Quick Service Guide 604e

Additional Services

Meter Reply Mail

January 22, 2012
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Related QSGs

505, Business Reply Mail (BRM)

201c, Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM)

Overview (604.4.0)

Meter stamps may be used to prepay reply postage on Express Mail; Priority Mail (when the rate is the same for all zones); all First-Class Mail cards, letters, and flats up to a maximum of 13 ounces; single-piece Media Mail and Library Mail.

The USPS provides free of charge the FIM (facing identification mark) and appropriate barcode to print on meter reply letter-size mailpieces. The guidelines on page two will help optimize the use of this format.

The following conditions apply (604.4.5.2):

• Meter stamp amount must be enough to prepay postage in full.
• Meter stamps may be printed directly on a mailpiece or address label that bears the delivery address of the meter license holder. A label must adhere so that once applied, it cannot be removed in one piece.
• Reply mail prepaid with meter stamps is delivered only to the address of the license holder.
• Any photographic, mechanical, or electronic process (other than handwriting, typewriting, or handstamping) may be used to prepare the address side of meter reply mail. The address side must follow the style and content of the example on the reverse.
• Meter stamps used to prepay reply postage must not show the date, except for IBI generated by a PC Postage system (604.4.6.1c).
• Mailers may use FIM A on barcoded letter-size First-Class Mail reply mail except when using PC Postage.
• When using PC Postage, mailers must use FIM D for prepaid reply mail when the indicium is printed directly on the mailpiece.
• Print the words “NO POSTAGE STAMP NECESSARY POSTAGE HAS BEEN PREPAID BY” directly above the address.

Barcodes (708.4.0)

Envelopes and cards formatted for meter reply mail on which the mailer failed to imprint a meter stamp are treated as basic BRM. Such mail is delivered after payment of postage and the applicable BRM per-piece charge (505.1.0).

Delivery point POSTNET or Intelligent Mail barcodes on letter-size pieces may be placed either in the address block or in the lower right barcode clear zone.

All letter-size reply cards and envelopes (Business Reply Mail, Courtesy Reply Mail, and meter reply mail) provided as enclosures in automation First-Class Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail must meet the standards in 201.3.17.

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