Live Reporting from Promotion Land – Getting Your Two Percent
September 6, 2019   Dave Lewis

The USPS Informed Delivery Promotion is now live, and we had clients saving postage on Day 1!  Now with a little experience under our belts, we can help you participate, too.  It’s not that hard…but it’s not that easy, either.  Here’s what to look out for:
  • Get your art approved way out front. Approvals are going pretty quick so far, but we’re definitely seeing that some versions fail and need to be tweaked.  Don’t try to rush this – we really should see images a couple weeks out to make sure you don’t miss your dates;
  • Keep your IMb serial numbers sequential and contiguous. Yes, we know that’s a lot of syllables.  Please remember that you need to give a beginning and ending number for your range or serial numbers.  If they are not sequential that can be a problem.  Also, you can use the same art and campaign for multiple lists or versions IF you keep them all in a sequential, contiguous order.  Version one ends with 111111115, version two begins with 111111116.  It’s hard to explain, easy to understand, and easier still to do wrong.  If you have multiple versions, check with us before you print your barcodes;
  • The Mailing Agent MUST register for the promotion on the USPS Business Customer Gateway – request that your BSA complete this task. SnailWorks can provide a tutorial for this – it’s a quick and easy process (5 minutes in the Gateway);
  • Claiming the discount you:
    • Must submit mailing statement via Mail.dat, Mail.XML or Postal Wizard;
    • The CCR file must be populated with the code PI. (As in Pee-Eye, NOT Pee-One);
    • Affirmatively claim the Incentive Claimed section on the electronic Postage Statement – the actual discount will appear once mail acceptance verifies the mail and final Postage Statement is produced;
    • Present a physical non-addressed sample of the mail piece.
  • Retain a mail piece sample for up to one year.
We have spent months getting ready for this promotion.  We have created hundreds of Informed Delivery campaigns.  If you are not sure of something, ask us.  We’ll either know the answer or know someone who does. If all else fails, the Postal Service has already developed “Procedures to Follow if Informed Delivery Promotion Discount is Not Successfully Claimed.” Whee!! We have more Informed Delivery and ID Promotion resources than you can shake a stick at.  Or shake a stick at them – we’re good either way.  Just use them!

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