December 2, 2009

Streamlining Hard Copy Postage Statements, Effective March 2010

On Tuesday, November 17, we sent an Advisory about our new hard copy, effective March 15, 2010. The new process is part of the Postal Service’s efforts to speed and improve customer service by streamlining Business Mail Acceptance.

What Will Change and When?

Starting March 15, 2010, when a customer brings in a hard copy postage statement with a mailing to an acceptance site that is equipped with PostalOne!, the Postal Service™ will no longer fill out the USPS^® section of the form nor round-stamp the document. To obtain a receipt, mailers are encouraged to visit the Business Customer Gateway to access PostalOne!^®, the system of record.

Upon request, a customer may obtain a hard copy receipt of the postage statement or PS Form 3607, Weighing and Dispatch Certificate (currently used as a mailing transaction receipt), after acceptance and verification are completed.

What Will Not Change?

The verification and resolution process will not change; mailers will be notified of any issues, as they are today. Postal acceptance sites that are not on PostalOne! will continue to process hard copy postage statements as they do today, completing the USPS section of the form and round-stamping the statement.

For more information, you can access the document, Streamlining Hard Copy Postage Statement Processing.

Improve Your Business Mail Acceptance Experience and Save Time Today!

Regardless of how you submit your postage statements today or in the future—whether via hard copy or electronically—we want to bring to your attention the wealth of customer benefits available through the Business Customer Gateway.

These features are available today!

- Submit postage statements online

- Submit postage statements and electronic presort documentation server-to-server

- View and retrieve copies of postage statements

- Download and email postage statements to your mail owner customers

- Manage permits

- Track transactions and account balance

- Receive notifications of fees paid/due

- Manage mailing activities

For more information about the Business Customer Gateway and how to access it, visit ribbs.usps.gov. You’ll find “Business Customer Gateway” documents on the left navigation bar under Intelligent Mail® Services. The User Access to Electronic Mailing Information and Reports Guide, Volume 1, Appendix B, Access to Online Postage Statements, provides information on how to access the Business Customer Gateway and retrieve postage statements.

For questions regarding the Business Customer Gateway or accessing postage statements, contact the Help Desk at 800-522-9085 or at postalone@email.usps.gov

To reiterate, in March, we will continue to accept hard copy postage statements at PostalOne! sites. However, we will no longer fill out the USPS^® section of the form nor round-stamp the document. We expect you will appreciate the time-saving benefits of this new process as well as take the opportunity to discover how the Business Customer Gateway and PostalOne! can help you make smarter business decisions.