FAQs

Using TrackMyMail and Planet® Codes

Printing and placing the Planet Code® on your mail

Interpreting results from TrackMyMail

What types and classes of mail can I track?
First-Class and Standard-Class mail can be tracked for letters, flats and periodicals. TrackMyMail does not track parcels.

Can I track a carrier-route mailing using Planet® Codes? How about non-automated mail?
Automated first-class carrier-route letters and Standard class, walk-sequenced, barcoded, 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.

Non-saturation enhanced carrier route standard letters do not tend to track well, although this may change in the coming months. 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 on your particular carrier-route mail to determine how well it will scan.

Carrier-route sorted flats will rarely receive any scans at all, regardless of class. At this time we do not recommend PLANET coding carrier-route sorted flats.
Non-automated mail can be tracked, but scan rates are typically much lower.

Does each piece have a unique Planet Code®?
No. Generally all of the pieces in a mailing will be assigned one Planet Code®. The data that comes back from the Postal Service will have both the PLANET and postnet information, allowing trackmymail.com to distinguish one piece from another.

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 code 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.

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.

I'm using TracKit labels. Which mail pieces should I Planet Code®?
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.

At what point does 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.

I have a number of jobs I need to track. Are there any tools to make it easier to create multiple jobs?
Yes! TrackMyMail has multi-job and multi-version options to make your order entry on multiple jobs easier. Mailing jobs can be created 3 different ways.
1. One job using a single Planet Code®.
2. One job with several versions where each version has a unique Planet Code®. This allows you to enter the information for all of your versions at once. When you go to look at your results you will be able to look at all versions combined as a single job, or at each individual version. Each version is charged as a unique job.
3. More than one job and a Planet Code® is assigned to each job - This allows you to enter the information for all of your jobs at one time, and submit them all at once. The jobs will appear in the usual job list on the results page.

What is the EMD (Electronic Mailing Data)?
The EMD file is created when a shipment id is assigned and printed as a barcode on a 3152 or 8125 document. When Planet Coded mail is inducted into the mailstream, the receiving USPS facility will scan this document and report back the date and time of the entry scan to Trackmymail.com. We will then post these results into your job under “View Entry Information.”

If you are drop shipping mail, or simply need additional verification that your mail has been inducted, this can be a valuable tool. The Postal Service encourages the use of EMD. Lack of an entry scan does not mean that the mail was not inducted. Scanning the EMD is a manual process and occasionally missed by postal induction employees.

As far as preparing your EMD, if your mail is dropping at a single location, trackmymail.com does all of the work for you. We’ll email you a PDF of the form 3152-A with your job confirmation. Just print it out and turn it in with your mailing. Drop ship clients can either work with supporting software (Window Book or BCC Mail Manager 2010), or complete an EMD spreadsheet. Click on the link below for details. In either case we’ll also take care of uploading required data to the Postal Service.

It is very important to note that while the Postal Service encourages use of EMD, the entry scan does not influence or affect the results of the Planet Code® scans of your mail pieces. Failure to create an EMD file, or failure by the Postal Service to scan your entry form will not impact Planet Code® scan performance.

If you indicated that you were dropping at a single USPS location, we provided a PDF of the 3152 you can submit to the post office. If you are dropping at multiple locations, please click here for information on completing the EMD spreadsheet attached to your order confirmation.

How do I complete the EMD spreadsheet that was attached to my Order Confirmation?

Can I use the same Planet Code® for various drops over a period of time?
No. Each job requires its own Planet Code®. We have no way of distinguishing scans from different jobs if they use the same Planet Code®. For this reason we track each mailing for 45 days only. Please use one PLANET code per job, per day.

How do I put the Planet® Codes on my mail piece?
Planet® Codes 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. We also offer pressure sensitive labels in our TracKit products.

I've downloaded the Planet Code® font, and I'm printing my own PLANET codes.
What point size should I use?
The type size we use is 16 point.

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®.

When printing my own Planet® Codes 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 "s222081000005s"

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.

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® Codes start with a number from 40-45. Origin, incoming Planet® Codes start 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.

Does each piece have a unique PLANET code?
No. Generally all of the pieces in a mailing will be assigned one Planet Code®.

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 code 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.

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.

I'm using TracKit labels. Which mail pieces should I PLANET code?
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.

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.

Will every piece of mail with a Planet Code® 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.

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. 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.

How current is the tracking data displayed on trackmymail.com?
The Postal Service transmits updated tracking results to trackmymail.com in 7 scheduled daily transmissions at beginning at 12:00 AM and finishing at 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.

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 make contact for you. You may want to print out your trackmymail.com results to show the delivery pattern.