Full-Service Intelligent Mail barcode mandate delayed – for now

by Janet Lockhart-Jones, Ed.D., MDC | November 30, 2013 |
USPS® Delays Implementation of Full-Service Intelligent Mail® Mandate

The Postal Regulatory Commission’s (PRC) recent ruling held that mandating the implementation of Full-Service Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb™) requirements constitutes a rate increase. Due to this ruling, the Postal Service is delaying the January 26, 2014 implementation of the Full-Service Intelligent Mail mandate for automation price discounts. Mailers who are not currently enrolled in Full-Service IMb requirements effective January 26th, 2014 will still be able to claim automation prices. To achieve the best pricing, however, mailers must continue to Full-Service compliance.

So, what does the PRC’s ruling and the Postal Service’s decision to delay Full-Service really mean? It means that mailers who are currently receiving automation price discounts today by complying with Basic IMb™ requirements will RETAIN these same price discounts after January 26th, 2014. The Postal Service’s decision to delay the implementation of the Full-Service mandate essentially means that Basic IMb™ still qualifies mailers for automation pricing.

Despite this delay, the Postal Service remains strongly committed to full-service adoption for all mailers. The value of Full-Service is well-known and helps the mailing community to get the best value-added experience for its mail. The Postal Service® will continue moving aggressively to achieve 100 percent visibility in the mail through Full-Service.