
time and effort it takes for mailers to get certified for Intelligent Mail Full-Service®,
the USPS® recently revised the certification process in the Test Environment for
Mailers (TEM) of PostalOne! This revised process is for mailers who use third-party
software (like Window Book's DAT-MAIL solution) that has been certified by the USPS
for submission of Full-Service mailings to PostalOne! The process for mailers who
use non-certified software to submit mailings has also been revised, but it requires
more test submissions than the simplified process. In essence, there are now three
main TEM certification processes: Certified software for simple mailings, certified
software for more complex mailings, and the non-certified software process.
Read More
Intelligent
Mail® Full-Service FAQ's
Manage Intelligent Mail® Full-Service
FAQ's Now that the deadline for mailers to implement Intelligent Mail Full-Service
is only a few short months away, there are mailers who are now scrambling to get
answers to some very critical questions. We thought this would be a good time to
review some frequently asked questions about implementing Intelligent Mail Full-Service.
Read
More
Hate to Say It, but "We Told You So..." - Intelligent Mail Full-Service Requirement
officially goes into effect January 26, 2014 (if you want to keep your automation
price discounts)
If you have read with skepticism our
previous emails and newsletters about the Intelligent Mail Full-Service deadline
in January 2014, or pooh-poohed us when we told you about it on our webinars or
at the trade shows, then maybe you will believe Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe.
Read More
Pallets for Intelligent Mail Full-Service
The use of pallets for moving and transporting
is a common practice in the mailing industry, but for as wide-spread as the use
of pallets is, there is also a lot of confusion out there, particularly in light
of the upcoming Intelligent Mail Full-Service® deadline for maintaining automation
discounts. We thought it was a perfect time to clear up some of the palletization
confusion.
Read More
Implementation of Full-Service Intelligent Mail Required for Automation Prices
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ)
recently filed the final rule Federal Register Notice that makes it official: Effective
January 26, 2014 mailers will be required to use Intelligent Mail Full-Service in
order to retain automation discounts for First-Class, Standard Mail, and Periodicals
letters and flats, and for Bound Printed Matter flats.Read
More
PostalOne! Mandatory Software Update
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ)
announced an update to the software used on PostalOne!, which will be implemented
on April 21, 2013 for the Production environment and on April 22, 2013 for the Test
Environment for Mailers (TEM).
Read More
Top Ten Reasons Not to Delay Implementing Intelligent Mail Full-Serviceﾨ
It's time for a major wake-up call. Intelligent
Mail Full-Service is happening. No ands, ifs, buts or delays. You may think it is
going to be a major pain to implement Full-Service - and you may even be thinking
the discounts aren't that great... You couldn't be more wrong. The USPS recently
simplified the TEM certification process for mailers. And, there's a lot more money
to consider than just the current discounts being offered. If you don't convert
to Full-Service then you will lose all your automation discounts. The USPS is paying
you to convert - stop procrastinating.
Read More
Two New USPS Promotions
Right on the heels of two currently-running
USPS incentive promotions (the Mobile Coupon and Click-to-Call Promotion and the
Earned Value Reply Mail Promotion), come two additional promotions scheduled to
begin running August 1. One of the promotions is called the Emerging Technologies
Promotion and the other promotion is called the Product Samples Promotion. Both
promotions are scheduled to run from August 1 through September 30, 2013.
Read More
Labeling List Changes Effective April 1, 2013
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ)
announced changes to the Labeling List data, effective April 1, 2013, with a mandatory
use date of April 30, 2013. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L003, L004,
L005, L006, L007, L008, L009, L011, L012, L201, L601, L602, L605, L606, L607 and
L801. The Labeling Lists are located on the Postal Explorer web site under the Additional
Links tab.
Read More
Direct from NPF in San Francisco - Intelligent Mail Full-Service is the Intelligent
way to Mail
It was a great National Postal Forum
in San Francisco this week. The USPS did made it very clear to us that the deadline
for converting to Full-Service is January 26, 2014 to continue to receive automation
discounts. In several previous emails and e-Tips we have mentioned that the United
States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) established January 26, 2014 as the deadline for
mailers to convert to Intelligent Mailﾨ Full-Service or lose their automation discounts.
Thanks to all of you that have seen the value of converting to Full Service now.
Read More
USPS Sends Tech Credit Letters to Mailers
USPS)ﾨ has started sending eligibility letters to mailers for the proposed Full-Service
Technology Credit ("Tech Credit"). The letters started going out on March 1,
2013 and many mailers have already received their letters.
Read More
More
USPS Facility Closures in 2013
As reported in earlier e-Tips, the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) continues
to work on their planned facility closures, which will continue through 2014.
(Although at the recent IDEAlliance Print Distribution Conference, representatives
of the USPS indicated the Postal Service will always continue to evaluate and
refine their network to make improvements.) The USPS has proposed closing a
large number of processing facilities in an effort to cut costs and optimize
their processing network to more closely align with the decreased volumes of
mail.
Read More
First-Class
Mail Residual Letters Manage
Effective with the price changes on January 27, 2013, the USPSﾨ made a change
in how single-piece Commercial Residual First-Class Mail letters are reported
on postage statements (PS Form 3600-FCM). The minimum postage for these pieces
is that of a 2-ounce letter, and this change extends this concept to the Commercial
Residual piece letters that are part of the same mailing job and presented at
the same time as the presorted and/or automation mailing. The purpose was to
minimize extra sorting for these pieces and to allow for a uniform price for
both one-ounce and two-ounces. Unfortunately, because the Commercial Pricing
for these pieces is actually higher than the Retail pricing for the same types
of pieces, it has created a lot of confusion in the mailing industry.
Read MoreMID and
CRIDS
As more mailers begin making the transition to Intelligent Mailﾨ, one of the
first tasks they are faced with is creating an account on the USPSﾨ Business
Customer Gateway so they can access the PostalOne! system. As part of that process,
mailers must apply for Mailer Identification Numbers, or MID's, and Customer
Registration Identification Numbers, or CRID's. There can be a lot of mystery
and confusion surrounding both of these terms, so this week's e-Tip attempts
to unravel the mystery.
Read More
Intelligent Mailﾨ Package Barcodes On BPM Parcels Releases
You may have read some of our recent e-Tips regarding the new Intelligent Mail
Package Barcode (IMpb) requirements, which went into effect on January 28, 2013.
If you read those notices and thought these requirements did not apply to you,
you may want to check again. One group of mailers who are getting caught unprepared
for this are folks who normally mail Standard Mailﾨ flats or Bound Printed Matter
(BPM) flats.
Read More
2013 Mail.datﾨ Versions and PostalOne! Releases
It's a new year and time to break out a new calendar. While you're at it, you
may want to plug in some important dates in 2013 regarding updates to PostalOne!
and the Mail.datﾨ file specification. This will help insure you don?t get caught
by surprise when these updates occur.
Read More
Mail Transport Equipment Ordering System
Did you know that you can order your USPS
ﾨ Mail Transport Equipment
(MTE) online? You know how vital it is to insure that you have enough trays,
sacks, pallets and other equipment to process your mail, and now the USPS has
made it easier than ever to make and monitor the status of your equipment orders.
Read More
Tick, Tick, Tick...
Time is running out for mailers and shippers to meet some important deadlines
on January 27 and 28, 2013. These deadlines involve price changes and Intelligent
Mail
ﾨ requirements. If you have been procrastinating on meeting these
deadlines, your time is running out!
Read More
Mobile Coupon and Click-to-Call Promotion
The first of the USPS incentive programs and promotions for 2013 is the Mobile
Coupon and Click-to-Call Promotion, which runs from March 1, 2013 to April 30,
2013. This promotion builds on previous mobile barcode promotions to encourage
mailers to integrate direct mail with mobile technology. Registration for participation
in this promotion starts on January 15, 2013.
Read More
PostalOne!
Update on January 13, 2013
Just a reminder that PostalOne! will update to Release 33 on January 13, 2013.
Release 33 supports both the January 2013 USPS price changes and the new Mail.datﾨ
13-1 version specification. This is a mandatory update to PostalOne! to support
the new postal prices. Mailers and mail service providers who submit electronic
files to PostalOne! for production should download and install the new MD Client
software from the Business Customer Gateway as soon as it is available on January
13, 2013. The new MD Client software for the Test Environment for Mailers (TEM)
will be made available to users the day after the production version is made
available. (Yes. Production before test. Go figure...)
Read More
Intelligent Mail Package Barcodes Deadline Reminder
If you ship or mail parcels through the USPS, you have some major changes coming
up in January 2013 that you need to prepare for. Starting January 28, 2013,
which is just a short month away, there are some MAJOR changes coming in the
way you need to ship your parcels through the USPS. The United States Postal
Service
ﾨ (USPS
ﾨ) is replacing the Confirmation Services
barcode with the Intelligent Mail
ﾨ Package Barcode (IMpb) for tracking
of parcels and for Extra Services. The barcode includes the customer account
(Mailer ID), ZIP Code routing, payment channel information, class of mail and
service combination of the mail piece. The IMpb is similar to the Intelligent
Mail Barcode (IMb) used for Letter and Flat size mail, but is designed specifically
for parcels.
Read More
Labeling List Changes
The United States Postal Service
ﾨ (USPS
ﾨ) announced changes
to the Labeling List data, effective January 1, 2013, with a mandatory use date
of January 31, 2013. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L003, L004,
L005, L006, L007, L008, L009, L011, L012, L201, L601, L602, L605, L606, L607
and L801. The Labeling Lists are located on the Postal Explorer web site under
the Additional Links tab.
Read More
January 2013 Postal Price & Mail.datﾨ Version Changes
A friendly reminder that in just a few weeks, the USPS will implement their
annual price increases for mailing and shipping products. At that same time,
a new Mail.dat specification will be implemented: version 13-1. The current
Mail.dat specification is version 12-2. PostalOne! will be updated in January
2013 to accommodate the new prices as well as the new 13-1 Mail.dat version.
Mailers will need to be prepared to submit the new postage statements and the
new Mail.dat file version.
Read MoreIMR DOA PDQ
In January 2013 the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) will no longer support
the Intelligent Mail Range (IMR) file in the Mail.datﾨ file set. The IMR file
within the Mail.dat file set is being eliminated in favor of other files that
include more detailed information (i.e., the PDR and PBC files). This is all
in keeping with the USPS mission of meeting the Sarbanes-Oxley requirements
for more detailed and accurate data regarding financial transactions, which
includes postage payment transactions.
Read More
January 2013 Postal Prices
As we told you in an earlier eTip, the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ)
proposed to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) an average increase in mailing
services prices of 2.5 percent. The First-Class Mail? stamp will increase from
the current 45 cents to 46 cents, with an overall increase of about 4 percent.
The implementation date for the new prices will be January 27, 2013. The PRC
has essentially approved the USPS proposals for all classes of mail EXCEPT Standard
Mail Flats. The PRC remanded those rates back to the USPS, citing that the proposed
rates did not provide adequate cost coverage for this mail. As a result, the
USPS has submitted new proposed rates for Standard Mail Flats. The new increase
for this mail is an average of 2.617 percent, which is higher than the average
increase for the rest of Standard Mail (2.569 percent) and higher than the CPI-U
price cap of 2.570 percent.
Read More
Folded Self-Mailer Regs Change in Jan 2013 (A Friendly Reminder)
On January 5, 2013, revised regulations become effective for folded self-mailers
(FSM's) and other unenveloped pieces. We told you about these changes in two
eTips earlier this year, so hopefully you already made plans to use up your
remaining stock and to make design changes for affected mailpieces that will
mail after January 5th. If you haven't, you had better get a move on! These
changes were first published by the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) in
the December 1, 2011 Federal Register. As part of the changes, the USPS renamed
pieces designed to carry discs and expanded the standards that apply to tabs
to include folded self-mailers (FSM's). These new rules do not apply to cards,
envelopes, booklet style letters or mailpieces designed to carry discs.
Read More
Intelligent Mail Package Barcodes (IMpb) in January 2013
Most of the time, letter and flat size mail "steals the thunder" when it comes
to communications regarding Intelligent Mail. But what about PARCELS? Well,
parcels are not immune from the impact of Intelligent Mail?in fact, far from
it. Starting in January 2013, which is just a few short weeks away, there are
some MAJOR changes coming in the way you need to ship your parcels through the
USPS. The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) is replacing the Confirmation
Services barcode with the Intelligent Mailﾨ Package Barcode (IMﾨpb) for tracking
of parcels and for Extra Services. The barcode includes the customer account
(Mailer ID), ZIP Code routing, payment channel information, class of mail and
service combination of the mail piece. The IMpb is similar to the Intelligent
Mail Barcode (IMb) used for Letter and Flat size mail, but is designed specifically
for parcels.
Read More
USPS Price Incentives and Promotions for 2013
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) recently proposed six (6) new promotions/incentives
for First-Class? and Standard Mailﾨ mailers to take advantage of at various
times throughout 2013. The discount promotions are geared toward increasing
mail volumes from mailers, for which the USPS is offering postage incentives
for participation.
Read More
Are you ready for January 2013 and 2014?
As we mentioned in several previous emails and e-Tips, the United States Postal
Service
ﾨ (USPS
ﾨ) has established two major deadlines for
mailers and shippers to convert to Intelligent Mail
ﾨ. The first is
January 2013, at which time Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) will be required
for mailers in order to continue receiving automation discounts, and for shippers
(you all need the IMpb ? see below) to be able to continue receiving shipment
tracking information and, for some shippers, presort and destination pricing.
The second deadline comes along in January 2014 when the USPS will require the
use of Intelligent Mail Full-Service to be eligible for automation discounts.
Read More
Industry Alert: Mail Service Impacted by Hurricane Sandy
The United States Postal Service
ﾨ (USPS
ﾨ) is posting Mail
Service Updates on their RIBBS web site. These updates currently include the
impact on postal processing and delivery of mail to areas affected by Hurricane
Sandy. Mailers are encouraged to check the web site often for periodic updates
to the situation. The information below was posted on October 30, 2012.
Read More
Labeling List Changes
The United States Postal Service
ﾨ (USPS
ﾨ) announced changes
to the Labeling List data, effective October 15, 2012, with a mandatory use
date of December 31, 2012. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L004,
L005, L006, L007, L011, L012, L201, L601, L605, L606, L607 and L801. The Labeling
Lists are located on the Postal Explorer web site under the Additional Links
tab.
Read More
USPS Proposes New Incentive for Intelligent Mail
In a Federal Register Notice (FRN) dated October 17, 2012, the United States
Postal Service (USPS) is proposing a new incentive called the Full-Service Technology
Credit (?Tech Credit?). This incentive is designed to encourage mailers to convert
to Intelligent Mail Full-Service and is intended to help offset the investment
required to implement the necessary hardware and software changes to support
Full-Service mailings. If approved, the Tech Credit will take the form of a
postage credit.
Read More
New Proposed USPS Prices and Services for 2013
As promised in an earlier e-tip, we now have more detail regarding the pricing
and services the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) proposed to the Postal
Regulatory Commission (PRC). The First-Class Mail? stamp will increase from
the current 45 cents to 46 cents, with an overall increase of about 4 percent.
Mailing services classes will see increases of around 2.5 percent. The implementation
date will be January 27, 2013.
Read More
New Ancillary Service Options for Traditional ACS Users
If you use a Traditional ACS code for your Address Change Service and use Intelligent
Mailﾨ barcodes (IMb) on your mailpieces, you need to pay attention to upcoming
changes in the Service Type ID codes (STID) available effective in January 2013.
Traditional ACS service is identified by a Participant Code, such as #BWXZZZ,
in the address area of the mailpieces. The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ)
is providing a transitional period from January 27, 2013 to March 1, 2013 for
mailers to make the necessary changes.
Read MoreMail.datﾨ
Version 13-1
The Mail.dat specification will be updated to version 13-1 in conjunction with
the USPS postal rate increase in January 2013. The current Mail.dat specification
is version 12-2. This week?s e-tip provides some of the highlights of the changes
in the new 13-1 version. One of the biggest changes is that the Intelligent
Mail Range Record (IMR) file has been removed. Mailers who are currently using
IMR files in their Mail.dat files should be working with their software providers
NOW to start transitioning to alternate file options to replace the IMR (PDR
or PBC). It is best to do this BEFORE the January 2013 deadline in order to
reduce the amount of change that will occur during that time period.
Read More
Registration Period Open for Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion
As reported in an earlier eTip, the United States Postal Service
ﾨ
(USPS
ﾨ) is offering a "Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion" (Mobile
Shopping Promotion), scheduled for November 7, 2012 through November 21, 2012.
The registration period for mailers to enroll for this new promotion opened
on September 15, 2012, so we encourage all mailers who intend to participate
in this program to get enrolled.
Read More
Intelligent
Mail Package Barcodes
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) is replacing the Confirmation Services
barcode with the Intelligent Mailﾨ Package Barcode (IMﾨpb) for tracking of parcels
and for Extra Services. The barcode includes the customer account (Mailer ID),
ZIP Code routing, payment channel information, class of mail and service combination
of the mail piece. The IMpb is similar to the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb)
used for Letter and Flat size mail, but is designed specifically for parcels.
Read More
New Mail
Preparation Options
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS)ﾨ is offering new mail preparation options
for pallets, trays and sacks of First-Class and Standard Mail. These new mail
preparation standards are optional and became effective September 4, 2012. The
USPS also provides some clarification regarding Destination Sectional Center
Facility eligibility in the September 4, 2012 DMM changes.
Read
More
USPS
PostalOne! and Mail.datﾨ Updates
One thing that never changes in the mailing industry is the speed at which things
change! Two major changes coming up are the PostalOne! update on October 14,
2012, and the Mail.dat version change in 2013. And don't forget the January
2013 sunsetting of the POSTNET barcode in favor of the Intelligent Mailﾨ barcode
as a requirement to achieve automation discounts. Are you prepared for all these
changes?
Read
More
USPS Changes for Folded Self-Mailers in 2013
The final rules take effect on January 5, 2013, so mailers need to make plans
to use up remaining stock and to make design changes for affected mailpieces
that will mail after the effective date.
Read More
USPS
Sunsets Barcodes and IMR
In January 2013 the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) will ?sunset? the
POSTNET? barcode, the PLANET? code barcode, and will no longer support the Intelligent
Mail Range record (IMR) file in the Mail.datﾨ file set. The elimination of the
POSTNET barcode was previously announced several months ago, and will be effective
in January 2013. This change is to pave the way for more universal use by mailers
of the Intelligent Mailﾨ barcode.
Read More
New Labeling List Changes (effective August 15, 2012)
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced new changes to the Labeling
List data, effective August 15, 2012, with a mandatory use date of October 29,
2012. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L004, L005, L006, L007, L012,
L201, L601, L605, L606, L607 and L801. The Labeling Lists are located on the
Postal Explorer web site under the Additional Links tab.
Read More
PRC Approves Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion
As we mentioned in an earlier eTip, the USPS requested approval for a Holiday
Mobile Shopping Promotion for November 2012. This week, the PRC has approved
this promotion making it official.
Read More
Mobile Barcode Incentive (Postage Statement Clarification)
The incentive and regulations have changed a bit since last year, so mailers
need to pay close attention to the changes. One of the significant changes is
how the incentive appears on postage statements - both hard-copy and on PostalOne!
- and those changes are causing quite a bit of confusion in the mailing industry.
Read More
Postal Information Resources
For mailers, who are trying to wade through the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) to
find pertinent information can be a daunting task, and even when you locate
the appropriate information, it can sometimes be difficult to understand.
Read More
USPS Fascinating Facts
Occasionally we like to lighten things up a bit by providing you with some fun,
little-known facts about the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ).
Read More
USPS Announces Facility Closures for 2012
The USPS announced facility closings, which are currently underway and will
continue through 2014.
Read More
USPS Announces Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) sent a notice on June 27, 2012 to
the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) requesting approval for a "Holiday Mobile
Shopping Promotion" (Mobile Shopping Promotion), scheduled for November 7, 2012
through November 21, 2012 (the promotion period). The
promotion
will be available for First-Class Mailﾨ and Standard Mailﾨ letters, flats, and
cards (presort and automation) that include a mobile barcode (or other print/mobile
technology) on or inside the mailpiece. The incentive is a two percent (2%)
up-front discount on mail containing the mobile barcodes. Additionally, mailers
may qualify for an extra one percent (1%) rebate if a portion of the orders
stemming from the promotional mail pieces are fulfilled using Priority Mailﾨ
between November 9, 2012 and December 31, 2012.
Read
More
Transitioning
to Intelligent Mailﾨ
Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you are already aware that Postal Service?
is planning to "sunset" the POSTNET barcode in January 2013 in favor of the
Intelligent Mailﾨ barcode in order to receive automation discounts. This will
go one step further in 2014, when they plan to require the use of Intelligent
Mail Full Serviceﾨ to be eligible for automation discounts. The United States
Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced a series of webinars designed to assist mailers
in making the transition to Intelligent Mail (IM).
Read More
Labeling List Changes for Mailers (new update will be effective June 15, 2012)
Once again, USPS has announced changes to the Labeling List data for mailers,
effective June 15, 2012. The new update will be mandatory during August 2012.
Add-on tool is available with our DAT-MAIL product, so you can automatically
download the necessary Labeling List updates.
Read MoreMail.dat
Version 12-2
As we told you in an earlier e-Tip, there is a new Mail.datﾨ version going into
effect this month. The new Mail.dat version, 12-2, supports changes in service
offerings and mail acceptance initiatives from the United States Postal Serviceﾨ
(USPSﾨ). The PostalOne! site will be updated this weekend for these changes,
so mailers need to pay attention to make sure their software is up-to-date.
Read More
Picture
Permit Imprint Indicia for Mailpieces
Wouldn't it be great if you could utilize the prime "real estate" on your mailpieces
(where the postal indicia resides) to market your products and services? Well,
now you can! The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) recently announced a
new service offering called Picture Permit Imprint Indicia. This service allows
mailers to place business-themed images, such as logos, trademarked brands,
photos or other images into the permit imprint (indicia) area. This is a great
opportunity to better utilize this precious space on your mailpieces to help
bring additional attention to your brand.
Read More
USPS Announces Facility Closure Plans
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced its network rationalization
and service standard adjustment plans, which will start taking effect in July
2012 and continue through 2014. The USPS previously proposed closing a large
number of processing facilities in an effort to cut costs and optimize their
processing network to more closely align with the decreased volumes of mail.
Read More
Labeling List Changes (effective May 2012)
The USPS announced changes to the Labeling List data, effective May 15, 2012,
with a mandatory use date of July 29, 2012.
Read More
Gearing
Up for Intelligent Mail
The first step is getting the Intelligent Mail barcode on your mailpieces. Next
step is to connect with the USPS to set up your account with PostalOne.
Read More
Mobile Commerce and Personalization 2012 Promotion for Mailers
The Postal Service is bringing back an encore of the Mobile Barcode Incentive
program that was so successful last year.
Read More
USPSﾨ Proposes Intelligent Mail Full Service Requirement for Automation Prices
The USPS is proposing that use of the Intelligent Mail Full Service option be
required in order for mailers to achieve automation prices on letters, postcards
and flats, effective in January 2014.
Read More
PostalOne!ﾨ Enhancements for June 2012
The USPS plans to make some significant changes effective June 24, 2012, including
new postage statements.
Read More
Electronic Forms Requirements for International Shipments
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to a variety of
prices and services available for international shipping and mailing. A big
change is in the area of required electronic customs documents for some international
shipments. This change was prompted by various federal regulation changes that
now require electronic transmission of Customs-related functions prior to mailing.
What this means for mailers is that labels, customs documents and other postal
documentation must be generated using the USPS Global Shipping Software (GSS)
and submitted electronically.
Read More
Mobile
Barcode Incentive Is Back!
Based on the success of the Mobile Barcode Incentive offered by the Postal Service?
in 2011, they are bringing it back for an encore this summer starting July 1,
2012 and running through August 31, 2012. (On March 26, 2012 the Postal Regulatory
Commission (PRC) issued an order approving the incentive for 2012.) This incentive
is for mailers who include mobile barcodes in or on certain mailpieces. The
incentive and the regulations have changed a bit since last year?s incentive,
so mailers need to pay close attention to the changes.
Read More
Labeling
List Changes (effective March 15, 2012)
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS)ﾨ announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective March 15, 2012, with a mandatory use date of May 29, 2012.
The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L004, L006, L007, L601, and L606.
The USPS has also changed the location of the Labeling Lists so that they are
easier to find, under the Additional Links tab on Postal Explorer.
Read MoreBye, Bye
POSTNET?
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS)ﾨ announced at the February Mailers
Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meeting their plans to retire the POSTNET
barcode in January 2013. The USPS followed this announcement with the publication
of a Federal Register Notice on Friday, March 2, 2012, asking for comments from
interested parties. Further, in January 2014, the USPS plans to take the next
step of requiring Intelligent Mail in order to qualify for automation discounts.
Essentially at that point the Intelligent Mail Basic Service will be retired.
Read More
Rules
for Un-enveloped Pieces
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS)ﾨ published the final regulations for
folded self-mailers (FSM's) in the December 1, 2011 Federal Register. One area
of confusion with regards to these new rules is that the regulations for pieces
defined as "un-enveloped" are different than the rules for folded self-mailers.
There are two types of mailpieces that currently fall into the un-enveloped
piece category: Open-Sleeve (also known as the Lunch bag style, and is not very
commonly used) and the Letter?Size Mailpieces With Tear-Off Strips. These pieces
with the tear-off strips are often used for checks and other financial notifications.
Read
More
USPS Facility Closure Study Completed
As we told you about in several e-tips last year, the United States Postal Serviceﾨ
(USPS)ﾨ announced plans to close a large number of processing facilities in
an effort to cut costs and optimize their processing network to more closely
align with the decreased volumes of mail. The five-month Area Mail Processing
(AMP) study is now complete with the USPS identifying 223 possible facilities
for closure.
Read More
It's All
About the Barcodes
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) made two major announcements this
week, both regarding the use of barcodes. First, the USPS plans to retire the
POSTNET barcode by January 2013, and the USPS will be repeating the Mobile Barcode
Incentive this summer, which requires use of mobile barcodes on mailpieces.
This was a very popular postal incentive in 2011, and the USPS hopes to increase
mail volumes again this coming summer by offering this incentive again.
Read
More
Accessing
FAST and Locale Keys
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) offers extensive information about
postal facilities via the Facility Access and Shipment Tracking system (FAST).
Mailers who drop ship mail to additional entry points are likely familiar with
this web site, but it is also quite valuable for any mailer. The site allows
users to look up very detailed information about virtually any postal processing
and/or delivery facility. This can be a very helpful resource for mailers to
research anything from office hours, holidays, types of mail processed, phone
numbers, directions to the facility, and information regarding mail being directed
to alternate facilities.
Read
More
Labeling
List Changes - effective March 30, 2012
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective January 14, 2012, with a mandatory use date of March 30,
2012. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L003, L004, L005, L006, L007,
L008, L009, L011, L201, L601, L602, L605, L606, and L801. The USPS has also
changed the location of the Labeling Lists so that they are easier to find,
under the Additional Links tab on Postal Explorer.
Read More
Postal Prices Increase January 22, 2012
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) made a number of changes to the way
that parcels will be handled in 2012. Some changes involve classification or
preparation changes, others involve price changes, and some a combination of
all three.
Read More
Parcel Changes for 2012
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) made a number of changes to the way
that parcels will be handled in 2012. Some changes involve classification or
preparation changes, others involve price changes, and some a combination of
all three.
Read More
Final
Rules for Folded Self-Mailers
The USPSﾨ has published the final regulations for folded self-mailers (FSM's)
and other unenveloped pieces in the December 1, 2011 Federal Register. These
final rules are based on the proposed regulations published in an earlier Federal
Register on August 15, 2011. The USPS renamed pieces designed to carry discs
and expands the standards that apply to tabs to include folded self-mailers
(FSM's). These new rules do not apply to cards, envelopes, booklet style letters
or mailpieces designed to carry discs.
Read More
USPS Postpones Mail Network Optimization Updates
As we told you in a previous E-tip, the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ)
has plans for a network optimization initiative, which includes the potential
closure of hundreds of postal facilities and adjustments to the delivery service
standards. However, due to feedback from a number of US Senators, the USPS recently
announced the postponement of this initiative until May 15, 2012.
Read More
Implementing Mail.dat and January 2012 Postal Changes
As we have been telling you in recent E-tips, there will be a change in the
prices for the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) market-dominant and competitive
products effective January 22, 2012. Also undergoing change during this time
is the Mail.datﾨ file specification. The current Mail.dat file specification
version is 11-2, with the older version 11-1 files still accepted by the USPS.
Shortly, the version will change to 12-1 to accommodate the new rate and regulation
changes that take place on January 22, 2012. In preparation for all these changes,
software companies such as Window Book are in the process of coding the necessary
software modifications to accommodate all the changes. Since there are so many
changes, we thought it appropriate to walk through the schedule of upcoming
changes and associated dates for Mail.dat versions so that you can plan better
for this transition.
Read More
USPS Network Optimization Updates (April 2012)
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) recently filed a request for a non-binding
advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) regarding their
plans for network optimization. The network optimization plans include USPS
closure of hundreds of postal facilities and adjustments to the delivery service
standards. The USPS plans to publish soon a Federal Register notice with additional
details on the proposed changes, with a 60-day comment period. Based on this
comment period, plus an additional 30 days for implementation of the final changes,
we anticipate that changes to the existing delivery service standards will be
implemented in April 2012.
Read More
Postal Shipping Prices to Increase in January
The United States Postal Service announced last week their intention to increase
postage on competitive shipping products by an average of 4.6%. This increase,
which still must be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), includes
Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, Global Express
Guaranteed, Express Mail International, and Priority Mail International. The
price increase for the competitive products and the previously announced increase
for the market-dominant products will be implemented on the same date - January
22, 2012. The USPS also announced they plan to maintain a unified implementation
date for both sets of products moving forward into the future.
Read More
PRC Approves January Postage Increase
As we told you in our October 28, 2011 E-tip, the United States Postal Service
announced their intention to increase postage on market dominant products by
an average of 2.133%, effective January 22, 2012. This increase was approved
on Tuesday 11/22/2011 by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).
Read More
Labeling
List Changes
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective November 12, 2011, with a mandatory use date of January
28, 2012. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L003, L004, L005, L006,
L007, L201, L602, L605, L606, and L801. The USPS has also changed the location
of the Labeling Lists so that they are easier to find, under the Additional
Links tab on Postal Explorer.
Read
More
USPS To Pursue Exigency Rate Increase
The United States Postal Service recently announced plans to pursue the exigency
rate case that was originally filed back in July of 2010. The USPS will file
at a later date the amount it plans to pursue, along with the timing of the
price increase and what specific classes and processing categories of mail will
be impacted. The USPS estimates that the lost contribution due to exigent circumstances
to be $2.3 billion.
Read More
USPS
Network Optimization Updates
The United States Postal Service recently announced plans to revamp their network
of processing facilities to optimize the use of these facilities and close down
a number of facilities with the ultimate goal of reducing costs. At the same
time, the USPS also proposed modifications to delivery standards for certain
classes of mail. The USPS has now consolidated all the information regarding
these proposals at one web site.
Read More
Postal Prices to Increase in January 2012
The United States Postal Service announced on October 18 their intention to
increase postage on market dominant products an average of 2.133%, effective
January 22, 2012. This increase is based on a price cap calculated by the Postal
Regulatory Commission (PRC) using Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, and will
apply across each Mailing Services class of mail.
Read More
USPS Data Release Schedule (2011-2012)
There is a host of data resources from the United States Postal Service (USPS)
which need to be updated periodically to reflect changes. Examples of these
data resources are the Labeling Lists, Facility Access and Shipment Tracking
(FAST) data files, Mail.dat specifications, PostalOne! specifications and software.
Read More
USPS Labeling
List Changes (effective October 3, 2011)
Labeling List Changes (effective October 3, 2011) were announced by the United
States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ). The mandatory use date is December 17, 2011.
The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L003, L004, L005, L006, L007, L008,
L011, L201, L601, L602, L605, L606, L607, and L801. The USPS has also changed
the location of the Labeling Lists so that they are easier to find, under the
Additional Links tab on Postal Explorer.
Read
MoreMail.datﾨ
Versions
Mail.dat 09-1. Mail.dat 11-1. Now we hear Mail.dat 11-2 is getting ready ? and
12-1 is not too far behind. Who can keep track of all of these numbers and what
does it all mean? Mail.dat is the mailing industry standard format for the relational
database file set that represents all of the details regarding a specific mailing
(with the exception of the recipient names and addresses). The number is the
version number of the specification for the Mail.dat file format. Mail.dat 11-1
is the version currently in use, but we are rapidly approaching the implementation
of version 11-2, and there is another new version just around the corner.
Read More
Current USPS Situation for Mailers
Here is an article from Brown Printing Company concerning the current situation
with the USPS: The rumors are rampant and some mailers are already formulating
contingency plans if the U.S. Postal Service ceases operation. Let's stop and
think about this. First and foremost, the U.S. Postal Service is NOT shutting
down anytime soon. Here's an idea; let?s start to focus our attention on fixing
the problem.
Read More
First-Class
Package Service
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) introduced a new competitive product
called First-Class Package Service in a Federal Register notice on August 18,
2011. This new product will replace and remove First-Class Mailﾨ commercial
base and commercial plus parcels from the market-dominant product offering.
First-Class Mail retail single-piece parcels remain a market dominant product
offering. What this means for mailers is that the First-Class Mail commercial
base and commercial plus parcel services are still available and at the same
current prices, but the services will now have a different name, will have slightly
different labeling and marking methods, and will now be subject to the competitive
product price increase schedules.
Read
More
Single
Source Mailer Information
Trying to find important postal information? Let?s face it, in this digital
age, we all want to access key information that we need in an instant. But how
do you find what you are looking for when you are dealing with something as
complex as mailing? There is a little-known area that is jam-packed with all
sorts of great mailer resources.
Read MoreEvery
Door Direct Mail?
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), which not only benefits the USPS with additional
mail volume, but also helps the mailing industry gain new business.
Read More
Proposed Rules for USPS Folded Self Mailers
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) published proposed revisions to the
regulations for folded self mailers (FSM's) and other unenveloped pieces in
the August 15, 2011 Federal Register. The USPS has in the past published a number
of proposals for revision to the rules for these types of mailpieces. These
proposals have been based on a series of tests, conducted with the collaboration
of the mailing industry, to help identify the characteristics of FSM's that
are successfully sorted on automated letter processing equipment. The proposed
rules are intended to be a balance of processing efficiency and creativity.
Read More
Logical vs. Physical Entry Points (Postal Facilities)
Back in February 2011, we did an e-tip on "Direction and Re-direction of Mail".
In that e-tip we discussed the definitions of the various types of postal facilities
and talked about drop shipping mail to these facilities. But how exactly is
a postal entry point identified, and how do mailers prepare their mail and postal
documents for these entry points?
Read More
Labeling List Changes (effective August 2011)
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective August 1, 2011, with a mandatory use date of October 15,
2011. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L004, L005, L006, L007, L009,
L201, L606, L607, and L801. The USPS has also changed the location of the Labeling
Lists so that they are easier to find, under the Additional Links tab on Postal
Explorer.
Read More
MTAC Forms
3 New Work Groups
The Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) recently formed 3 new Work
Groups numbered 144, 145 and 146. Details about these groups, including who
to contact to join are listed.
Read
More
USPS Proposes Changes to Move Update Requirements on Mailing
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) published a notice in the July 12,
2011 Federal Register regarding a change to the proposed rules for Move Update
requirements. The original proposed changes were published by the USPS in September
of 2010.
Read More
USPS to Launch
New Web Site
USPS to launch new web site, effective July 25, 2011. Based on how you ship
and mail, the new site is designed for users to find what they need more quickly
and easily. The site will feature task-based navigation, "Quick Tools" section,
and a number of new or redesigned applications. The web site address will remain
www.usps.com, but the site will have a more modern, updated feel and will have
easier and more consistent navigation.
Read
More
Revised Options to Combine Standard Mail & Periodicals Mail
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) revised the regulations that allow
mailers to combine individual flat-size pieces of Standard Mail and Periodicals
Mail into the same bundles (comailing), or to combine flat-size bundles of Standard
Mail and Periodicals Mail on to the same pallets (co-palletizing). As we told
you in our March 11, 2011 e-tip, the first draft of proposed regulations for
this combination of mail was planned for implementation on June 6, 2011. However,
based on input from the mailing industry, the regulations have been revised,
and a new implementation date of January 22, 2012 established.
Read More
Mobile Barcode Incentive News Update
In two previous e-tips, April 28, 2011 and June 9, 2011, we told you about a
new incentive to be offered by The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ), for
mailers who include mobile barcodes in or on certain mailpieces. This is a limited
time incentive, available to mailers starting today, July 1, 2011, and running
through August 31, 2011. Since those e-tips, the USPS made some "tweaks" to
the rules.
Read More
PostalOne Release 27 and FAST Release 17.0
The United States Postal Service (USPS) will deploy PostalOne! Release 27 and
FAST Release 17.0 on Sunday, June 26, 2011. These updates are primarily to support
the new postage statements, effective on June 26, 2011.
Read More
Labeling List Changes (effective June 6, 2011)
Labeling List Changes, effective June 6, 2011, were announced by the United
States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) with a mandatory use date of August 20, 2011.
The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L003, L004, L005, L006, L007, L009,
L011, L201, L601, L605, L606, L607, and L801. The USPS has also changed the
location of the Labeling Lists so that they are easier to find, under the Additional
Links tab on Postal Explorer.
Read More
News Update on Mobile Barcode Incentive for Mail
An update on the mobile barcode new incentive offered by The United States Postal
Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ), is available to mailers from July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011
for a limited time. As a reminder, QR codes are two-dimensional matrix barcodes
that are readable by dedicated QR scanners & camera phones equipped with QR
applications. It is important to note that to fully benefit from mobile barcodes,
text, data, or links embedded in the barcode should bring the user to a mobile-friendly
application.
Read More
USPS
Shares New UAA Data on Mail
USPS shares new UAA data from a 2010 Undeliverable As Addressed (UAA) study
at the recent Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meeting. The treatment
of UAA mail by the USPS varies by class of mail and the service requested by
the mailer. There are three different treatments by the USPS for UAA mail: it
is forwarded to the new address, it is disposed of as waste, or it is returned
to the sender.
Read
More
National
Postal Forum Highlights
The annual National Postal Forum (NPF) was held in San Diego, CA on May 1-4,
2011, with approximately 4,000 attendees. There were a number of announcements
from the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) during the NPF including FREE
Confirm Data and FREE First-Class Mailﾨ Second Ounce.
Read More
Clearing Up Customs Forms Confusion
If you mail or ship items internationally, you know these processes are not
always easy, and one of the most confusing areas is that of the customs forms.
How do you know when customs forms are needed? How do you access the correct
customs forms? How do you insure the customs forms accompany the package? The
United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) recently announced that customs forms
will now be required for shipments to US territories, effective June 6, 2011,
so we thought this would be a great opportunity to shed some light on this often
confusing subject.
Read More
USPS Offers Mailing Incentives for Mobile Barcodes
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced a new market test, planned
as a limited time mailing incentive program, for mailers who include mobile
barcodes in or on certain mailpieces. The USPS has filed with the Postal Regulatory
Commission (PRC) for approval to offer this special incentive. The targeted
dates for this incentive are July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011.
Read More
Labeling List Changes (effective April 17, 2011)
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective April 17, 2011, with a mandatory use date of July 2, 2011.
The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L004, L005, L006, L007, L009, L010,
L011, L201 and L606.
Read More
Getting Ready for April 17 Price Increases
As mentioned in previous e-tips, the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) prices
for non-competitive products will increase on April 17, 2011. Prices for competitive
products went up earlier this year in January.
Read More
ACS Notes
on Price Increases
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) issued a reminder to the mailing community
regarding the upcoming increases in some Address Change Service (ACS) prices
on April 17, 2011, and a notice regarding a refund process for Periodicals mailers.
Read
More
New USPS Products for Parcel Select and Priority Mail
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced three new products that
will be offered in the future.
Read More
New Options to Combine Standard Mailﾨ and Periodicals Mail
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced that it is formalizing a
pilot program that has been in place for a while, allowing mailers to combine
individual flat-size pieces of Standard Mail and Periodicals mail into the same
bundles (comailing), or to combine flat-size bundles of Standard Mail and Periodicals
mail on to the same pallets (co-palletizing). The currently announced effective
date for this new option is June 6, 2011, although the complexity of the rules
may prohibit software providers from being able to meet this deadline. There
is also consideration being given to making this optional in June, but required
preparation - for participants - in November.
Read More
New Simplified Address Mail Preparation Options
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ(USPSﾨ) announced that it is extending the
simplified address mail preparation option to Periodicals and Bound Printed
Matter flats and irregular parcels. The new simplified address mail preparation
option, effective January 2, 2011, was originally designed only for Standard
Mailﾨ saturation (carrier route) flats and irregular parcels. Based on inquiries
from the mailing industry, the USPS has now opened up this option to additional
classes of mail.
Read More
The Direction
(And Re-Direction) of Mail
Do you know where your mail is going? (Wow, that's a loaded question!) If you
enter all your mail at your local Business Mail Entry (BME) office, you do know
where your mail goes, at least up to the point where it enters the postal system.
However, if you drop ship mail to additional entry points, you know how confusing
all the postal facility acronyms can be. How do you know which facility should
be the entry point for which portions of your mailing? Drop shipments require
delivery appointments (with few exceptions) and it is often then that mailers
find out that the USPS is "re-directing" mail to a different postal facility.
And all those Labeling Lists! Who can make sense of it all?
Read
MoreLabeling
List Changes
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective February 7, 2011, with a mandatory use date of April 23,
2011. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L003, L005, L006, L007, L201,
L606, and L607.
Read More
Did You Know - Facts about the United States Postal Service (USPS)
This week's e-tip is all about fun, little-known facts about the United States
Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ).
Read More
Revisions to Optional FSS Mail Preparation Requirements
The United States Postal Service published revised preparation requirements
for the Flat Sequence System (FSS) mail in the January 27, 2011 Postal Bulletin.
We first told you about these new optional mail preparation requirements in
August, 2010.
Read More
New Postal Incentive Programs in 2011 for Mailers
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ announced several new mailer incentive programs
for 2011, geared toward increasing mail volume and revenue. The incentive programs
include Reply Rides Free and Saturation and High Density Incentive Program.
Read More
Postal Rate Prices to Increase in April on Mailings
The United States Postal Service announced yesterday their intention to increase
postage on non-competitive products an average of 1.741%, effective April 17,
2011. This increase is based on a price cap calculated by the Postal Regulatory
Commission (PRC) using Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, and will apply across
each Mailing Services class of mail. Increases for competitive products, such
as Priority Mail and Express Mail, took place on January 2, 2011.
Read More
Mailing
Industry News and Changes for 2011
There are a number of recent developments affecting the mailing industry, particularly
with regard to USPSﾨ changes scheduled to be effective in January, 2011.
Read
More
USPS Labeling
List Changes
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective December 6, 2010, with a mandatory use date of February
17, 2011. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L004, L007, L011, L201,
L601, L605, L606, and L801.
Read More
More Intelligent Mailﾨ "Myths" in the Mailing Industry
Last week's e-tip covered some of the prevalent myths in the mailing industry
surrounding Intelligent Mail. Turns out there are even more myths out there
surrounding this topic.
Read More
Intelligent Mailﾨ Barcode Myths
It seems like no matter how much information is communicated regarding Intelligent
Mail (IM), there are always some misconceptions that persist. This week's e-tip
will cover some of the more prevalent "myths" surrounding Intelligent Mail.
Read More
USPS Announces New BSA Agreements
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced new Business Systems Administrator
Agreements (BSA's). These agreements describe the terms and conditions for the
use of USPS computing systems and Business Customer Gateway online services.
Essentially, any mailers using
PostalOne! to conduct electronic transactions
with the USPS will need to read and accept the new agreement in order to continue
access to the Business Customer Gateway. The new agreements were effective November
1, 2010, but mailers have a grace period until sometime in 2011 (yet to be announced)
to accept the new agreement.
Read More
USPS Announces Shipping Rate Price Increases
The United States Postal Service (USPS) announced this week plans to increase
shipping prices by an average of 3.6%, effective January 2, 2011. These rates
must be reviewed and approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) before
they can be implemented. The price increase will include the USPS' competitive
products (Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service,
Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International, and Priority Mail International).
Read More
Resolving Postal Issues
As complex as the mailing rates and regulations are, it is little wonder that
at some point mailers will take issue with a ruling from their local post office
or in-house Detached Mail Unit (DMU). Although it is always best to try to head
off these situations before the mailing occurs, that is not always possible,
particularly given the rapid pace of change in postal requirements.
Read More
Intelligent Mail Non-Compliance Assessments for Full-Service Mailings Postponed
Until January 2, 2011
As we informed you in our June 3, 2010 e-Tip, the United States Postal Serviceﾨ
(USPSﾨ) announced earlier this year that, beginning November 7, 2010, they would
be assigning negative postage assessments to mailers with non-compliant Intelligent
Mail Full-Service (IMFS) mailings, or parts thereof. The USPS reasoned that
since the IMFS discounts ($.003/piece for First-Class Mailﾨ and $.001/piece
for Periodicals and Standard Mailﾨ) were implemented in November of 2009, it
had essentially provided mailers with a one-year "grace period" in which to
work out any IM implementation issues. The USPS has now decided to postpone
these negative postage assessments until January 2, 2011.
Read More
Migrating to Intelligent Mailﾨ Barcodes
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced that effective May 2011,
flat-size and letter-size mailings with POSTNET? barcodes will no longer be
eligible for automation discounts. As of that date, mailers wishing to obtain
automation discounts must print the Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) on their
mailpieces rather than the POSTNET barcodes. This applies to letter and flat-size
mail only, not to any parcel mailings.
Read More
Intelligent Mailﾨ Package Barcode
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) recently published a Federal Register
notice regarding the optional use of the Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb?)
starting no later than January of 2011, with mandatory use of IMpb on all domestic
packages by January 2012. This is the next step in Intelligent Mail barcode
services as currently IM is available only for letters and flats. This is not
a final rule, and mailers are encouraged to submit their comments regarding
these proposals as described in the notice.
Read More
eDoc for Comailed & Copalletized Mailings
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) recently published a Federal Register
notice regarding the upcoming requirement for electronic documentation (eDoc)
on all comailed and copalletized mailings. The effective date for the new requirement
is January 2, 2011. This new requirement is different from the existing electronic
documentation requirements for Intelligent Mailﾨ (IM) Full-Service mailings;
those requirements have not changed. This new requirement not only adds the
electronic documentation requirement, but will also require comailed and copalletized
mailings to include Intelligent Mail tray labels on trays and/or sacks. Intelligent
Mail container labels must also be used on pallets - or similar containers -
when making comailed or copalletized mailings.
Read More
Postal Serviceﾨ
Form 8017
There is a little-known Postal Service form that is recently coming to mailers'
attention - the PS Form 8017, Expedited Plant-Load Shipment Clearance. This
form, similar to PS Form 8125, provides proof to the United States Postal Serviceﾨ
(USPSﾨ) that a shipment of mail was verified and paid for at the origin - entry
post office. The difference between the two forms is that the PS 8017 is used
with Expedited Plant-Load shipments, which do NOT qualify for drop-ship discounted
pricing, whereas the PS 8125 is used with Plant-Load Verified Destination Drop
Shipment (PVDS) mailings that DO qualify for drop-ship discounted pricing.
Read More
USPS Labeling List Data Changes
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective August 2, 2010, with a mandatory use date of October 14,
2010. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002, L005, L007, L009, L201, and
L606.
Read More
Optional Mail Prep Standards for FSS Flats
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) published a notice in the August 23,
2010 Federal Register regarding proposed changes to mail preparation requirements
for flat size mail destined to Flat Sequencing System (FSS) ZIP codes. These
preparation changes would be optional for mailers, and would be made effective
on January 2, 2011.
Read More.
LA NDC Mailing Facility Closed August 23
The Los Angeles CA Network Distribution Center (NDC) will be closed for one
day on Monday, August 23, 2010. The closure is due to major facility work which
necessitates a full power outage from 0500 to 1700 hours. NDC's are the new
name for the facilities previously known as Bulk Mail Centers (BMC's).
Read More...
Business Mail Academy
Whether you are new to the mailing industry or a seasoned veteran, there is
always occasion for expanding your knowledge. The United States Postal Serviceﾨ
(USPSﾨ) offers a number of classes and certifications, both online and at their
National Center for Employment Development (NCED) training center in Norman,
OK. The USPS has made it easier to access this training information with a new
web page for their Business Mail Academy (BMA).
Read More...
USPS Files Exigency Rate Increase
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ filed an exigency rate case with the Postal
Regulatory Commission (PRC) on July 6, 2010. In this case, the USPS is asking
for an average price increase of 5.6%, with an effective date of January 2,
2011.
Read More...
Intelligent Mailﾨ Dates
There are a number of key dates that mailers need to be aware of as they begin
or continue implementing IMb? services into their operations. These dates, established
by the Postal Service?, are major milestones in the IM integration process,
so mailers need to prepare for them.
Read More...
Labeling List Changes from the Postal Service
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced changes to the Labeling
List data, effective June 17, 2010. The Labeling Lists affected are L001, L002,
L003, L004, L005, L007, L008, L009, L011, L201, L606, and L607.
Read More...
Postal
Terminology
Just when you think you are up to speed with postal terminology, along come
some changes that require us all to change the way we speak. Well, at least
during our working hours! With the implementation of Intelligent Mailﾨ, "postal-speak"
is becoming almost a new language, even to veterans in the mailing industry.
Aside from the plethora of new acronyms - which the Postal Service? is famous
for! - some of the old, familiar terms used to describe the PPU (physical preparation
units) of mail are changing.
Read More...
Non-Compliance Assessments on Intelligent Mailﾨ Full-Service Mailings
Effective November 7, 2010, The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) will begin
applying negative postage assessments to mailers with non-compliant Intelligent
Mail Full-Service (IMFS) mailings, or parts thereof. The IMFS discounts ($.003/piece
for First-Class Mailﾨ and $.001/piece for Periodicals and Standard Mailﾨ) were
implemented in November of 2009. This has essentially provided mailers with
a one-year "grace period" in which to work out any IM implementation issues.
Once this grace period is up, however, mailers may be subject to loss of their
IMFS discounts on any mail not meeting certain IMFS criteria.
Read More...
USPS Clarifies Policy on Bills of Lading
In a recent DMM Advisory, the USPS announced it has agreed to sign (upon request)
Bills of Lading for drop-shipped mail. Based on their Sarbanes-Oxley requirements,
the USPS was originally concerned that signing the bills of lading might imply
acceptance of the content of the mail in the shipment, and be mistakenly used
as a replacement for the USPS Form 8125. (The 8125 form is the official USPS
clearance document, which is completed at the point of postal entry, and indicates
that the mail has been verified and paid for.) Representatives from the mailing
and logistics industry met with the USPS to discuss the situation and to explain
the industry use of the bills of lading as proof of delivery only, not as a
replacement for the 8125.
Read More...
Confirmﾨ EMD Support to Continue
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced this week that they plan
to continue supporting and accepting the traditional Electronic Mail Data (EMD)
file for use with the Confirmﾨ service. The EMD function of Confirm is critical
to allow mail tracking by mailers who do not use Intelligent Mailﾨ services
and therefore do not have access to Start-The-Clock data. Start-The-Clock, as
we described in last week's e-tip, is the point at which the USPS first scans
the IM container label barcode for purposes of identifying when and where the
mail was accepted. Start-The-Clock data is critical information in terms of
service performance measurement for the USPS and for monitoring delivery times
for mailers.
Read More...
Start-The-Clock
In last week's e-tip, we discussed mail tracking and how it relates to Intelligent
Mailﾨ (IM). If you'll recall, we told you that just because you are using the
IM barcodes (IMb's), that does not mean you will automatically get tracking
information on your mail. Tracking your mail requires subscribing to and using
the USPSﾨ Confirmﾨ service. This week, as promised, we will elaborate on the
Start-The-Clock portion of mail tracking.
Read More...
Intelligent Mailﾨ and Mail Tracking
Despite the wealth of information available on Intelligent Mail, there is still
a common misperception in the industry that using Intelligent Mailﾨ barcodes
(IMb's) automatically allows mailers to track their mail. While the additional
data included in the IMb certainly facilitates the ability to track the mail,
using the IMb, in and of itself, does not provide for accessing mail-tracking
data. In order to take advantage of mail tracking, mailers must also use the
USPSﾨ Confirmﾨ service.
Read More...
Is Your Postal Distribution Mailing Data Up-to-Date?
Have you ever tried to go on a road trip using an old road map or outdated GPS
system? Frustrating, isn't it? You probably had to re-route a few times and
likely did not arrive at your destination when you planned to. Well, that is
exactly what happens to your mail if you don't keep your postal distribution
data up-to-date.
Read More...
Summer Postage Sale from the USPS
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced another Summer Sale on postage
for this year. The sale offers a 30% credit to Standard Mailﾨ customers with
an increased volume of letters and flats over a predetermined threshold (5%
volume increase over the same period in 2009). The sale period is from July
1, 2010 through September 30, 2010.
Read
More...
New Options for Letter-Size Booklet Mailpieces
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) recently announced the long-awaited
new options for design of letter-size booklet mailpieces that will qualify for
automation rates. The USPS has made a number of revisions to the regulations
for what are often called "slim-jims" in the mailing industry. The last round
of revisions were fairly restrictive, and negatively impacted the design options
available to direct mailers. In response, the USPS asked the mailing industry
to submit samples of desired designs for letter-size booklet pieces so that
these pieces could be tested for machineability on USPS sorting equipment. That
initiative created this most recent revision, which provides for nine new simple
spine designs and one oblong booklet design.
Read More...
Postal Education - Learn how to Mail with USPS
Who can keep up with all the changes going on in the mailing industry? Postal
regulations are so complex, and it seems like they become more complicated all
the time. Buzz words abound, and it is often difficult, even for experienced
mailers, to stay up-to-date on all the terms and initiatives. Luckily, there
are some good resources available for detailed information on some of the hottest
mailing topics.
Read More...
USPS Changes to PMOD (Priority Mail Open & Distribute) Requirements
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) has announced changes in the requirements
for Express Mailﾨ Open and Distribute (EMOD) and Priority Mailﾨ Open and Distribute
(PMOD). These changes are effective April 5, 2010.
Read More...
New Postage Statements Available for Mailers
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) has made available the new postage
statements, which reflect the verbiage changes for the conversion of the former
Bulk Mail Centers (BMC's) to Network Distribution Centers (NDC's). Although
these new statements were effective March 14, 2010, and the USPS encourages
mailers to begin using the new statements as soon as possible, mailers have
until May 27, 2010 to use the old January 2010 versions of the postage statements.
After May 27, the March 14, 2010 postage statements will be mandatory. Window
Book software has been updated to include the new postage statements.
Read More...
Round Stamp Eliminated for Postal Service: What Will You Do?
Effective March 15, 2010, the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) plans to
discontinue the process of placing the red round date stamp on hard copy postage
statements presented at postal facilities equipped with PostalOne!ﾨ. For facilities
not yet equipped with PostalOne!, the USPS will continue to round-stamp hard
copy postage statements.
Read More...
USPS 8125 Checklist for Mailers
In an effort to ensure consistent adherence to existing policies and procedures
at its business mailer acceptance docks, plants and Post Offices, the USPS recently
published an 8125 Checklist for mailers.
Read More...
Eligibility on USPS Commercial Flats Mail Pieces Failing Deflection
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) is publishing a Federal Register notice
with the final ruling on the price eligibility for commercial flat size pieces
that fail the deflection or "droop" test. The USPS published the proposed rule
on this topic in December 2009, and based on the comments received on that posting,
have now issued the final ruling. As background, the USPS first planned to make
the new deflection standards effective in May 2009, which was then postponed
and then finally deferred to become effective on June 7, 2010. We provided information
on these changes in our November 12, 2009 and December 3, 2009 E-tips.
Read More...
Important Sites, Links and Numbers for the Postal Service
Every once in a while it becomes necessary to stop, dig through emails, documents
and/or stacks of paper on your desk to find a phone number, email address or
website to use to get help or research something about the Postal Service. This
week's E-tip will, hopefully, put a lot of the very important contact information
easily within your reach.
Read More...
STIDS: Service Type Identifiers on Intelligent Mail, Class of Mail and other
services
A key part of the Intelligent Mailﾨ barcode (IMb) is the Service Type Identifier
(STID). (See the green area in the figure below). The STID identifies three
major characteristics of a mailing: the Intelligent Mail option, the class of
mail and any additional services being requested by the mailer. Mailings may
consist of multiple STIDs: for example, there may be a combination of Full-Service,
Basic Service and Non-Automation pieces in a single mailing.
Read More...
Postage Statement Changes on Mailings
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ ) recently announced changes to the
format and handling of postage statements, effective in March 2010. The format
of the statements will be changing to reflect the conversion of Bulk Mail Centers
(BMC's) to Network Distribution Centers (NDC's). The handling of the statements
will change for hard copy statements vs. electronic statements, and these handling
differences will depend on whether or not the acceptance unit is connected to
the PostalOne!ﾨ system.
Read More...
Understanding CSA's (Customer/Supplier Agreement)
With the implementation of Intelligent Mailﾨ comes the addition
of new postal acronyms. One of the most widely used is "CSA", which is the abbreviation
for Customer/Supplier Agreement. A CSA is a written agreement between the United
States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) and a commercial mailer, and is designed to spell
out the requirements for origin-entry mail preparation and the acceptance-window
times necessary for mail to be considered entered into the postal network. CSA's
may also include schedules of transportation times, mail containerization specifications,
designated postal mail facility entry locations, and time-sensitive mail entry instructions.
Read More...
Priority Mail Open and Distribute for Mailers (along with its Creative Uses)
Many mailers assume that Priority Mailﾨ is used only for shipping
small packages, but there is a service in Priority Mail that can be used by mailers
of letters and flats. It is called Priority Mail Open and Distribute (PMOD), and
this service is used to drop ship mail of various classes and processing categories.
Even if you don?t currently drop ship your mail, perhaps due to small volumes, PMOD
may be a cost-effective option to look at. If you do currently drop ship mail, you
may want to take advantage of PMOD for small volume entries.
Read More...
January 4, 2010 Changes for Postal Service (regarding new prices on mailing
and shipping)
Just a reminder regarding some of the mailing and shipping
changes that become effective on January 4, 2010: United States Postal Serviceﾨ
(USPSﾨ) prices for non-market dominant products (e.g. Express Mailﾨ, Priority Mailﾨ)
increase. We described these changes in our December 10, 2009 Postal Concierge E-tip.
If you have not yet updated your Window Book software to the newest release, which
includes the new rates, we encourage you to download these updates as soon as possible.
The new price lists are also available online at the USPS web site.
Read More...
Keeping Up with Intelligent Mail Issues
Whether you are deep into your Intelligent Mail (IM) integration
or have not yet started, the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) offers a variety
of methods to keep up-to-date with what is happening in the world of Intelligent
Mail. A lot of mail service providers and software vendors also offer newsletters
and broadcast emails to help their clients stay informed.
Read More...
Move Update Non-compliance Penalties on Mailings - Effective January 4,
2010
Just a reminder that the United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ)
plans to implement postage penalties on mailings not meeting the Move Update requirements
in 2010. These penalties will become effective January 4, 2010. These Move Update
requirements have been in place for quite some time for First-Class presort mailings,
and in November 2008, these requirements were extended to Standard Mail. Although
the requirements have been in place for a while, there was no postage penalty attached
to mailings determined to be non-compliant, but that will change starting in January.
Read More...
Shipping Rates Price to Increase in
2010
FedExﾨ recently announced their planned price increases
for their shipping services for 2010. FedEx Ground rates will increase by 4.9%,
while the Express rates will go up by 5.9%. The Express increase will be somewhat
offset by a 2% reduction in the fuel surcharge. The changes for the international
rates for FedEx have not yet been announced. The new FedEx rates become effective
January 4, 2010.
Read More...
USPS Revises Flats Deflection Requirements
Again
As we discussed in our November 12, 2009 e-tip, the United States Postal Service
(USPS) will be implementing new standards for flats deflection. The USPS has announced
that these new standards will be deferred once again, this time to June 7, 2010.
These changes were to have taken effect on January 4, 2010.
Read More...
Barcode Readability Thresholds to Increase
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) announced at the
recent Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meeting in Washington DC that
the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb) and Postnet Barcode readability thresholds will
be increased. The readability threshold for IMb is currently set at 70%. That threshold
will increase to 80% effective November 30, 2009 and to 90% effective March 15,
2010.
Read More...
Submitting Postage Statements: Intelligent Mail Integration
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ) has issued the guidelines
for submitting postage statements during the implementation period for Intelligent
Mailﾨ (IM) and during the period between the implementation of the IM prices on
November 29 and the new rates (for non-market dominant mail classes) that become
effective on January 4, 2010.
Read More...
USPS Revised Flats Deflection Requirements
(a.k.a The New "Droop Test")
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS) will be implementing
new standards for flats deflection, currently scheduled to be effective January
4, 2010. This change was originally scheduled to be implemented on September 8,
2009, but was postponed in an effort to give mailers sufficient time to make the
necessary changes to their mailpieces.
Read More...
Intelligent Mail - All or Nothing?
As we mentioned in a previous e-tip, mailers who wish to take
advantage of the Intelligent Mail (IM) benefits are required to pass a testing process
(Test Environment for Mailers-TEM) to obtain authorization from the United States
Postal Serviceﾨ (USPSﾨ). So, what happens once you receive your authorization? Are
you now required to send all your mailings using Intelligent Mail?
Read More...
Intelligent Mail - Testing Environment for Mailers (TEM)
Did you know that in order to take advantage of the Intelligent
Mail (IM) Full Service benefits which become available on November 29 you need to
pass a test? Well, it's true! The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS) requires
that mailers claiming IM rates must be authorized to do so, and the only way to
do that is to go through a testing process. The tests include submission of Mail.datﾨ
files and electronic documents in a testing environment called Test Environment
for Mailers (TEM). This test environment uses the same software that is used by
the USPS for production on PostalOne!, so it mimics what will occur during live
production.
Read More...
Revision to Regulations for Slim Jims
As we described in an earlier e-tip, the United States Postal
Serviceﾨ (USPS) modified the regulations for letter size booklet type mailings,
sometimes referred to in the printing industry as slim-jims. The new regulations
went into effect on September 8, 2009, but there were issues with some smaller size
mailpieces which could not accommodate the new tabbing requirements without overlapping
the tabs.
Read More...
Keeping Up-to-Date Labeling Lists and Drop Ship Data
As we have mentioned in previous e-tips, the United States
Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS) is in the process of re-aligning their network of mail processing
and transportation facilities. This is being done in an effort to streamline processes
and reduce costs, as well as to reflect the drop in mail volume these facilities
are handling. One of the most recent examples of this initiative was the change
of Bulk Mail Centers (BMC's) to Network Distribution Centers (NDC's).
Read More...
Intelligent Mail University
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS) has scheduled an additional
Intelligent Mail (IM) University session to be held on October 6, 2009 in Columbus
OH. The USPS has hosted a number of these informative sessions in the past and if
you have not yet attended one, we strongly encourage you to do so. The registration
fee is $79, which includes a full day program, continental breakfast and lunch.
You will also receive a $79 credit towards your 2010 National Postal Forum (NPF)
registration. The 2010 NPF will be held April 11-14, 2010 in Nashville TN.
Read More...
New Intelligent Mail Guide Available
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS) has issued the latest
version, Version 6.3, of the Guide on Intelligent Mail for Letters and Flats. This
guide contains an abundance of detailed information regarding implementation of
Intelligent Mail for mailers. The guide contains numerous updates and clarifications,
including information on electronic documentation, FASTﾨ drop ship appointments,
Full Service ACS, etc.
Read More...
USPS 5-day Delivery: Voice Your Opinion
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ(USPS), in conjunction with
the Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC), has issued an industry survey
regarding 5-day delivery. As members of the mailing community, we strongly urge
you to participate in this survey and make your opinions known.
Read More...
Reminder: Changes to USPS Regulations for Slim Jims & Digests
Just a quick reminder regarding the upcoming changes to the
United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS) regulations for letter size booklet type mailings,
sometimes referred to in the printing industry as slim-jims or digests.
Read More...
Free USPS Webinar on Full Service ACS
The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS) is offering a free
webinar to help mailers understand the Intelligent Mail Full Service Address Change
Service (ACS) option. Full Service ACS is free of charge under the IM Full Service
program, so if you are currently using ACS this could be a substantial postage savings
for you. If you are not currently using ACS, you may want to check out the potential
of this free service.
Read More...
What is Mail.XML
You are most likely familiar with the term Mail.dat and understand
how it works, but what is all the buzz about Mail.XML? Mail.XML is a newer mailing
industry standard specification (like Mail.dat, it is established and maintained
by IDEAlliance) for informational transmissions. Mail.dat is quite robust and can
contain huge amounts of information, which is fine, except when you only need portions
of the information that resides in Mail.dat files. It can be very time consuming
and a strain on transmission and storage resources to send entire Mail.dat files
back and forth between the involved participants in the mailings. This is the reason
that Mail.XML was born.
Read More...
Print your IMb's BEFORE November!
Although the discounts and the free ACS services for Intelligent
Mailﾨ are not available until November 2009, mailers are highly encouraged to print
Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb's) as soon as possible. Even if your internal systems
are not yet prepared for the processes required for Intelligent Mail, it is a good
idea to start printing the barcodes right away.
Read More...
What is NDC?
NDC is one of the newest postal acronyms, and it stands for
"National Distribution Center." The United States Postal Serviceﾨ (USPS) has started
the process of re-naming the old Bulk Mail Centers (BMC's) as NDC's. The transition
has already begun in the Northeast with 11 sites being activated. The old BMC's
will still remain in place, but will be re-named National Distribution Centers.
The complete transition is expected to take about 18 months.
Read More...