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 Service® (USPS®), 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.

What are Mobile Barcodes?

As a refresher, these codes are two-dimensional (2-D) matrix barcodes that are readable by dedicated scanners and camera phones equipped with 2-D barcode scanning applications. One of the most popular 2-D barcodes is the QR (Quick Response) code. QR codes were first used in Japan in the early 1990s to track parts in the automotive industry and are now used for many other applications. The barcodes can be encoded with text, URL's, or other data. The diagram below illustrates how the barcodes are structured.

These codes have recently become popular in such applications as billboard ads, in-store displays, event ticketing and tracking, trade shows and conferences, print ads, websites, business cards, direct mail campaigns, email marketing, couponing and many more.

It is important to note that to fully benefit from mobile barcodes, the text, data, or links embedded in the barcode should bring the user to a mobile-friendly application. If the barcode directs the user to data or an application that is not easy to read and to use on a mobile device, it probably won’t achieve the desired results.

Postage Discounts (the USPS Incentive for Mailers)

The USPS is offering an incentive of a 3% postage discount on First-Class Mail presort and Standard Mail (Regular and Nonprofit) commercial letters and flats that contain a mobile barcode either inside or outside the mailpiece. This is an up-front discount, not a rebate. The mobile barcode must be two-dimensional and readable by mobile smart phones. The barcode must be intended to "initiate interaction with consumers via mobile smart phones to market, promote or educate." The incentive may be combined with the Intelligent Mail Full Service discount, but may not be combined with any other incentive, e.g. Reply Rides Free. All pieces in a mailing must contain the mobile barcode in order to be eligible for the incentive.

The Rules and Eligibility Requirements

There are some specific eligibility requirements in order for mailers to take advantage of this new incentive. And, since our original e-Tip was published, the USPS has made several clarifications regarding eligibility – particularly for mailings that are part of combined, commingled, or co-mail mailings. The rules for participation in this incentive include:

• Available only to permit imprint customers submitting electronic documentation (Mail.dat, Mail.XML or Postal Wizard)
• eDoc will be accepted by Postal One!® beginning June 26
• Mail that is drop shipped via Plant Verified Drop Ship (PVDS) may be submitted prior to the July 1 implementation date as long as the destination entry mail is not deposited to the entry points prior to July 1. In these cases, the Mail.dat files may be submitted to PostalOne! as early as June 26, but mailers will receive a validation error. Mailers must submit hard copy postage statements at the time of mailing for these mailings. Acceptance employees will calculate the 3% discount and subtract it from total postage to determine net postage due. The net postage due will be entered as an adjustment transaction for the permit account used for the mailing.
• On July 1, the acceptance employee will reverse the original adjustment transaction and finalize the electronically submitted statement. Beginning July 1 mailers will no longer need to submit hardcopy postage statements along with electronic documentation and PostalOne! will automatically calculate and apply the 3% discount upon finalization of the electronic statement.
• The mailer must meet Mobile Barcode requirements:
• Barcode must be contained on or within the mailpiece
• Barcode must be readable by a mobile device
• Barcode must be used for marketing, promotion or educational purposes and be relevant to the content of the mailpiece
• All mailpieces on the postage mailing statement must contain Mobile Barcodes
• Rules for Commingled, Combined and Co-Mail:
• These mailings qualify if all mailpieces on the postage mailing statement contain a qualified mobile barcode
• The postage statement can include mail from multiple clients (or versions) if all mailpieces contain mobile barcodes
• Mailings that include multiple clients (or versions) must have separate postage statements generated by client (or version) that contain mobile barcode pieces
• Commingled, Combined and Co-Mail mailings which do not separate mobile barcode mailings on separate postage statements from non-mobile barcode mailings, are not eligible for the discount
• At mail acceptance, mailers must present one sample of each mailpiece (version) qualifying for mobile barcode promotion at the Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU)
• All mailings are subject to standard acceptance and verification procedures and may be inspected for use of the mobile barcode.
• Mailers must retain one sample of each qualifying mailpiece until October 31, 2011.

For more details, consult the USPS Mobile Barcode Promotion area on RIBBS, or the June 30, 2011 Postal Bulletin.

Kick it up a Notch! Turn your QR Codes into MAXcodes

Window Book is offering webinars on the topic of mobile barcodes and the postage incentive. We are also hosting a webinar on July 13, 2011, presented by QR2DMAX, LLC - where you can learn about MAXcodes – mobile barcodes to the power of 6!

Please visit our web site to view a schedule and sign up for an upcoming mobile barcode webinar, or to view a previously recorded webinar.

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