The Intelligent Mail barcode is a 65-bar code for use on mail in the United States. The hope is that it may provide information and benefits to both mailers and postal officials.
The Intelligent Mail initiative was announced by the US Postal Service in 2003, became available in 2006, and was expanded upon and enhanced in 2007. This barcode will be required starting in fall of 2009 for companies looking to receive the maximum USPS automation discounts.
The Intelligent Mail barcode replaces the POSTNET and PLANET barcodes and promises to raise the level of service the USPS provides to its customers. This mandate will help the USPS improve deliverability, provide new service and increase overall efficiency.
Over the years, the Intelligent Mail barcode has also been referred to as OneCode, IMB and the 4-State Barcode.
Contents |
The Intelligent Mail barcode is a height-modulated barcode that encodes up to 31 decimal digits of mailpiece data into 65 vertical bars.
| Index of first digit | Length | Name |
| 1 | 2 | Barcode Identifier |
| 3 | 3 | Service Type Identifier |
| 6 | 6 or 9 | Mailer ID |
| 12 or 15 | 9 or 6 | Sequence Number |
| 21 | 11 | Delivery Point ZIP Code |
The code is made up of four distinct symbols, which is why this barcode was once referred to as the 4-State Customer Barcode. Each bar contains the central "tracker" portion, and may contain an ascender, descender, neither, or both (a "full bar"). In total, the new barcode will carry a data payload of 31 digits representing the following elements:
Barcode Identifier. A two-digit value that indicates the degree of pre-sorting this mail piece received before being presented for mail delivery.
Service Type Identifier. A three-digit value representing both the class of the mail (such as first-class, standard mail, or periodical), and any services requested by the sender.
Mailer ID. A six or nine-digit number assigned by the USPS that identifies the specific business sending the mailing. Higher volume mailers are eligible to receive six-digit Mailer IDs, which have a larger range of sequence numbers associated with them; lower volume mailers will receive nine-digit Mailer IDs. To make it possible to distinguish six-digit IDs from nine-digit IDs, all six-digit IDs begin with a digit between 0 and 8, inclusive, while all nine-digit IDs begin with the digit 9.
Sequence Number. A mailer-assigned six or nine-digit ID specific to this piece of mail, which the mailer must ensure is unique for a 45-day period after it is sent. The Sequence Number is either six or nine digits, based on the length of the Mailer ID. If the Mailer ID is six digits long, then the Sequence Number is nine digits long, and vice versa, so that there will always be fifteen digits in total when the Mailer ID and the Sequence Number are combined.
Delivery Point ZIP Code. This section may be omitted, but if it is present, the five, nine, or eleven-digit forms of the ZIP code are also encoded in the Intelligent Mail barcode. The full eleven-digit form includes the standard five-digit ZIP code, the ZIP + 4 code, and a two-digit code indicating the exact delivery point. This is the same information that was encoded in the POSTNET barcode, which the Intelligent Mail barcode is intended to replace.
"Intelligent Mail Barcode Specification" (PDF). United States Postal Service. July 8, 2005. pp. page 3. http://ribbs.usps.gov/OneCodeSolution/SPUSPS-B-3200E001.pdf. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
Maximum Postal Savings
From the fall of 2009, the Full-Service Intelligent Mail barcode must be used to gain maximum postal discounts. The actual rates are due to be released in 2009 when the USPS makes their annual rate change announcement. In August 2008 USPS stated the deadline was May 2009.[1]
Accurate tracking
By allowing individual tracking of mail items, the Intelligent Mail barcode can provide users of postal services with the precise status of mail and an opportunity to add a level of certainty in several important ways:
Low-cost Proof of Mailing
Via the USPS Confirm service, the Intelligent Mail barcode allows access to the Destination Confirm service for a few cents, giving advance notice about when high-value mail pieces will be delivered.
Payment Tracking
Origin Confirm service lets users see when an individual customer’s check or response has been mailed back.
More Efficient Customer Care
With the right interface mailstream visibility can be provided to customer care representatives.
Delivery forecasting
Delivery of individual mail pieces can be forecast.
Free Address Change Service
The Intelligent Mail barcode allows mailers to make address corrections if needed. On First-Class Mail electronic Address Change Service (ACS) is free when companies use the Full-Service Intelligent Mail barcode. This should reduce reduce Undeliverable As Addressed (UAA) mail.
Preparation Efficiency
The USPS offers seamless acceptance for the induction of mailers’ prepared (presorted) mail.
Comprehensive Mail Piece Tracking
Implementing the IMB provides the basis for developing and implementing a comprehensive mail piece tracking system. Such a system allows an organization to track their mail pieces through the entire mail system, both internally and externally. As they track them internally, the mail piece tracking system can be tied into internal production systems such as Automated Document Factory (ADF) systems or an organization's production Reprint process. The mail piece tracking system also allows tracking of both outbound & inbound external mail pieces by adding in the USPS OneCode services.
Database facilities
Implementing the IMB makes available IMB information on every mail piece dropped. A very information-rich database is created by using IMB to create a comprehensive mail piece tracking system. Further information can be added to this database and data mining techniques can be used for many purposes. For example, an organization can extract the dollar amount due from bills or statements during document re-engineering, enter it into the mail piece tracking database, and combine that with USPS OneCode data on incoming payments to make cash flow projections. Likewise, an organization can use estimated delivery dates to staff customer service lines and educate them on questions based on what marketing messages were sent out.
CASS, PAVE, NCOA, and barcode verification
Since each automated mailpiece has a unique IMB linked to a specific mailer and mailing, it will be possible to verify the barcodes of all pieces during processing (instead of a small sample, as is now done with the MERLIN machine.) Furthermore, since tracking continues throughout the mailstream, the Postal Service will be able to determine if a significant portion of a mailing does not comply with CASS/DPV (ZIP+4 and delivery point coding), PAVE (sortation), or move update requirements.
Revenue Protection
It has been possible, through various illicit means, to introduce permit imprinted mail into the mailstream without paying postage, and in the past the Postal Service has lost millions of dollars in revenue. With the introduction of IMB, this will become nearly impossible since each piece bears a code which identifies the mailer and a 45-day period during which the item was mailed.
Barcodes can be printed on documents (shown through a window envelope) or sprayed directly onto envelopes at various points in the process. Many large companies may use some or all of these approaches based on their business needs and environment, as well as the unique characteristics of an application.[2][3][4]
In recent years, more companies have been applying barcodes as part of document creation, with all barcode information included in the initial data payload. This trend has been driven by other initiatives, such as transpromotional transaction documents, where the goal is individualized, relevant statements. Creating barcodes at this point in the process may require some added effort, but with the proximity to databases and business applications, some may find it easier to track back data (such as a corrected address) to its original data source.
With today’s document output technologies, mailers can modify and reengineer print streams – moving and adding information (such as barcodes) on the fly. Likewise, mailers can print barcodes directly on envelopes using an envelope finishing system. Either way, this approach enables mailers to centralize and standardize barcode creation on the production floor using the original data files—without impacting the upstream business applications.
Unfortunately, many organizations may not be able to place IMBs during the document composition step. There may not be sufficient resources to make the production modifications, or the transaction print data stream may come in already composed without the ability to reach back and change the composition process. But the organization may still want to place the IMB into the electronic document before it is printed rather than later in a post-print production process.
Adding Intelligent Mail Barcodes post-composition into the electronic print file allows organizations to simultaneously clean up all their transaction print streams while adding the IMBs they need. Other document re-engineering options can also be made at this step, such as adding 2D barcodes for use by the newer Automated Document factory (ADF) systems, checking address blocks, and adding more marketing messages.
Many organizations are finding that by commingling multiple smaller print streams before printing into one larger stream (or a few larger streams, sorted by criteria such as weight or number of inserts) they can gain efficiencies and reduce overall postage costs. During this electronic commingling process IMBs can be added to the documents and mail pieces in the new stream(s). This is an option to in-house sortation.
When mailers run separate jobs and then want to combine them to achieve additional postal savings, they can physically sort mail after it’s produced using sorter equipment. With new or upgraded sorter technology, mailers can accommodate the new Intelligent Mail Barcode at the end of the mail production process. This is an option to electronic commingling.
Third-party presort houses may provide mailers an easy way to comply with Intelligent Mail mandate and also provide the benefits of commingled mail. Even if a third-party applies the barcode, however, it may still be possible for the USPS to monitor the quality of the sortation using a mailer’s unique Mailer ID. It will also be important for mailers to coordinate sequence numbers with their vendor so they can leverage OneCode ACS and OneCode Confirm services.
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   | http://www.imbsolutions.com - Intelligent Mail® Barcode Solutions |
| | Intelligent Mail Barcode Implementation Guide by IDAutomation.com - Intelligent Mail USPS Barcode Tutorial by IDAutomation® |
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