albany district business mail enrty intelligent mail barcodes for small business customersimsb

ALBANY DISTRICTALBANY DISTRICTBUSINESS MAIL ENRTYBUSINESS MAIL ENRTY

Intelligent Mail Barcodes for Small Business Customers

IMsBIMsB


OVERVIEW Intelligent Mail® for Small Business Mailers (IMsb) is a FREE- of- Charge online tool which will allow you to produce the presorted Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) for your mail pieces, tray labels and submit an electronic postage statement to the acceptance units. Maximum mailing size is fewer than 10,000 pieces for mailings submitted at a BMEU! Maximum number of mail pieces per year of fewer than 250,000!


Start Simple To use the IMsb, no special software or installation is required. Users simply access the application via a Web Browser. The IMsb Tool has been specifically developed for small business mailers to meet Full-Service requirements. The IMsb tool generates the unique Intelligent Mail barcodes within the address block. The IMsb tool is currently designed for First-Class and Standard Mail permit holders. The IMsb tool will generate the address blocks on the following formats: Multiple labels Multiple envelopes 8 ½ x 11 inch letter size paper Mail Merge option - allows you to personalize your letters.


Getting StartedBefore using the IMsb tool, you need to make sure you have the

following prerequisites completed:

Mailing Permit – Mailer must have a postage permit

Be registered on Business Customer Gateway!

An Address list in one of the following formats.

Database formats allowed:

In order to upload an address list to the IMsb, the file must be in one of the following formats:

Microsoft® Excel 2010



Comma Separated Value (CSV)


Open a permit at your local Business Mail Entry Unit.

Complete form PS 3615 and bring it to your local BMEUOne time only application fee: $220.00Annual permit fee: $220.00 You will be assigned a “Permit Number”Ask for the CRID number


Open a account at Business Customer Gateway.

One time process- LINK PERMIT* Only the business service administrator of the account can link the permit.

Link permits to the BCG account. 1.Go to “Manage Permits” under “Mailing Services”.

2.Customers will select their Business Name by clicking the link in the ‘Name’ column.

3.They will be taken to the

following page

13

Linking Permit-cont.• Scroll to the bottom and select the ‘Permit

Validation’ tab. Enter the Permit Number, Permit Type, Post Office of Mailing ZIP code (5 digit) and enter the Amount of one of the last 10 transactions on this account. Example: for a fee payment of $200.00, enter 200.00 or the exact amount they paid.

• Customers will enter their permit information and click ‘Validate’. Once linked, the permit information will be available to them within the IMsb application.

If the permit does not link- call the help desk(800) 522-9085 option 3.

or your local IMsb Ambassador. Ask them to LINK THE PERMIT.

The help desk and ambassadors know how to do this.

14

Access the IMsb Tool

• No special software or installation is required to use the IMsb tool.

• Access the application via a Web Browser

• Log in through the IMsb link on the Business Customer Gateway® at gateway.usps.com.– The IMsb link is located on the mailing services page.

15

Click to continue

16

IMsb Job Creation

Step 2- Verify information and continue.

17

Step 1- Create a new job.

Step 3-Service type ID (STID)

• Customer selects:– Class of mail– IM Service type– Extra service type

• How do they currently receive their address corrections?

– IM tracing– Service type– Ancillary Service

Endorsement.

18

Step 4-Tell us about the mailpiece

• Processing Category• Size of mailpiece• Thickness of 50 pieces

stacked. (very important to measure accurately-used to determine the number of trays or sacks required)

• Single piece weight in ounces.

• Date they plan on bringing in the mail.

• Approx.. # of total pieces

19

Step 5- Additional Mailing options and return address

• Destination Entry Discounts- DSCF or None

• Move Update source: • How has customer met the move

update requirement for the last 90 days?

• Rate type- Regular or Non Profit.

• It this a political mailing?• Mailing contains windowed

envelopes or windowed flats?

• Return address- optional use

20

Step 6-Review and Confirm Job Selection.

21Click Accept and then OK in the pop up box to proceed.

Step 7- Upload address and view.

22

The Address File Viewer lets you review your file to ensure it’s the correct file.

Customer uploads Address list/file

Customer Address Excel File

• Customers maintain address data base for mailings.

• This data base may have to be formatted to be used in the IMsb tool.

• The file must be in one of the following file formats:

• Microsoft Excel 2010• Microsoft Excel 2007• Microsoft Excel 2003• Comma Separated Value (CSV)23

Customer Address List/File Format

24

Excel Address file

Header Row: Row 1 is always the Header row

Step 7- Upload address and view.

25

The Address File Viewer lets you review your file to ensure it’s the correct file.

Customer uploads Address list/file

Step 8- Method of Entry

26

The location is prepopulated by permit finance number. •The field allows customers to select other locations in anticipation of pay and mail any where.

•Results:• Processed- total address in list. • Exact Match- no correction was

made to the address by the USPS

• Matched with changes- A correction was made to the address to make it correct.

• Matched to a building default- means its missing the apartment or suite #.

• Unmatched- Bad address according to USPS files.

* Unmatched pieces will be removed from the mailing.

Step 9- Address Correction Complete-click to continue

Duplication removal

Allows duplicates to be removed within a file.

28

Step 10-Unique Intelligent Mail Tray labels

29

11.

12.

Step 10- continued - Tray labels

30

14.

Best practice: Save the files and print after submission of job! We don’t want the system to time out!

Step – 11 Downloads-generation of the addresses with the inclusion of the intelligent mail barcode for labels/envelope/inserts.

• Three label sizes available for letters

• One label size for flats

• Save corrected address lists or lists for mail merge option.31

Example of labels generated by tool.

32

• All Full-Service labels are unique, numbered and associated to the postage statement they are currently working on. If the customer has to start over for any reason, the system will assign new numbers to the tray and address labels. If customer printed them out, they would will be useless if the statement was not submitted before the system timed out.

Step 12-Postal Wizard Submission

33

Clicking on Continue starts the electronic submission of the postage statement and qualification report.

Step 13-Planned postage statement - review and submit

34

Mailer brings Mailing to Acceptance Unit

• Print confirmation page • The mailer is now able to bring

the mailing to an acceptance unit.

• If the customer forgot to submit or selected save and exit, they can pick up the job in Postal Wizard under “SAVED FORMS” view incomplete forms I have started.

35

Lets review how to create and submit a job electronically

• Create a new job• Verify account information• Mailpiece Information• Additional mailing information• Review job and confirm• Browse and upload address list• Address correction complete• Create unique tray labels – print after postage statement

submission• Generate address block barcodes• Submit postage statement• Print tray labels and address labels with barcodes• Customer will now bring in the mailing within 30 days of their

selected mailing date.

Mailing Appears on Dashboard--UPD• Once a mailer has submitted a postage statement, it will

appear on the dashboard as UPD.• Customer can cancel job from their Dashboard if BMEU has

not touched the job. – A customers dashboard mirrors USPS dashboard

Verification and Acceptance

• Complete acceptance and verification of the mailing• Once the mailing is accepted, the mailing will appear on the

dashboard as FIN (finalized).

Mailing Made Easy for Small Business

• Overview: The Intelligent Mail® for Small Business

Tool

• Benefits to the Customer

• Benefits to the USPS

• Using the IMsb Tool

• Resources39

Resources- Business Customer Gateway ®

• Contact your local BMEU manager for additional information.

• Customers can access the current IMsb user guide located on the left hand side in the blue bar on every screen throughout the tool.

• The guide can also be located on RIBBS. At Intelligent Mail Services/Guides & Specs/Intelligent Mail for Small Business Mailers User Guide (PDF).

40

https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=intellmailguides

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your postage statement is complete

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS

PLEASE CONTACT:Joan Trombley518-452-2343

ORBeth O’Brien

315-738-5319

THANK YOU FOR USING THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

albany district business mail enrty intelligent mail barcodes for small business customersimsb

Documents

permit number

postage permit

permit information

standard mail permit

permit type

permit validation

imsb tool

small business mailers