Following is the announcement we received on January 13, 2011 from the USPS. Please take the time to review this, as it relates to the transition from POSTNET barcodes to Intelligent Mail Barcodes.
"Recognizing ongoing concerns about mailers' readiness for broader adoption of the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb®), the USPS® has decided that automation discounts for mail with POSTNET barcodes will continue to be offered beyond May 2011.
Today's announcement, made following consultation with key industry leaders, means that mailers also may continue to use the POSTNET barcode for reply mail (such as Business Reply Mail (BRM), QBRM and Permit Reply Mail) and PLANET Code® for Confirm® Service.
The relaxing of requirements beyond the planned May POSTNET retirement time frame allows for an easier transition to the full use of the IMb while continuing to receive automation discounts.
The value of the IMb is a proven technological advantage with more than 41 billion pieces of IMb-enabled mail processed by the USPS. As more Industry leaders continue to embrace the IMb, the Postal Service is committed to enhancing the benefits of Intelligent Mail Services."
As stated in our communication to you in September of last year, Strategic Marketing and Mailing is ready for the transition and is currently implementing both Basic and FullService IMB for many customers. Although the USPS has relaxed the standard, in an effort to provide you more visibility into the deliverability of your mail through the IMb scan process, we feel it is important to move forward with the transition as originally planned.
Just a reminder of the benefits of IMb. For both Basic and Full Service, the IMb consolidates all of the previous barcode formats into one, making it more compact for a much cleaner looking mail piece with more 'real estate' available to use as you see fit. Most importantly, Full Service IMb gives you the ability to receive discounts for qualifying automation pieces today. With the USPS request for a postal rate increase to go into effect in April of this year, this will help to offset some of the additional postal costs.
If you aren't already using IMb on your mail pieces today, give me a call. I would love to help you through the process and get started on saving you some money today.
