Steps to Creating Your Intelligent Mail Barcode
Fact Sheet for Election Mail
The serialized Intelligent Mail
®
barcode (IMb
®
) is a 65-bar
Postal Service™ barcode used to sort and track individual
letters and ats. The barcode simplies data – gathering by
consolidating information for multiple Postal Service
identiers into one comprehensive location. Using a
serialized IMb also expands mailers’ ability to track individual
mailpieces and gain greater mailstream visibility.
Uniquely serialized IMbs facilitate the tracking of individual
ballots to and from individual voters. For example, a single
household may have multiple individual voters residing at
the same address. If the IMb on the ballot envelopes to
and from those individual voters have not been uniquely
serialized, they cannot be tracked as they move through
the mailstream. Election ofcials will need to maintain the
relationship of the serial number to the specic voter.
A uniquely serialized IMb can be applied to all automation
compatible letters and ats and is critical for using Informed
Visibility
®
Mail Tracking and Reporting (IV
®
-MTR) service.
The IV-MTR application provides information about when
and where the Postal Service sorts a mailpiece on mail-
processing equipment. A uniquely serialized IMb can also
be used for address correction services: manual address
correction notices, Address Change Service (ACS
™
),
OneCode ACS
®
, and Intelligent Mail Full-Service ACS
™
.
PostalPro Resources
The IV-MTR User Guide can be found under the IV-MTR
User Guides and Training section at https://postalpro.usps.
com/InformedVisibility.
For guidance on address quality, please visit https://
postalpro.usps.com/address-quality.
Additional information on the Intelligent Mail program can
be found at https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/intelligent-
mail-barcode.
STEP 1: DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL THE
ENCODER AND FONT
An IMb consists of a 20-digit tracking code eld [Barcode
Identier, Service Type IDentier (STID), Mailer ID (MID), and
Serial Number] and a Routing Code (ZIPCode
™
) eld of up
to 11 digits. An encoder is required to convert the numeric
digits into a 65-character string representing the bars of the
IMb and a special font is required to convert the 65 alpha-
character string into the IMb bars. Users can download the
fonts and computer source code at https://postalpro.usps.
com/mailing/encoder-software-and-fonts.
STEP 2: APPLY FOR A MID
A MID is required for the IMb tracking code. New MIDs are
assigned through centralized USPS
®
processes, generally
through the MID system at https://gateway.usps.com/
eAdmin/view/signin (Business Customer Gateway).
STEP 3: POPULATE THE BARCODE FIELDS
The ve IMb elds are the Barcode Identier, the STID, the MID,
the Serial Number, and the Routing Code (ZIP Code). Each
eld has its own unique set of standards, explained below:
The Barcode Identier eld should be “00” (zero-zero)
with one exception: automation-price eligible at mail
bearing a printed optional endorsement line (OEL). When
mailers prepare at-size pieces using IMb tracking codes
to meet automation-price eligibility requirements, the
IMb tracking codes on any pieces bearing printed OELs
must contain the Barcode Identier corresponding to the
printed OEL used. See the Barcode ID Reference Table on
PostalPro to determine the correct Barcode IDentier.
Once the encoder and font are installed, verify the
print quality by producing samples, as instructed in the
encoder package. The Intelligent Mail Barcode 4-State
Specication USPS-B-3200 and the Intelligent Mail
Barcode Technical Resource Guide on PostalPro provide
extensive technical information about IMbs.
The attributes that determine which STID should appear
in an IMb tracking code are the class of mail, the ACS
service selected, and whether IV-MTR service is desired.
See the Service Type IDentier for Ballot Mail fact sheet
included in this kit or visit PostalPro at https://postalpro.
usps.com/mailing/service-type-identiers for more
information about STIDS.
The MID is explained in Step 2, above. IMbs must contain a
valid MID.
The Serial Number, in conjunction with the MID and class
of mail, can uniquely identify the mailpiece. Although Serial
Number uniqueness is not required to qualify for basic
automation prices, barcoding mailpieces with unique serial
numbers enables visibility of individual pieces. If an individual
mailpiece or ballot mailpiece does not have a unique
identier, it cannot be tracked through IMb. The Postal
Service strongly recommends utilizing Full-Service Intelligent
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