DMM REVISION
Expanding the Use of Intelligent Mail Barcodes
Effective March 1, 2007, the Postal ServiceTM will allow
mailers to use Intelligent Mail® barcodes (previously called
"4-State Customer Barcodes") on automation-rate First-
Class Mail®, Periodicals, and Standard Mail® letters for rate
eligibility, in lieu of POSTNETTM delivery point barcodes
(DPBCs). We will revise 202, 233, 243, 707, and 708 of
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service,
Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to incorporate this change
in our March update.
Currently, mailers who are Confirm® service subscribers
or Address Change Service participants use either of two
types of barcodes - an Intelligent Mail barcode or a
DPBC - on automation-rate letters for rate eligibility.
Allowing mailers to use the Intelligent Mail barcode on all
automation-rate letters encourages use of this new
barcode.
When mailers choose to use the Intelligent Mail barcode, they must include a numeric Business Entity Identifier. Mailers who do not have an assigned Business Entity
Identifier may obtain one by contacting the PostalOne!®
Help Desk at 800-522-9085. Complete specifications for
Intelligent Mail barcodes are defined in USPS-B-3200,
which is available for download at http://ribbs.usps.gov/OneCodeSOLUTION/.
As our technology evolves, we will continue to expand
the use of Intelligent Mail barcodes.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal
Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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200 Discount Letters and Cards
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202 Elements on the Face of a Mailpiece
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5.0 Barcode Placement
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5.2 General Barcode Placement for Letters
[Revise 5.2 by deleting required participation in OneCode
Confirm or OneCode ACS as follows:]
Automation rate letters and letters claimed at an Enhanced
Carrier Route saturation or high density rate may bear a
DPBC or an Intelligent Mail barcode with a delivery point
routing code (see 708.4.0). Mailers must print the barcode
either in the address block or in the barcode clear zone,
except that pieces in a OneCode ACS mailing and pieces
that weigh more than 3 ounces must include the barcode in
the address block. An Intelligent Mail barcode placed in the
address block, when used with OneCode ACS (see
507.3.2), must appear above the address information
according to standards in 5.7.
* * * * *
5.4 5-Digit and ZIP+4 Barcode Permissibility
[Revise the first two sentences in 5.4 by deleting the OneCode Confirm requirement as follows:]
An automation rate letter-size piece may not bear a 5-digit
or ZIP+4 barcode in the lower right corner (barcode clear
zone). The piece may bear a 5-digit or ZIP+4 barcode in the
address block only if a DPBC or an Intelligent Mail barcode
with a delivery point routing code appears in the lower right
corner.***
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230 First-Class Mail
233 Rates and Eligibility
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5.0 Additional Eligibility Standards for
Automation Rate First-Class Mail (and Carrier
Route) Letters
5.1 Basic Standards for Automation First-Class
Mail
* * * * *
[Revise item e by deleting required participation in
OneCode Confirm or OneCode ACS as follows:]
e. Bear an accurate DPBC or Intelligent Mail barcode
(see 708.4.3) matching the delivery address and
meeting the standards in 202.5.0, Barcode Placement, and 708.4.0, Barcoding Standards for Letters and Flats. Mailers must apply the barcode either
on the piece or on an insert showing through a
window.
* * * * *
240 Standard Mail
243 Rates and Eligibility
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6.0 Additional Eligibility Standards for Enhanced
Carrier Route Standard Mail
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6.4 High Density Enhanced Carrier Route
Standards
6.4.1 Basic Eligibility Standards for High Density
Rates
[Revise the introductory paragraph of 6.4.1 by deleting
required participation in OneCode Confirm as follows:]
High density rates apply to each piece that is automation-
compatible according to 201.3.0, Physical Standards for
Automation Letters and Cards, and has an accurate delivery point barcode or Intelligent Mail barcode matching the
delivery address and meeting the standards in 202.5.0,
Barcode Placement, and 708.4.0, Barcoding Standards for
Letters and Flats. High density rates also apply under these
additional conditions:
* * * * *
6.5 Saturation ECR Standards
6.5.1 Basic Eligibility Standards for Saturation
Rates
[Revise the introductory paragraph in 6.5.1 by deleting
required participation in OneCode Confirm as follows:]
Saturation rates apply to each piece that is automation-
compatible according to 201.3.0, Physical Standards for
Automation Letters and Cards, and has an accurate delivery point barcode or Intelligent Mail barcode matching the
delivery address and meeting the standards in 202.5.0,
Barcode Placement, and 708.4.0, Barcoding Standards for
Letters and Flats. Saturation rates also apply under these
additional conditions:
* * * * *
6.6 Automation ECR Standards
* * * * *
6.6.2 Basic Eligibility Standards
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[Revise item e by deleting required participation in
OneCode Confirm as follows:]
e. Bear an accurate DPBC or Intelligent Mail barcode
matching the delivery address and meeting the standards in 202.5.0, Barcode Placement, and 708.4.0,
Barcoding Standards for Letters and Flats. Mailers
must apply the barcode either on the piece or on an
insert showing through a window.
* * * * *
7.0 Eligibility Standards for Automation Rate
Standard Mail
7.1 Basic Eligibility Standards for Automation
Rate Standard Mail
* * * * *
[Revise item e by deleting required participation in
OneCode Confirm as follows:]
e. Bear an accurate DPBC or Intelligent Mail barcode
matching the delivery address and meeting the standards in 202.5.0, Barcode Placement, and 708.4.0,
Barcoding Standards for Letters and Flats. Mailers
must apply the barcode either on the piece or on an
insert showing through a window.
* * * * *
700 Special Standards
* * * * *
707 Periodicals
* * * * *
14.0 Automation Rate Eligibility
14.1 Basic Standards
14.1.1 General
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[Revise item d by deleting required participation in
OneCode Confirm and combining items 1 and 2. Renumber
current item 3 as new item 2.]
d. Bear an accurate barcode matching the delivery
address and meeting the standards in 708.4.0, under
these conditions:
1. If a letter: the mailer may use a DPBC or an Intelligent Mail barcode (see 708.4.3).
2. If a flat: the mailer may use a ZIP+4 barcode or
DPBC. Mailers may apply the barcode either on
the piece or on an insert showing through a
window.
* * * * *
708 Technical Specifications
* * * * *
4.0 Barcoding Standards for Letters and Flats
* * * * *
4.3 Intelligent Mail Barcodes
4.3.1 Definition
[Revise 4.3.1 to emphasize the Business Entity Identifier
requirement and to delete specific information about the
20-digit tracking code (this information will be included and
updated in USPS-B-3200) as follows:]
An Intelligent Mail barcode is the USPS-developed barcode
that mailers use to encode routing and tracking information
that can be read by automated mail processing equipment
to sort mail and to provide tracking information to the mailers. An Intelligent Mail barcode consists of 65 vertical bars,
each representing one of four possible states: full bar,
ascender, tracker, and descender. These 65 bars encode a
string of 31 digits, divided into two parts: a 20-digit tracking
code and an 11-digit routing code. The 11-digit routing code
may contain a ZIP Code, a ZIP+4 code, or a delivery-point
code. When used on letters for automation-rate eligibility
purposes, the routing code must contain a delivery-point
code that accurately matches the delivery address. Mailers
also must incorporate the Business Entity Identifier code in
the customer identifier field. Mailers who do not have a current Business Entity Identifier code may obtain one by contacting the PostalOne! Help Desk at 1-800-522-9085.
* * * * *
We will incorporate this revision into the next printed version of the DMM and into the monthly update of the online
DMM available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 2-1-07
