The USPS has announced several important dates:

January 2013
The USPS® has announced that the POSTNET™ Barcode be discontinued as of January 28, 2013. As of this date, only mail with Intelligent Mail® barcodes (IMb®) will be eligible for automation prices.

January 2014
The USPS has proposed that the Basic IMb™ be discontinued as of January 2014. If approved, only mail with Intelligent Mail® Full-service barcodes (IMb™) will be eligible for automation prices at that time.

Already, mailers receive a greater discount and benefits when they use Full-service Intelligent Mail®, including:

  • Save $3.00 per 1,000 on automation rates on a First-Class Mail® Letters and Flats
  • Save $1.00 per 1,000 on automation rates on Standard Mail® Letters and Flats
  • Free Start-the-Clock and Full-Service ACS (Address Change Service).
  • You can also use the same barcode to track mail through the IMb TracingTM service.

Reasons why you may want to adopt the Full-Service Option today:

1. Lower postage expenses.
Every mailer will need to make the switch eventually. Given that companies are looking to save money, the ability to save thousands of dollars or more each year represents a clear opportunity.

2. Access new value-added services.
With the Intelligent Mail® barcode, you can confirm mail delivery, track incoming remittance payments, receive automatic notifications when customers move and monitor USPS performance.

3. Avoid last-minute hassles.
By making the move soon, you can work with your postal acceptance specialist (or certification process administer) at the post office to ensure your barcodes are readable and formatted correctly. This can help avoid delays on potential penalties down the road.