USPS Regulations: Recent and Proposed Changes and Their Effect on Mail Preparation and Delivery

Century Direct Logistics Dropship

  • Maximizes mailers postage discounts via USPS workshare
  • Improves speed of delivery
  • Reduces number of USPS handlings, thereby reducing mail piece potential damage
  • Enables mailers to more precisely target “in-home” windows for their mailings

The Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb)

  • Required by the USPS as of January 2013 to obtain automation discounts
  • Contains up to 31 digits of information including the Zip code 
  • Special Services, such as address correction
  • Mailer ID issued by the USPS for each customer ]
  • Serial Number for unique tracking for each piece in a mailing 

How the IMb Works 

  • Mail is scanned at various points as it travels through the postal system
  • Individual pieces carrying the IMb create time- stamped electronic records
  • Pieces may be scanned numerous times ▪As pieces approach their destination, a final scan generates a USPS operations code that indicates when a piece will be ready for the postal carrier
  • Date, time, and location can be accessed and summarized using our customized software

USPS Entry Scan 

  • Confirms the quantity and location of the mail’s entry into the postal system
  • Can show multiple drop dates, or multiple NDC/SCF entries
  • Entry Scan does not take place immediately when mail is delivered to a postal facility

Inquiry by Individual Mail Piece

  • Track an individual piece all the way to a mail carrier’s bag
  • Search by list source and in-home date
  • Verify if delivery was made before or after target date

USPS Mail Scan Summary by Date  

  • Not all of the pieces that are mailed receive a USPS scan
  • The report produces an overview of the distribution of the mail as it travels downstream

USPS Mail Scan Summary by State

  • Shows the number and percentage of pieces “In Home,” and the number and percentage of the pieces that have actually been scanned.
  • The number of pieces scanned may not equal 100% of the pieces mailed. Not all pieces get scanned.
  • The total number of scans can exceed the number of pieces mailed.