• What is the Intelligent Mail® barcode?

• How does it work?

• How do mailers benefit from the Intelligent Mail barcode?

• What services use the Intelligent Mail barcode and when can I start using it?

• What about automation prices?

• Am I required to use the Intelligent Mail barcode in lieu of POSTNET and PLANET codes?

• Where can I place the Intelligent Mail barcode?

• What are the dimensions of the barcode?

• Will I have problems passing MERLIN® program requirements?

• Will I need to complete CASS™ or MASS™ certification again?

• What tools are available to help me or my provider adopt the Intelligent Mail barcode?

• Where can I find more information on the Intelligent Mail barcode?

What is the Intelligent Mail® barcode?

The Intelligent Mail barcode, formerly referred to as the 4-State Customer barcode, is a new Postal Service code used to sort and track letters and flats. The USPS is promoting use of Intelligent Mail because it expands the ability to track individual mailpieces and provides customers with greater visibility into the mailstream.

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How does it work?

The Intelligent Mail barcode combines the data of the existing POSTNET™ and PLANET® barcodes, as well as other data, into a single comprehensive barcode. The IM barcode is a height-modulated barcode that uses four distinct vertical bar types (Full, Tracker, Ascender and Descender) as shown below.



Note: The Postal Service Flat Mail Identification Code Sort (FICS) program uses another type of 4-state barcode that looks similar to the Intelligent Mail barcode, but it is applied as an ID tag on non-barcoded flat mail pieces only.

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How do mailers benefit from the Intelligent Mail barcode?

The Intelligent Mail barcode is the result of Postal Service efforts to develop more robust codes capable of encoding more information, while minimizing the space used on the mailpiece. The Intelligent Mail barcode:

• Has a greater overall data capacity than existing barcodes
• Provides mailers with more digits for their use, allowing for unique identification of up to one billion mailpieces per mailing
• Provides more accurate and detailed mailing information about mailings which can enable better decision making
• Increases mailpiece "real estate" by eliminating the need for multiple barcodes
• Allows for participation in multiple USPS service programs with a single barcode

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What services use the Intelligent Mail barcode and when can I start using it?

The Postal Service offers a suite of services for letters and flats using the Intelligent Mail barcode. Business Mail Entry Units (BMEUs) started accepting letters with the Intelligent Mail barcode in September 2006. The following May the USPS expanded use of the IM barcode by allowing mailers to use it on automation-rate flat-size mailpieces.

Since then, mailers have had the option to use the Intelligent Mail barcode on letter and flat mail for the OneCode Confirm™ service as well as a version of ACS™ called OneCode ACS™.

Mailers can use IM BC on First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Periodicals when participating in OneCode Confirm and OneCode ACS.

Current Confirm service subscribers should contact Confirm Customer Assistance at (800) 238-3150 for instructions on how to use their Subscriber ID within the Mailer ID field and to modify their accounts to accept the Intelligent Mail barcode.

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What about automation prices?

Since March 2007, mailers using the IM BC have been able to qualify for automation prices as long as all other automation requirements are met including meeting addressing, readability, and other requirements for processing on automated equipment.

The Intelligent Mail barcode must contain a proper routing ZIP Code and a valid Mailer ID to satisfy the criteria for automation prices. Mailers without a previously assigned MID should contact their local Mailpiece Design Analyst (MDA).

Mailers printing the Intelligent Mail barcode solely to qualify for automation rates must populate the Service Type ID field with one of the following values:

• First-Class Mail 700
• Standard Mail 702
• Periodicals 704
• Bound Printed Matter 706

Remittance mail such as CRM and MRM may use the IM barcode by populating the Service Type ID field with the First-Class Mail designation. Mailers using Business Reply Mail without any services should populate the Service Type ID field with 708.

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Am I required to use the Intelligent Mail barcode in lieu of POSTNET and PLANET codes?

Currently, Intelligent Mail barcode use is optional; however, because it offers significant advantages over POSTNET and PLANET barcodes (including using less mailpiece "real estate" and offering more overall data capacity), most customers have found it makes good business sense to adopt this new format today. The Postal Service will require use of the Intelligent Mail barcode to qualify for automation prices beginning May 2011.

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Where can I place the Intelligent Mail barcode?

When used to qualify for an automation price, the IM barcode follows the same placement rules as POSTNET codes. On letters, it can be placed in the address block or in the barcode Clear Zone in the lower right corner of the envelope. On flats, the Intelligent Mail barcode can be placed anywhere on the address side as long as it is at least 1/8 inch from any edge of the piece.

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What are the dimensions of the barcode?

The 31-digit Intelligent Mail barcode (65 bars) is slightly longer than the 11-digit POSTNET (62 bars). The print specification allows mailers some flexibility in choosing the height and width of the barcode they produce.

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Will I have problems passing MERLIN® program requirements?

No. The Postal Service MERLIN tool assists with the acceptance of business mail. Intelligent Mail barcode tolerances are similar to POSTNET and will work with MERLIN; however, as the code is not human-readable, barcode scanning and analysis tools such as BCC's Mail Verifier Plus can provide an important assist in suggesting MERLIN results for a mailing before the job leaves your shop.

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Will I need to complete CASS™ or MASS™ certification again?

The CASS certification enables the Postal Service to evaluate the accuracy of address-matching software programs. The CASS process is applicable to mailpieces with the Intelligent Mail barcode, but there is no need to redo this certification.

The Multi-line Accuracy Support System (MASS) certification, an extension of CASS, has an annual certification requirement and the IM barcode certification is now incorporated into this process.

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What tools are available to help me or my provider adopt the Intelligent Mail barcode?

A number of tools and other resources are available on the Postal Service RIBBS Web site such as online encoder/decoder, encoder software for a range of platforms and Intelligent Mail barcode fonts.

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Where can I find more information on the Intelligent Mail barcode?

For the latest information on the Intelligent Mail barcode, including the full dimension specification, visit the USPS RIBBS Web site.

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References

• USPS IM BC FAQs