Effective July 5, 2011, the Postal Service™ will revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 709 to add a temporary promotion for First-Class Mail® cards, letters, and flats, and Standard Mail® letters and flats bearing two-dimensional mobile barcodes.
To be eligible for a three percent postage reduction, each mailpiece in the mailing (and listed on the postage statement) must have a qualifying two-dimensional mobile barcode on the outside of each piece or on the contents within each piece. The barcodes, when scanned, must be used for consumer interaction and be relevant to the contents of the mailpiece. The mobile barcodes must be used for marketing, promotional, or educational purposes. They may not be used for internal corporate operational processes or for postage evidencing purposes. Barcodes that link consumers to sites that encourage enrollment to online bill paying or paperless statement services are not considered marketing, promotional, or educational for the purposes of this initiative and are not eligible for the discount.
A price reduction of three percent of the total postage cost for a mailing in which all mailpieces contain a two-dimensional mobile barcode (also known as a “QR” barcode) that is readable by consumer smartphones will apply to presort and automation mailings of First-Class Mail cards, letters, and flats, and Standard Mail (including nonprofit) letters and flats. Commingled, comailed, and combined mailings are allowed, but a separate postage statement is required for mailpieces with mobile barcodes. Eligible mailings must be accompanied by electronic documentation under existing mailing standards for submission of electronic documentation.
Other than the full-service Intelligent Mail® barcode discount, mailpieces are ineligible to receive any other incentive if claiming the mobile barcode promotion three percent discount.
The Postal Service will implement the promotion and temporary price reduction effective for mailings made on July 1, 2011, through August 31, 2011. Plant-verified drop shipment (PVDS) mailings may be accepted at origin on or after June 26, 2011, for mail to be entered at a destination facility on or after July 1, 2011. PVDS shipments accepted no later than August 31 may be entered at destinations through September 15, 2011. Program requirements, including updated FAQs, are available on the RIBBS website at https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=mobilebarcode or by sending an e-mail to mobilebarcode@usps.gov.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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700 Special Standards
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709 Experimental and Temporary Classifications
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[Add new 4.0 as follows:]
4.0 Two-Dimensional Mobile Barcode Promotion
4.1 Program Description and Scope
The two-dimensional mobile barcode promotion provides a three percent discount for presorted and automation mailings of First-Class Mail cards, letters, and flats and Standard Mail (including Nonprofit) letters and flats that include a two-dimensional mobile barcode when the mailpieces meet all the conditions in these standards. The promotion is valid for mailings entered from July 1, 2011, through August 31, 2011. Plant-verified drop shipment (PVDS) mailings meeting all relevant standards may qualify for participation in this promotion as follows:
a. PVDS mailings may be accepted at origin as early as June 26, 2011, if they are entered on or after July 1, 2011, at the destination.
b. PVDS mailings may be accepted at origin as late as August 31, 2011, if they are entered no later than September 15, 2011, at the destination.
4.2 Eligibility Standards
To be eligible for the three percent discount, mailpieces must be mailed under the following conditions:
a. A two-dimensional mobile barcode must be on each mailpiece, either on the outside or printed on the contents of the piece. One-dimensional barcodes do not qualify.
b. The barcode must be readable by a mobile smartphone with a two-dimensional barcode reader application. The barcode must be used for marketing, promotional, or educational purposes and be relevant to the contents of the mailpiece. Barcodes with links that direct consumers to sites that encourage enrollment to online bill paying or paperless statement services are not considered marketing, promotional, or educational for the purposes of this initiative and are not eligible for the discount. Mailpieces with mobile barcodes that convey postage information, destination, or sender or machinable serial number for security also are not eligible for the discount.
c. The mailpieces with mobile barcodes must be one of the following:
1. Presorted or automation First-Class Mail cards, letters, or flats.
2. Standard Mail (including nonprofit) letters or flats.
d. Postage must be paid with a permit imprint, and the postage statement and mailing documentation must be submitted electronically. All pieces on a postage statement must contain a mobile barcode that qualifies for the discount.
e. Participating mailers must provide the acceptance unit with a sample of the mailpiece that contains a mobile barcode. Mailers must also retain, until October 31, 2011, a sample of each mailpiece claiming a discount.
f. Other than a full-service Intelligent Mail discount (see 705.23), no other incentives apply for mailpieces claiming a discount under this promotion.
4.3 Discount
Mailers must claim the three percent postage discount on the postage statement at the time the statement is electronically submitted. The electronic equivalent of the mailer’s signature on the postage statement will certify that each mailpiece claimed on the postage statement contains a qualifying two-dimensional mobile barcode.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next monthly update of the online DMM available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
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