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PostalOne! and Mail.dat® 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 Mail® barcode as a requirement to achieve automation discounts. Are you prepared for all these changes?

PostalOne! updates for Mailers

The PostalOne! update on October 14, 2012 will include (but not be limited to):
  • Minimum required weight and piece count warning validations for commercial mail.
  • Added functionality to allow mailers to search for jobs when pulling the discount assessment report for origin mail copal jobs that are submitted by consolidators with consolidator's Mailing Group ID.
  • Allow individual mail owners the ability to pull (search for) only their own jobs.
  • For jobs that have multiple SEG records, the PostalOne! system will validate eDoc Sender CRID of the SEG records to ensure that all eDoc Sender CRIDs are the same in the jobs.
  • Rejection of jobs if CRIDs are missing - or are different - in all of the SEG records of a single job.
  • Updating the Mail.dat job Status Receipt File to include the adjustments in postage made as a result of Incentives claimed.
  • Allow Postage Statement Lock function for increased postage data integrity.
  • Checking if weight adjustments need to be made when Mail.dat PAR files are submitted.
  • The Mail.dat MPU "Weight" field will be used to calculate surcharges when the Rate Category is barcoded or non-barcoded. The MPU weight field will be used in addition to the MPU "Class", MPU "Rate Category", MPU "Rate Type", MPU "Processing Category", and MPU "Barcode Discount or Surcharge Indicator".
  • Validation of Standard Mail classes, which are too heavy and considered as Priority Mail.
  • Updating the Qualification Report to display incentive information if Incentive is claimed in Mail.dat 12-1 CCR "Characteristic" field. The PostalOne! system will update the Qualification Report to display incentive information if Incentive is claimed in Mail.dat 12-2 represented by the presence of the CCR "Characteristic Type" field value of "I" and corresponding CCR "Characteristic" field.
  • Allow a Mail.dat copal consolidator job to be deleted from the PostalOne! dashboard.
  • Validation for a processing category across Mail.dat jobs.
  • Validation to tie Parent and Child containers to the same SEG.
  • Allow mailers the ability to send Origin MLOCR jobs and Origin presort jobs in order to combine them in a consolidated Copal job for First Class and Standard letters in tray mailings. This will be done by using the presentation category of C in the consolidated job. Mailers will also be able to see the OCI report for nesting information from trays to pallets.
  • Enhance and redefine the structure of eDoc error messages for Mail.dat and Mail.XML™ to include the following:
    • Provide error descriptions where needed.
    • Identify and provide detailed descriptions and explanations of enumerations.
    • Add the statement "The value provided was..." to every message.
    • Create the same description for duplicate functional error codes and highlight them for review.
    • Delete nonexistent values from the descriptions and identify them in a separate column.
  • Update Postal Wizard to provide the following:
    • Create a postage register for either a drop ship mailing claiming entry discounts or a mailer expedited plant load mailing. Mailers will be able to specify only one USPS entry facility per register per postage statement.
    • Print a PS-Form 8017/8125 with all the mailer's sections completed.
    • Create, print, and apply IMcbs to containers for drop ship and/or mailer expedited plant load mailings.
    • Claim Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) entry discounts and specify a USPS entry DDU facility in the register.
    • Easily enter data and navigate through the Register Entry web page.
    • Induct containers with an IMcb generated by Postal Wizard through the eInduction process.
  • Add the Pay Anywhere functionality to the Mail Anywhere program.

For detailed information, see the October 2012 Release Notes web page.

Mail.dat Version 13-1

The next Mail.dat version will be 13-1 and will become effective in January 2013. This update is to support the USPS price changes that will be implemented on January 27, 2013. PostalOne! will have a major update on January 13, 2013 to accommodate both this Mail.dat version change and the new postal prices. The following Mail.dat versions will be supported by PostalOne! at that time:

 
Mail.dat 12-1 -- Only updates allowed after January 27, 2013
   
Mail.dat 12-2 -- Limited features supported
   
Mail.dat 13-1

For more details regarding the 2013 planned updates, visit the
Full Service 2013 Releases web page.

Handling Change 

Mailers should work with their presort and post-presort software vendors to be sure that any mailing software applications will be ready to support the new Mail.dat version 13-1 and other changes that will be implemented in January 2013. Mailers who use PostalOne! MUST download and install the updated USPS MDR Client software from the Business Customer Gateway when it becomes available, for both the October 2012 and January 2013 updates. We will keep you posted as these upcoming deadlines get closer.

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