1. At what point does the USPS^® scan mail?
   Mail is scanned at a variety of points as it travels through the mail stream.trackmymail.com analyzes this scan data and assigns projected in-home delivery dates.
   
   
2. Will every piece of mail with an Intelligent Mail^® barcode (IM™BC) be scanned?
   While scan rates of 100% are unlikely, letter size mail consistently scans at around 90% or better, while flat size mail performs at an average of 70%. Please note that flat scans often vary, depending upon the way they are sorted and delivered to the postal facilities. If you are drop shipping flats, you may want to contact CustomerService@trackmymail.com to describe your shipment.
   
   
3. How long will my mail be tracked? How long can I view the results?
   Your mail will be tracked for 45 days after the drop date provided by you when you place your order. We keep the detailed USPS^® scan data for six months.
   
   Scheduled or On-Demand reports are available for 45 days. You can download USPS^® data and look up single pieces of mail for up to six months from your mail date. After six months you cannot look up single pieces, generate single piece reports, or download USPS^® raw data. In-home by date, State, SCF and all other views are available for two years, including the ability to download those reports.
   
   
4. How current is the tracking data displayed on trackmymail.com?
   The Postal Service™ transmits updated tracking results to trackmymail.com. throughout the evening beginning at 12:00 AM and finishing at around 10AM ET. This schedule allows continuous updates throughout the most active period of the day for postal processing and ensures current data for the scans displayed on trackmymail.com.
   
   
5. I've tracked my mailing and I'm unhappy with the delivery time, and/or it appears that some pieces have not been delivered. What recourse do I have?
   While the Postal Service™ does have service standards it tries to meet, they do not guarantee delivery within any particular timeframe. If you are unhappy with the delivery time you may contact customer service at your local post office, or have your mailing service provider make contact for you. You may want to print out your trackmymail.com results to show the delivery pattern.
   
   

 
6. What is the Intelligent Mail^® barcode?
   The Intelligent Mail^® barcode (formerly known as the 4-State Customer Barcode) is the next generation of USPS^® barcode technology used to sort and track letters and flats. Intelligent Mail^® barcode technology, among other things, combines the capabilities of the POSTNET™ barcode and the PLANET Code^® barcode into one unique barcode.
   
   Precision Track™ uses the power of the Intelligent Mail^® barcode to track every piece of mail to its unique destination, even when there are multiple recipients at a single address. Every piece in a mailing will have its own unique tracking number, a “license plate” that identifies it.
   
   
7. When can I begin using the Intelligent Mail^® barcode (IM™BC)?
   The IM™BC is currently available and is used by many mailers today. As of May, 2011, the use of the PLANET Code^® and the POSTNET™ barcodes will be replaced by the Intelligent Mail^® barcode.
   
   
8. What types and classes of mail can I track?
   First-Class Mail^®, Standard Mail^® and Periodicals are classes of mail that can be tracked, Letters and flats are types of mail that can be tracked through the Confirm^® service. trackmymail.com  does not track parcels.
   
   
9. How is the IM™BC different from the PLANET Code^®?
   The IM™BC is a 4-state barcode that uses 4 different bar lengths to add more digits to the barcode. Using these additional digits the barcode can both track your mail like a PLANET Code^®, but it also replaces the POSTNET™ barcode for routing mail. Tracking and routing are done by a single barcode, as well as other "Intelligent Mail" functions.
   
   The IM™BC is printed from a font, but the font is not a direct translation of numbers. Instead, you will build a number and feed that number into an encoder, a piece of software created by the Postal Service™. That encoder will convert the number into a sequence of 65 letters. There are only four possible letters: F, A, T and D. Each letter corresponds to a type of bar. It is this sequence of letters that will be printed in the IM™BC font, becoming 65 bars. There are no framing bars, so it is okay to have a short bar at the beginning and/or at the end of the barcode. There is no check digit. You cannot directly translate the barcode into numbers.
   
   
10. How many digits are in the IM™BC, and what do they mean?
    The IM™ BC generally contains 31 digits, although it may have as few as 20. This is OK – the encoder will always turn it into 65 bars.
    
    The elements of the IM™BC are:
    
    • Barcode Identifier
      Digits 1-2: Except for flats using an optional endorsement line, these first two digits are typically “00”. Please refer to:
      http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/intelligentmail_guides_print.htm
      
      
    • Service Type Identifier
      (STID) Digits 3-5 Indicates the type of mailing (i.e. Full Service or Basic, with or without Confirm^®, instructions for ACS™, etc.)
      
      
    • Mailer ID
      Digits 6-11: Example "000803"
      
      
    • Serial Number or Tracking ID
      Digits 12-20: This is the unique mailpiece identifier.
      
      
    • Routing Code
      Digits 21-31: An IM™BC can be created with 0, 5, 9, or 11 digits in the routing code. Please keep in mind that delivery point requirements for USPS^® automation standards still apply.
    
    
    
11. Does each mail piece have a unique IM™BC?
    trackmymail.com  will assign a unique 9-digit tracking id (also referred to as serial number) for each mailpiece. We will also provide the correct Service Type Identifier and a trackmymail.com MID as part of the IM™BC.
    
    
12. Do I still need to print a POSTNET™ barcode?
    No. If you are using an Intelligent Mail^® barcode the Routing Code portion of the barcode is used by the USPS^®.
    
    
13. How do I determine where the Intelligent Mail^® barcode should be printed?
    Click here to see diagrams showing acceptable placement of the IM™BC. Additional information about IM™BC placement can be found at:
    http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/intelligentmail_guides_print.htm
    
    
14. How do I print the IM™BC?
    You have several options in creating your IM™BC. If trackmymail.com  has assigned your IM™BC, we will provide the components of the barcode (i.e. the STID, the MID, the range of tracking id’s) or we can build each IM™BC record for you and return it to you as an encoded file. The file will contain both the numeric version (up to 31 digits) and the 65 character letter string that you will need to print with the IM™BC font. Because the IM™BC is not human readable, we urge you provide a print sample to CustomerService@trackmymail.com for review before mailing. If your software or addressing system has an IM™BC encoder installed you can use the numeric version to create the barcode. If you need direction in creating your IM™BC’s, please contact trackmymail.com customer service at any time for assistance at (888) 444-9972, ext. 1043 or email to CustomerService@trackmymail.com.
    
    
15. I can read a PLANET Code^® or POSTNET™ code manually. Can I do the same with the IM™BC?
    The IM™BC is not a human readable code. You will need a barcode scanner to interpret the barcode.
    
    
16. Is there a check digit in the IM™BC?
    No. The error detection is built into the encoder.
    
    
17. Are there framing bars on an IM™BC?
    No. The IM™BC may start with any of the four bars.
    
    
18. How can I check to be sure I’ve printed my IM™BC correctly?
    We suggest that mailers purchase a hand scanner for quality assurance purposes. There are a number of models that will read the barcode. trackmymail.com customer service will be happy to make suggestions. We also encourage you to submit a PDF sample with your initial IM™BC to CustomerService@trackmymail.com.
    
    
19. If an IM™BC scans correctly with a hand scanner does that mean it can be scanned by the USPS^®?
    Not necessarily. Hand scanners will generally only confirm that the numbers are correct. They have much greater tolerance than USPS^® testing and processing equipment. You may want to add a barcode verifier to assure that barcodes are printed to postal requirements. Please contact the scanner manufacturer for details.
    
    
20. Can I track a carrier-route mailing using Intelligent Mail^® barcodes? How about non-automated mail?
    Automated First-Class Mail^® carrier-route letters and Standard Mail^®, walk-sequenced, bar-coded, saturation letters will often get very good scan rates, particularly city routes. Rural routes tend to get much lower scan rates. If much of your mail is high density or saturation carrier-route sorted letters, we suggest testing on some smaller mailings to evaluate scan rates.
    
    
21. Non-saturation enhanced carrier route standard letters not tend to track well, although this may change in the future. It is simply a matter of whether the Postal Service™ is running mail through automated sorters that determines whether or not you will get scan data. We always advise testing your carrier-route mail to determine how well it will scan.
    
    
22. Carrier-route sorted flats will rarely receive any scans at all, regardless of class. At this time we do not recommend coding carrier-route sorted flats. Non-automated mail can be tracked, but scan rates are typically much lower.
    
    

Using Precision Track™ For Your Job

23. How do I create a Precision Track™ Account?
    Log onto www.trackmymail.com and click “create an account” at the top of the page. You will assign a new user id and password. This will be different from the user id and password you used for your PLANET Code^® account.
    
    
24. How do I create a Precision Track™ Job?
    Precision Track™ provides you with a variety of options for working with the IM™BC, depending on what level of detail you want and how much of the process you want to do yourself. The basic steps are as follow:
    
    
    1. Download and install the IM™BC font from the resources page of trackmymail.com . It is a TrueType font. Make sure your addressing equipment is compatible with this font. You will be printing it in a 16 point type size.
    2. Log onto www.trackmymail.com using your Precision Track™ user id and password. Click on “Create a New Job”.
    3. Select the option to either (1) create a unique tracking id for each piece, or (2) use one number for the entire job.
    4. Complete the job information just as you would for a regular trackmymail.com job. You’ll be asked to verify the job information and then “submit job.”
    5. The next screen is your job confirmation screen where you have 2 options...........
       
       Option 1: If you have chosen to have trackmymail.com append your IM™BC’s, the screen will prompt you to upload your file. You can do it when you create the job or return later to do it. Click here for the required file structure. After you have uploaded your file you will receive a confirmation that your upload has been successful. You have now created your Precision Track™ job.
       
       When your file has been processed and the IM™BC’s are assigned, you will receive an email with a link to retrieve your file. You must be logged into PrecisionTrack™ when you click on the link. You can now download or save your encoded file. Click here for the encoded file format.Click here for the encoded file format.
       
       Option 2: If you have chosen to create your own IM™BC’s you can now download a file which will contain the first 20 numbers of the IM™BC for each record. You will add the routing id or POSTNET™ to this number to complete the IM™BC. In no case should any of the tracking id’s you assign be greater or smaller than the values shown in your job. Please contact customer service if you are not certain how to use these ranges with your software. Click here for more details on creating your own IM™BC’s.


25. I have a number of jobs I need to track. Are there any tools to make it easier to create multiple jobs?
    Yes! trackmymail.com has multi-job and multi-version options to make your order entry on multiple jobs easier.
    
    
26. Do I need to use my mailing software to create my IM™BC’s? Do I need to upload or download files?
    No. You have a number of choices with trackmymail.com .You can use Precision Track Desktop™, our proprietary application for integrating your mailing software with our solution for assigning, encoding and managing your IM™BC’s. You do not need to, but you may still want to upload a mailing detail file in order to enhance the reporting available in your PrecisionTrack™ job. Or, you can use your mailing software or your own methodology for creating the IM™BC.
    
    
27. Do I need to track every mail piece in my PrecisionTrack™ job or can I sample a portion of the job?
    Precision Track Desktop™, our application that integrates with your mailing software for assigning, encoding and managing IM™BC’s can manage sampling of files. Sampling is also available if you create your own IM™BC’s.
    
    Click here for more details on using assigned tracking IDs to create your own IM™BC.
    
    Be aware that when you choose to sample that you lose the forwarded mail and Update Pro™ capabilities for all untracked pieces.

Full Service with trackmymail.com

28. Are you ready for Full Service?
    You must complete TEM testing (USPS^® Test Environment for Mailers) before you can begin using the Full Service option. If you haven’t yet completed your testing, you can still use the Basic Option until you are ready.
    
    Before you can use the Full Service option you must meet all of the USPS^® guidelines for submitting a Full Service mailing. You can find these guidelines at: http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_gateway/documents/tech_guides/TEMCHECKLIST.pdf
    
    Using a trackmymail.com  Mailer ID (No ACS™ required)
    When you are ready to begin using the Full Service option, you will be given Account/User permissions by trackmymail.com to select Full Service in the Precision Track™ system.
    
    Using a Customer’s Mailer ID (No ACS™ required)
    You or the Customer must fill out and sign the Full Service Initiation form and pay $2,800 to trackmymail.com for each MID to be registered as a Non-Subscriber Delegate. You will be given Account/User permissions by trackmymail.com to select Full Service and enter the Non-Subscriber Delegate registered MID in the Precision Track™ system.
    
    Using a trackmymail.com  Mailer ID (ACS™ required)
    You will be given Account/User permissions by trackmymail.com to select Full Service in the Precision Track™ system. The ACS™ Registration and Activation process with the USPS^® should be completed for the mail owner’s MID being reported on the Full Service edoc. The profile in the USPS^® Business Gateway for this MID should be created to allow the USPS to distribute ACS™ for this mail owner to trackmymail.com . Additionally, if the profile allows for parties other than trackmymail.com to receive ACS™ data, the edoc for that mailing must specify trackmymail.com as the ACS^® recipient.
    
    Using a Customer’s Mailer ID (ACS™ required)
    The ACS™ Registration and Activation process with the USPS^® should be completed, for the mail owner’s MID being reported on the Full Service edoc. The profile in the USPS^® Business Gateway for this MID should be created to allow the USPS to distribute ACS™ for this mail owner to trackmymail.com . Additionally, if the profile allows for parties other than trackmymail.com to receive ACS™ data, the edoc for that mailing must specify trackmymail.com as the ACS™ recipient. You will be charged for ACS™ scans even though you are using your own MID. You must also fill out and sign the Full Service Initiation form and pay $2,800 to trackmymail.com for each MID to be registered as a Non-Subscriber Delegate. You will be given Account/User permissions to select Full Service and enter the Non-Subscriber Delegate registered MID in the Precision Track™ system.
    
    Note: Only six-digit MID’s can be used with trackmymail.com at this time.
    
    
29. How is IM™BC Uniqueness Managed for Full Service?
    To meet the requirements for Full Service, the IM™BC's uniqueness is determined by a combination of the MID and the tracking id (serial number) within a mail class. The 15-digit MID / tracking (serial number) combination must not be repeated in mailings of the same mail class within 45 calendar days of the mailing date. Mailpiece uniqueness is not enforced across mail classes, meaning a piece of First-Class Mail^® and a piece of Standard Mail^® could carry the same 15-digit MID/ Serial Number combination within the 45-day uniqueness period. However, two pieces of First-Class Mail^® (for example) must not have the same 15-digit MID/ Serial Number combination if the pieces are to qualify for the Full Service option. It is important to utilize the values assigned by trackmymail.com for each IM™BC in order to comply with this requirement for uniqueness.
    
    Note: According to the USPS, the 15-digit MID / Serial Number combination used on a Basic automation option mailpiece (unique or otherwise within the Basic automation option mailing) may not be reused on a Full Service mailpiece of the same class within a 45-day uniqueness period. For mailers tracking with trackmymail.com, we will manage the assignment of tracking id assignments to assure compliance
    
    

Update Pro™

Address Correction Services and Intelligent Mail^®

30. What is OneCode ACS^® and How Does It Work?
    OneCode ACS™ is a way for customers using the Intelligent Mail barcode^® to receive automated address corrections. The type of address correction desired is encoded in the Service Type ID (STID) of the IM™BC, As the mail is being processed by the USPS and an updated address is identified, pieces that include ACS™ instruction are forwarded, returned or destroyed (depending upon the STID used) and an electronic record with the new address is sent to the ACS™ subscriber.
    
    
31. What are the differences between the available ACS™ options with trackmymail.com ?
    Please refer to the following link from our Resources page-- Address Correction Service (Options and Endorsements): https://www.trackmymail.com/4st/PublicResources/ACS_Resources4.pdf.
    
    
32. What is forwarded mail? (Forwarded or Returned).
    Forwarded mail is a mail piece that the Postal Service™ has forwarded or returned to sender. When this occurs, the routing information in the IM™BC will change, while the tracking ID remains intact. When PrecisionTrack™ sees this occur, the mail piece is labeled as forwarded and will be included in the Forward Mail report.
    
    
33. Will I get the address to which the mail was forwarded?
    No. The Forwarded Mail report will only provide the updated POSTNET™ portion of the IM™BC if available. Address corrections are available through trackmymail.com’s Update Pro™ service although not all forwarded mail will necessarily get a correction.
    
    
34. I've received returned pieces - why aren't there any results displayed in the Forwarded Mail report?
    The return ZIP+4™ must be populated in the job details in order for returned pieces to be identified as returned vs. forwarded. Without the return ZIP entered for a job, all forwarded and returned pieces will be displayed as forwarded.
    
    
35. Why are only POSTNET™’s listed under the "old address" in the Forwarded Mail report and not all of the address fields?
    The Forwarded Mail report populates these fields based on the data contained within the upload (Mailing Detail Data file). If name and address information is not included in the uploaded file, the only information available for display is the POSTNET™.
    
    
36. Which columns of my upload are required to utilize the Forwarded Mail report?
    The Customer Unique Identifier and POSTNET™ columns are the minimum fields required.
    
    
37. The Map of Results isn't color coded and I am unable to view percentages by State, etc.
    The map colors and percentages by state represent the percent of pieces with scan activity compared to the mail quantity for the state. For these reports to display the calculations and colors, an upload file of tracked pieces is required (name and address details are not required for this feature).
    
    
38. Why do the records listed in the UpdatePro™ report differ from those listed in the Forwarded Mail report?
    The updated address information in the Update Pro™ report is based upon address change notifications filed with the Post Office™. The trackmymail.com Forwarded Mail report simply reports any departure from the original reported POSTNET™, and does not necessarily indicate that a change of address has occurred. Forwarded Mail reports DO NOT require Address Correction Services on the mail piece.
    
    
39. The option to select Address Correction Service (ACS™) for my mailing isn't available.
    Please contact Customer Service for assistance at (888) 444-9972, ext 1043
    
    
40. What are the available export formats for UpdatePro™ reports?
    CSV and Excel formats are available.
    
    

PLANET Code^®

Using TrackKit™ and PLANET Code^®

Although many mailers are already using the IM™BC, the POSTNET and PLANET Code^® can still be used until they are discontinued in May, 2011.

41. I'm using TrackKit™ labels. Do I still need to use a PLANET Code^® and which mail pieces should be coded?
    If you are using TrackKit™ labels, they are furnished with the PLANET Code^® on the labels. You typically want to choose a sampling that covers a broad geographic area. Our suggestion is to put a code on the first and last piece in every tray. If you don't have a lot of trays you may want to divide the labels equally between the trays you do have. If the mailing, for example, consists of 30 trays, use five labels in each tray, distributed more or less evenly.
    
    
42. How do I put the PLANET Code^®’s on my mail piece?
    PLANET Code^®’s can be generated by using the same printing methods you use for printing POSTNET™ barcodes, typically inkjet or laser printers. They may also be applied by offset printing. The PLANET Code^® uses its own font, which can be downloaded from our Resources page. TrackKit’s use pressure sensitive labels.
    
    
43. I've downloaded the PLANET Code^® font, and I'm printing my own PLANET Code^®’s.What point size should I use?
    The type size we use is 16 point.
    
    
44. How do I determine where the PLANET Code^® should be located on my mail piece?
    Click here to see diagrams showing acceptable placement of the PLANET Code^®.
    
    
45. When printing my own PLANET Code^®’s do I need to print any other characters?
    Yes! Just as with the POSTNET™ barcode, you need to print framing bars at the start and end of the barcode. The framing bar, a single long bar, is the character "s" in the PLANET Code^® font (as it is with the POSTNET™ font.) When printing the PLANET Code^® "222081000005", the code in a non-barcode font would appear as “s222081000005s".
    
    
46. Will the PLANET Code^® assigned by trackmymail.com include the check digit?
    Yes! If we supply you with a PLANET Code^® to print, it will be a twelve (12) digit number, which includes the check digit. On your online job confirmation screen the check digit will appear in red. You just need to add the framing bars, as described above.
    
    
47. What do the digits in the PLANET Code^® represent?
    The first two digits indicate the type of PLANET Code^® and the size and class of the mail piece. Destination, outgoing PLANET Code^®’s start with a number from 40-45. Origin, incoming PLANET Code^®’s start with 50-55. The next 5 digits are the account number assigned to trackmymail.com by the Postal Service™. The next four digits are the numbers we use to identify a particular mailing, and the last digit is a "correction" digit. The sum of all digits must end with "0". The correction digit makes certain that this happens.
    
    
48. Does each piece have a unique PLANET Code^®?
    No. Generally all of the pieces in a mailing will be assigned one PLANET Code^®.
    
    
49. Is the PLANET Code^® barcode the same as the POSTNET™ barcode?
    No. Although the barcodes look very similar, they contain different numbers of long and short bars. Barcode scanners can distinguish easily between the POSTNET™ barcode and the PLANET Code^®.
    
    The two barcodes do share some important characteristics: Both barcodes have 62 bars and share the same requirements as to size and contrast. The primary difference is that the relative position of long and short bars is reversed on the PLANET Code^® relative to the POSTNET™ code.
    
    
50. Do I still need to print a POSTNET™ barcode?
    YES! The PLANET Code^® is just there for tracking purposes. You still need the POSTNET™ barcode for mail delivery and postal discounts. You will generally have two barcodes on each PLANET Coded piece.