Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog, “The Benefits of Intelligent Mail™ Barcodes”

Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "The Benefits of Intelligent Mail™ Barcodes," serves as a reminder for marketers, both small and large, that corporate, enterprise-level mailing initiatives can reduce costs with Intelligent Mail™ Barcoding (aka IMB™). IMB™ also benefits the USPS® by lowering labor costs, while simultaneously streamlining several processes the USPS® uses to deliver marketing collateral and packages.

Before IMB™, the USPS® PostNet™ barcode captured the zip code, zip+4 code, and the delivery code. The new IMB™ standard provides a host of unique benefits that are worth the review. IMb™ helps the USPS®, as well as, marketers, sales, customer service, collections, finance, risk management, and government track and trace mail pieces.

The IMB™ system allows senders to barcode mail pieces before placing the articles in the mail. In most cases, vendors have agreements with the postal service and receive price discounts upfront. The discounts reflect the reward the USPS® extends to mailers who take the time to perform this work on their end, instead of requiring the USPS® to complete this process.

Participant USPS® Benefits

The rewards for participation in the IMB™ program can be substantial for mail users, whether it's individuals or organizations, as the discounts are based on volume and can vary widely, depending on other variables that can factor in. As an example, in 2017, an automation discount applied to a batch of approximately 20,000 pieces of mail, earned the mailer $1,500 in savings versus the non-automation discount rate.

Mailers using the IMB™ process also earn access to the USPS® Mail Anywhere program, which provides mailers with multiple mailing permits for streamlining internal operations. This benefit does away with the need to purchase a mailing permit for each location. With the IMB™ process in place, a single permit extends discounts across various mailing locations. IMB™-compliant mailers fall under the updated USPS® rules.

IMB™ Helps Brands With Compliance

Intelligent Mail Barcoding can assist with compliance issues. IMB™ offers free and automatic mail piece tracing as part of the program. The benefit here is that an enterprise can trace a mailing (even down to the pallet level) to the last scanned USPS® location. Regulated industries such as healthcare and financial services continually grapple with compliance issues. Intelligent Mail Barcoding can help alleviate some of these compliance issues.

For those who need to trace door-to-door, the "USPS® Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM®) program is an affordable targeted advertising technique that lets you map your marketing mail audience by age, income, or household size. You can use the EDDM® mapping tool to choose the ZIP Code™ and carrier route that will target your best possible customers—current and future. The EDDM® mapping tool is easy to use and discounts are available for businesses that are small and large. However, we do recommend that brands can save time by identifying a USPS® certified printing operation that has the infrastructure to handle all aspects of barcoding and presorting workflow.

Additional Benefits

In addition, here are 6 more benefits of the new IMb™ barcode:

1. Low-Cost Proof of Mailing. Destination IMb™ Tracing allows mailers to identify and receive mail processing data for both outgoing and incoming mail pieces. Mailers can use IMb™ Tracing to receive advance notice as to when your high-value mail pieces will reach their destinations.
2. Payment Response Tracing. Origin IMb™ Tracing allows mailers to track payments that are in the mail stream, manage marketing campaign responses, improve collection efforts, and receive advance notification that replies are in the mail stream.
3. Improve Customer Support. With the right toolset, you can provide mail stream visibility to your sales and customer care reps, to reduce trace history time, make better informed 'fee-waiver' decisions, and manage customer relations.
4. Improve Data Quality. IMb™ makes it easier for mailers to make address corrections, update source data, and manage the addressing process through its free address correction service.
5. Optimize Marketing Response Rates. IMb™ Tracing allows you to know when mail pieces will be delivered so that you can optimize promotions, customer contact, and call center volumes.
6. Manage SLAs. IMb™ provides data that validates outbound and inbound service level agreements for USPS, vendors, and in-house operations.

There are many resources available to you at the USPS® website. As well, a mail house provider like Dove Direct, can help you identify the lowest possible postage rates, ensure that you are USPS® compliant, and support your marketing efforts. Contact Dove Direct to learn more about the benefits and costs savings of IMb™.

The Net-Net

Direct Mail Marketing numbers are on are the rise, and to that end, it makes good sense for organizations to implement IMB™ for a variety of reasons, from tracking and tracing to automation volume discounts and improved customer relations. Thanks for reading, "The Benefits of Intelligent Mail™ Barcodes."

Let's have a conversation about direct mail strategies, printing, print software, transactional documents, variable digital printing, brand equity, and unified marketing collateral during our next Open House. We invite you to join us for an hour or two, June 27, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. Let us show you how to improve your document processes to optimize your workflow, reduce your costs, and maximize your organization's printing, letter shop, and mailing capabilities. Dove Direct does have an official USPS certified bureau located within our offices that will save you time and money. Moreover, if you bring us your files, we will create a demo file for you. For more information, call Carla Eubanks at 404-629-0122 or email Carla at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dove Direct, your Atlanta based print and mail solutions provider offers organizations end-to-end data, printing and mailing solutions: Data Management, Variable Digital Printing, LetterShop and Fulfillment, Fully Automated MLOCR Presort Bureau, Marketing and Production Management Support and Secure Data Life Cycle Management.

If you don't want to wait for the Open House, you can reach Dove Direct today by calling 404-629-0122 or use the contact form for Dove Direct.