DMM Revision: New Facing Identification Mark E Pattern
Effective June 7, 2010, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 708.9 to add a new facing identification mark (FIM) E pattern that will be used for future customized services. Currently, other FIM patterns are used for Business Reply Mail® items, Courtesy Reply Mail™ items, meter reply mail, information-based indicia (IBI) meters, and PC Postage® systems.
The new FIM E pattern will be used to orient, separate, and capture an image of the mailpiece on the Advanced Facer Canceler System (AFCS). It is limited to specific programs currently under development by the Postal Service. Customers must be participating in one of these programs and pre-approved to use FIM E on mailpieces.
The FIM E pattern is introduced to support the testing of a new consumer postage payment option that provides an easy, convenient way to mail single-piece First-Class Mail® items without affixing postage.
A limited number of postcards bearing the new FIM E pattern have been printed and will be inducted into the mailstream. The postcards will feature the following four elements that will ensure postage is collected:
n Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb): The IMb consists of a two-digit barcode identifier, a three-digit service type code, a six- or nine-digit Mailer ID, and a six- or nine- digit serial number. The routing code is not included in the IMb. The mail processing equipment reads customer and tracking information encoded in the IMb and generates important operational data.
n Legend: The legend contains the class of mail, permit number, city, and state where the permit is held, and identifies the business customer responsible for paying the postage.
n FIM: The new FIM E will be used to orient, separate, and capture an image of the mailpiece on the AFCS.
n Imprint: “No Postage Necessary If Mailed in the United States” appears in the upper right corner of the address side of the mailpiece in lieu of postage.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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700 Special Standards
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708 Technical Specifications
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9.0 Facing Identification Mark (FIM)
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9.2 Pattern
[Revise the last sentence of the introductory paragraph of 9.2 by adding Intelligent Mail barcode as follows:]
***The required FIM pattern as shown below depends on the type of mail and the presence of a POSTNET barcode or Intelligent Mail barcode as follows:
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[Add new item 9.2e as follows:]
e. FIM E is used for postcard-sized and letter-sized First-Class Mail with customized services. (FIM E binary code is 101000101.)
[Add title for Exhibit 9.2 above table as follows:]
Exhibit 9.2 FIM Patterns
[Revise exhibit 9.2 by adding new FIM E as follows:]
(Patterns not drawn to scale)
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the DMM and into the monthly update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards, Pricing, 5-20-10
