Intelligent Mail Barcode
Encyclopedia
The Intelligent Mail Barcode (IM barcode) is a 65-bar code for use on mail
in the United States
. The term “Intelligent Mail” refers to services offered by the United States Postal Service
for domestic mail delivery. (IM) is intended to provide greater information and functionality than its predecessors POSTNET
and PLANET
. Intelligent Mail barcode has also been referred to as One Code Solution and 4-State Customer Barcode abbreviated 4CB, 4-CB or USPS4CB. The complete specification can be found in USPS Document USPS-B-3200E. It effectively incorporates the routing ZIP code and tracking information included in previously used postal barcode standards.
The Postal Service will require use of the Intelligent Mail barcode to qualify for automation prices beginning May 2011. Some of the benefits include improved deliver-ability, new services and increased overall efficiency.
digits of mail-piece data into 65 vertical bars.
The code is made up of four distinct symbols, which is why this barcode was once referred to as the 4-State Customer Barcode. Each bar contains the central "tracker" portion, and may contain an ascender, descender, neither, or both (a "full bar").
The 65 bars represent 130 bits (or 39.13 decimal digits). Those 130 bits are grouped as ten 13-bit characters. Each character will have 2, 5, 8, or 11 of its 13 bits set to one. The Hamming distance
between characters is at least 2. Consequently, single-bit errors in a character can be detected (adding or deleting a one bit results in an invalid character). The characters are interleaved throughout the symbol.
The number of characters can be calculated from the binomial coefficient
.
Total number of character are 2 time 1365 for 2730. Log2(2730) is 11.41469. So the 65 bars (or 130 bits) encode a 114-bit message.
The encoding includes an eleven-bit cyclic redundancy check
(CRC). Subtracting the 11 CRC bits from the 114-bit message leaves an information payload of 103 bits (the specification sets one of those bits to zero). Consequently, 27 out of the 130 bits are devoted to error detection.
The encoding scheme does not use error correction.
The list of valid field values is as follows:
Basic STIDs for the purpose of automation only, are as follows:
For a detailed list of STIDs, see Appendix A of the USPS Guide to Intelligent Mail Letters and Flats or Service Type Identifiers.
are also encoded in the Intelligent Mail barcode. The full eleven-digit form includes the standard five-digit ZIP code, the ZIP + 4 code, and a two-digit code indicating the exact delivery point
. This is the same information that was encoded in the POSTNET
barcode, which the Intelligent Mail barcode is intended to replace.
transaction document
s, where the goal is individualized, relevant statements. Creating barcodes at this point in the process may require some added effort, but with the proximity to databases and business applications, some may find it easier to track back data (such as a corrected address) to its original data source.
Adding Intelligent Mail barcodes post-composition into the electronic print file allows organizations to simultaneously clean up all their transaction print streams while adding the IMBs they need. Other document re-engineering options can also be made at this step, such as adding 2D barcodes for use by the newer Automated Document factory (ADF) systems, checking address blocks, and adding more marketing messages.
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The term “Intelligent Mail” refers to services offered by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
for domestic mail delivery. (IM) is intended to provide greater information and functionality than its predecessors POSTNET
POSTNET
POSTNET is a barcode symbology that was used by the United States Postal Service to assist in directing mail. The ZIP Code or ZIP+4 code is encoded in half- and full-height bars...
and PLANET
Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique
The Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique barcode is used by the United States Postal Service to identify and track pieces of mail during delivery - the Post Office's "CONFIRM" services.The PLANET barcode is either 12 or 14 digits long...
. Intelligent Mail barcode has also been referred to as One Code Solution and 4-State Customer Barcode abbreviated 4CB, 4-CB or USPS4CB. The complete specification can be found in USPS Document USPS-B-3200E. It effectively incorporates the routing ZIP code and tracking information included in previously used postal barcode standards.
The Postal Service will require use of the Intelligent Mail barcode to qualify for automation prices beginning May 2011. Some of the benefits include improved deliver-ability, new services and increased overall efficiency.
Symbology
The Intelligent Mail barcode is a height-modulated barcode that encodes up to 31 decimalDecimal
The decimal numeral system has ten as its base. It is the numerical base most widely used by modern civilizations....
digits of mail-piece data into 65 vertical bars.
The code is made up of four distinct symbols, which is why this barcode was once referred to as the 4-State Customer Barcode. Each bar contains the central "tracker" portion, and may contain an ascender, descender, neither, or both (a "full bar").
The 65 bars represent 130 bits (or 39.13 decimal digits). Those 130 bits are grouped as ten 13-bit characters. Each character will have 2, 5, 8, or 11 of its 13 bits set to one. The Hamming distance
Hamming distance
In information theory, the Hamming distance between two strings of equal length is the number of positions at which the corresponding symbols are different...
between characters is at least 2. Consequently, single-bit errors in a character can be detected (adding or deleting a one bit results in an invalid character). The characters are interleaved throughout the symbol.
The number of characters can be calculated from the binomial coefficient
Binomial coefficient
In mathematics, binomial coefficients are a family of positive integers that occur as coefficients in the binomial theorem. They are indexed by two nonnegative integers; the binomial coefficient indexed by n and k is usually written \tbinom nk , and it is the coefficient of the x k term in...
.
Total number of character are 2 time 1365 for 2730. Log2(2730) is 11.41469. So the 65 bars (or 130 bits) encode a 114-bit message.
The encoding includes an eleven-bit cyclic redundancy check
Cyclic redundancy check
A cyclic redundancy check is an error-detecting code commonly used in digital networks and storage devices to detect accidental changes to raw data...
(CRC). Subtracting the 11 CRC bits from the 114-bit message leaves an information payload of 103 bits (the specification sets one of those bits to zero). Consequently, 27 out of the 130 bits are devoted to error detection.
The encoding scheme does not use error correction.
Data payload
The IM barcode carries a data payload of 31 digits representing the following elements:| Index of first digit | Length | Name |
| 1 | 2 | Barcode identifier |
| 3 | 3 | Service type identifier |
| 6 | 6 or 9 | Mailer ID |
| 12 or 15 | 9 or 6 | Sequence number |
| 21 | 11 | Delivery point ZIP code |
Barcode identifier
The Barcode Identifier shall be assigned by USPS to encode the presort identification that is currently printed in human readable form on the optional endorsement line (OEL) as well as for future USPS use. This shall be two digits, with the second digit in the range of 0–4. The allowable encoding ranges shall be 00–04, 10–14, 20–24, 30–34, 40–44, 50–54, 60–64, 70–74, 80–84, and 90–94.The list of valid field values is as follows:
| Value | OEL Description |
|---|---|
| 00 | Default / No OEL Information |
| 10 | Carrier Route (CR), Enhanced Carrier Route (ECR), and FIRM |
| 20 | 5-Digit/Scheme |
| 30 | 3-Digit/Scheme |
| 40 | Area Distribution Center (ADC) |
| 50 | Mixed Area Distribution Center (MADC), Origin Mixed ADC (OMX |
Service type identifier (STID)
A three-digit value representing both the class of the mail (such as first-class, standard mail, or periodical), and any services requested by the sender.Basic STIDs for the purpose of automation only, are as follows:
| Value | STID Description |
|---|---|
| 700 | First-Class Mail with no services |
| 702 | Standard Mail with no services |
| 704 | Periodicals with no services |
| 706 | Bound Printed Matter with no services |
| 708 | Business Reply Mail with no services |
| 710 | Priority Mail with no services |
| 712 | Priority Mail Flat Rate with no services |
For a detailed list of STIDs, see Appendix A of the USPS Guide to Intelligent Mail Letters and Flats or Service Type Identifiers.
Mailer ID
A six or nine-digit number assigned by the USPS that identifies the specific business sending the mailing. Higher volume mailers are eligible to receive six-digit Mailer IDs, which have a larger range of sequence numbers associated with them; lower volume mailers will receive nine-digit Mailer IDs. To make it possible to distinguish six-digit IDs from nine-digit IDs, all six-digit IDs begin with a digit between 0 and 8, inclusive, while all nine-digit IDs begin with the digit 9.Sequence number
A mailer-assigned six or nine-digit ID specific to this piece of mail, in other words, to identify the specific recipient or household, which the mailer must ensure is unique for a 45-day period after it is sent if you are claiming the Full Service discount; if not, it doesn't have to be unique. The Sequence Number is either six or nine digits, based on the length of the Mailer ID. If the Mailer ID is six digits long, then the Sequence Number is nine digits long, and vice versa, so that there will always be fifteen digits in total when the Mailer ID and the Sequence Number are combined.Delivery point ZIP code
This section may be omitted, but if it is present, the five, nine, or eleven-digit forms of the ZIP codeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
are also encoded in the Intelligent Mail barcode. The full eleven-digit form includes the standard five-digit ZIP code, the ZIP + 4 code, and a two-digit code indicating the exact delivery point
Delivery point
In a postal system, a delivery point is a single mailbox or other place at which mail is delivered. It differs from a street address, in that each address may in fact have several delivery points, such as an apartment flat, office department, or other room...
. This is the same information that was encoded in the POSTNET
POSTNET
POSTNET is a barcode symbology that was used by the United States Postal Service to assist in directing mail. The ZIP Code or ZIP+4 code is encoded in half- and full-height bars...
barcode, which the Intelligent Mail barcode is intended to replace.
Implementation
Barcodes can be printed on documents (shown through a window envelope) or directly onto envelopes at various points in the process. Many large companies may use some or all of these approaches based on their business needs and environment, as well as the unique characteristics of an application.Document composition
In recent years, more companies have been applying barcodes as part of document creation, with all barcode information included in the initial data payload. This trend has been driven by other initiatives, such as transpromotionalTranspromotional
Transpromo is a compound expression formed from the words "transaction" and "promotional". By adding relevant messages, companies can piggyback promotion or even advertising onto existing transaction-related documents, such as statements, invoices, or bills...
transaction document
Transaction document
Transaction documents refers to legally relevant documents that are either printed, inserter and mailed, or electronically presented. They consist of a mixture of fixed and variable data....
s, where the goal is individualized, relevant statements. Creating barcodes at this point in the process may require some added effort, but with the proximity to databases and business applications, some may find it easier to track back data (such as a corrected address) to its original data source.
Document production
With today’s document output technologies, mailers can modify and reengineer print streams – moving and adding information (such as barcodes) on the fly. Likewise, mailers can print barcodes directly on envelopes using an envelope finishing system. Either way, this approach enables mailers to centralize and standardize barcode creation on the production floor using the original data files—without impacting the upstream business applications.Post-composition document re-engineering
Unfortunately, many organizations may not be able to place IMBs during the document composition step. There may not be sufficient resources to make the production modifications, or the transaction print data stream may come in already composed without the ability to reach back and change the composition process. But the organization may still want to place the IMB into the electronic document before it is printed rather than later in a post-print production process.Adding Intelligent Mail barcodes post-composition into the electronic print file allows organizations to simultaneously clean up all their transaction print streams while adding the IMBs they need. Other document re-engineering options can also be made at this step, such as adding 2D barcodes for use by the newer Automated Document factory (ADF) systems, checking address blocks, and adding more marketing messages.