Mail Print Data

As rumored the USPS has announced they will not accept the 6014 as a legal document.  The original purpose of the document was never meant to serve as a transfer of liability from the mailer to a 3rd party.  Basically, the 6014 will not be accepted as proper certification of Move Update Compliance, and the mailer paying the postage will be held liable for a failure.

The USPS will treat detection of Move Update Compliance like any other verification test.   The same rules will apply to a Move Update Compliance failure as a barcode failure or presort error.  The presenter will have the options of paying additional postage or taking the mail back to resolve the problem.

This doesn’t change the fact that the document signed is a legal document.  The 6014 or any similarly signed document would hold as an agreement between the mail preparer and their client.  The document was never meant to serve as an agreement between the USPS and the client of the mail preparer.

The options for Move Update Compliance are:

• OneCode ACS™ (Address Change Service) in conjunction with an Intelligent Mail barcode and a mailer ID or Address Change Service used with an ACS participant code and an appropriate on-piece ancillary service endorsement

• NCOALink™ processing.

• FASTforward® MLOCR processing (letter mail only).

• Ancillary Service Endorsement.

Input Technology is asking clients to use one of the above methods for all mailings.  Most of our clients simply take advantage of our cost-effective 48 month NCOA processing service.  We require all clients mailing through us to sign a PAF (Processing Acknowledgement Form), if not using an alternative addressing format or one of the above methods.

The Processing Acknowledgment Form is required by the USPS to adhere to the Privacy Act of 1974.  The purpose is to assure that the processing and returned data isn’t used for any purpose other than updating a mail list.

Alternative addressing includes using simplified addressing such as “Current Resident” or “Postal Customer”.  It can also be exceptional addressing such as “Or Current Resident” as well as “Or Current Occupant.”  If the client uses alternative addressing, we require nothing additional from them, since Move Update does not apply.

ITi NCOA Forms and Info ->

Postal Service Releases Vision 2013

The Postal Service has released Vision 2013, its new five-year strategic plan that balances near-term priorities with long-term needs to adapt to changing customer need.

Read more here…

Economy-Driven Mail Volume Decline Contributes to Loss

The Postal Service finished up 2008 with a net loss of $2.8 billion as the economic slowdown lowered mail volume and as the Postal Service bore additional cost mandated by the Postal Act of 2006.

Read more here…

USPS Updates three IMB Technical Guides

The Postal Service updated three technical guides for the Intelligent Mail Barcode and added a new one.  Customers are encouraged to use the guides and can find them at:

http://ribbs.usps.gov/files/fullserviceguides/

Read more here…

Well, the wait is over and Nov. 23rd has past.  This means we are under new guidelines regarding the Move Update Regulations of Standard Class Mail.

Move update refers to methods for making sure that the person or business you are mailing to is still at the address you have for them.  We have partnered with a leader in mailing technology to offer NCOA Full Service Processing.  This will enable us to provide our clients with quick and easy adherence to the new standards.

Learn more about it here:
http://www.inptech.com/ncoa_processing.php

The USPS is going to begin checking mailings for compliance using their current MERLIN program.  MERLIN program, an acronym for Mail Evaluation Readability Lookup INstrument, is a tool that is used by the U.S. Postal Service to assist with the acceptance of business mail.

MERLIN will read the addresses of mail pieces and check them against USPS Change of Address Database to determine if the mailing is compliant.  When a mailing is found to be Non-Compliant the USPS can (an likely will) levy fines against the mailer.

Mailers (that would be us) will require their clients to fill out a Form 6014 (Certification of Move Update Compliance) and/or submit their mail list through NCOA and fill out a PAF (Processing Acknowledgement Form).  It will be required of all mailers to be able to present to the USPS proof that the mailing is Move Update Compliant.

View the 6014 as well as a presentation by USPS on the Move Update:
http://www.inptech.com/resources.php

Quick reminder to everyone that Nov 23rd is fast approaching and we’ll be providing more detailed information on this Blog as well as our main website InpTech soon.

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When times are tight everyone’s looking to get the most bang for their buck.  It almost goes without saying that every business at this time is looking over their expenses (advertising too) to see where they can cut costs.  Some companies are giving up direct mail marketing for the time being all together.  This might be the only option for some, but will result in missed opportunities and lost revenue.  Not everyone has a home phone number, or an email address, nor does everyone read magazines and newspapers.  But everyone has a mailbox.

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The US Postal Service has released a five year plan to focus on and meet customer needs.  At the heart of the plan, the USPS says, are 3 keys:

1. Focus on what matters most to customers.
2. Leverage our strengths to create customer value an profits to invest in continued improvement.
3. Embrace Change in the way we respond to emerging customer needs and a rapidly evolving business environment.

More… »

PART 1…

The mandatory implementation of the Intelligent Mail Barcode takes effect May 2009.  It was originally planned to begin January 2009, but pushed back after concerns from the Mailing Industry.  The intelligent mail barcode or IM Barcode was developed by the USPS to replace all other current barcodes for direct mail.

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Welcome,

This is our very first post on this blog.  Actually this is our very first blog.  You can expect to see industry related news and information here.  We’ll publish articles we write related to Direct Marketing.  Mainly we will be writing about Direct Mail and Data Processing / Programming.

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