AUTOMATION COMPATIBLE MAIL: Mail that can be scanned and sorted by automated mail processing equipment such as a barcode sorter.
BARCODE: A series of vertical bars and half bars representing the ZIP Code information for the delivery address on a mail piece. The barcode facilitates automated processing by barcode reader equipment. Each numeric digit is represented by a series of five bars (always a combination of two full bars and three half bars). A complete barcode contains two bars framing the code; the five, nine, or eleven digits containing ZIP Code and address information; and a final correction digit that allows the machine to check its reading of the ZIP Code number.
BARCODE CLEAR ZONE: A rectangular area in the lower right part of a letter size mail piece that must be kept free of printing and symbols, except for the barcode itself. This requirement allows automated processing machines to read or apply a barcode.
BARCODE DISCOUNT: A postage discount available for certain Standard Mail and Package Services machinable parcels and Bound Printed Matter flats that bear a correct barcode and meet other size, shape, and volume requirements.
BMC (Bulk Mail Center): A highly mechanized mail processing plant that is part of the National Bulk Mail System. This facility distributes Standard Mail and Periodicals in bulk form and Package Services in both piece and bulk form.
BOUND PRINTED MATTER (BPM): A subclass of Package Services that consists of permanently bound sheets of which at least 90% are printed with advertising, promotional, directory, or editorial matter (or a combination of such matter.)
BUSINESS MAIL ENTRY UNIT (BMEU): The area of a postal facility where mailers present bulk, presorted, and permit mail for acceptance. The BMEU includes dedicated platform space, office space, and a staging area on the workroom floor.
BUSINESS REPLY MAIL (BRM): A service that allows a permit holder to receive First-Class Mail and Priority Mail back from customers and pay postage only for the returned pieces. These pieces must have a specific address and format. Postage and per piece charges are collected when the mail is delivered back to the permit holder.
CARRIER ROUTE: The addresses to which a carrier delivers mail in common usage, carrier route includes city routes, rural routes, highway contract routes, post office box sections and general delivery units.
CASS CERTIFICATION: Standardization to postal format.
DATABASE: Combining several lists on the basis of some common factor, such as subject or publisher, into one merged, master list from which duplicates are eliminated.
DESTINATION DELIVERY UNIT (DDU) RATE: A rate available for Periodicals, Standard Mail, Parcel Post, and Bound Printed Matter that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the delivery unit that serves the delivery address on the mail.
DESTINATION SECTIONAL CENTER FACILITY (DSCF) RATE: A rate available for Periodicals, Standard Mail, Parcel Post, and Bound Printed Matter that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the sectional center facility (SCF) or other designated postal facility that serves the delivery address on the mail.
DIRECT MAIL ADVERTISING: Any promotional effort which uses the USPS or another direct delivery service for the distribution of the printed advertising piece.
DROP SHIPMENT: Typically the movement of a mailer’s product on private (no postal) transportation from the point of production to a postal facility located closer to the destination of that product.
DUPLICATE: Two or more name and address records which are deemed equal according to the list user’s basis of comparison.
ENTRY BMC: A bulk mail center (BMC) including its satellite auxiliary service facility (ASF) unless specified otherwise, at which mail is entered by the mailer.
FIRST-CLASS MAIL (FCM): A mail class that includes all actual and personal correspondence, all bills and statements of account, and all mater sealed or otherwise closed against inspection. First-Class Mail comprises three subclasses: cards, letters and sealed parcels, and Priority Mail.
FLATS (FLTS): The general term for flat-size mail, so called because the large mail is sorted without bending it so that the mail remains flat. Flat-size mail exceeds at least one of the maximum dimensions for letter-size mail (11-1/2" long, 6 1/8" high, 1/4" thick). A flat maybe unwrapped, paper-wrapped, sleeve-wrapped, or enveloped. If automation-compatible, it must have a minimum dimension of 6" x 6" and maximum dimensions of 15" long, 12" high, and 3/4: thick. It must also meet other physical requirements and be part of a mailing that is ZIP+4 or delivery point bar-coded.
INDICIA (Permit Imprint): An imprinted designation on a mail piece that indicates postage payment (for example, a permit imprint in place of a postage stamp or a meter stamp).
KEY CODE: A code consisting of letters and/or numbers which is assigned to a specific list by the list user o facilitate the tracking of responses and analysis of a given list’s effectiveness.
LIST MAINTENANCE: Any system for keeping the vital information on a list up to date.
LIST SEGMENTATION: The process by which specific selections within a list, such as gender, geographic area, recency of purchase, home or business address, title and/or SIC code can be utilized to produce a smaller but more finely honed list.
MAGNETIC TAPE: The storage medium for electronically recording and reproducing via computer the data on a mailing list.
MAIL DATE: A pre-assigned and agreed upon date on which the list user must mail to a specific list.
MEDIA: The actual vehicle used to transmit an advertising message.
MEDIA MAIL: A subclass of Package Services that consists of books, sheet music, printed educational material, film, video-cassettes, CD-ROMs, or other computer-readable media. Advertising restrictions apply.
MERGE/PURGE: The process by which two or more lists supplied on magnetic tape are combined so that duplication within and between lists can be eliminated. METERED MAIL: Any mail class (except Periodicals) with postage printed by a USPS-approved postage meter.
MINIMUM SIZE REQUIREMENTS: The smallest dimensions allowable for all mailable matter. Except for keys and identification items, a mail piece less than 1/4" thick must be rectangular and meet the minimum criteria listed as follows; otherwise, it is nonmailable and will be returned to sender: (At least 5" long, at least 3 1/2" high, and at least .007" thick).
NATIONAL CHANGE OF ADDRESS (NCOA): An address correction service that the USPS provides to mailers through USPS licensees. The licensees match mailing lists submitted to them on tape or disk against change-of-address information for the entire country from all Computerized Forwarding System units. If a match is made, NCOA can correct the address before it is used on a mail piece.
NIXIE: A mailing piece returned to a mailer because it is deemed undeliverable by virtue of incorrect name and/or address information.
NONMACHINABLE: The incapacity of a mail piece to be sorted on mail processing equipment because of size, shape, content, or address legibility. Such mail must be processed manually and could be subject to a surcharge.
NONMACHINABLE SURCHARGE: A surcharge on some First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Parcel Post pieces that have physical characteristics that prevent the pieces from being processed on automated equipment. Characteristics that make a piece nonmachinable include weight, rigidity and uneven thickness.
ONE-TIME USE: All list rentals are for one time use only unless special arrangements are made with the list owner/manager.
OPTICAL CHARACTER READER (OEL): An automated mail sorting machine that interprets the address information on a letter-size mail piece and sprays the corresponding ZIP code information onto the piece as a barcode.
PACKAGE SERVICES: A class of mail that comprises four subclasses: Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, Parcel Post, and Media Mail. There is no minimum weight limit for Package Service,
PALLET: A reusable platform on which mail is stacked to be moved as a single unit. Pallets are made of rigid material designed for four-way forklift entry and capable of handling loads of up to 65 cubic feet and 2,200 pounds. A USPS pallet measures 48 by 40 inches.
PARCEL: Mail that does not meet the mail processing category of letter-size mail or flat-size mail. It is usually enclosed in a mailing container such as a box.
PERIODICALS: A class of mail consisting of magazines, newspapers, or other publications formed of printed sheets that are issued at least four times a year at regular, specified intervals (frequency) from a known office of publication. Periodicals usually must have a legitimate list of subscribers and requesters.
PERMIT: Any authorization required fro specific types of preparation or postage payment. Specifically, an authorization to mail without postage affixed by using indicia or an imprint. Payment is made against an advance deposit account that is established with the USPS for postage and services.
PERMIT IMPRINT: Printed indicia, instead of an adhesive postage stamp or meter stamp, that shows postage prepayment by an authorized mailer. Also see permit.
PIECE: An individual addressed mail piece. This definition also applies when piece is used in eligibility standards. Quantities indicated for optional or required sortations always refer to pieces unless specifically excepted.
POSTAGE STATEMENT: Documentation provided by a mailer to the USPS that reports the volume of mail being presented and the postage payable or affixed, and certifies that the mail meets the applicable eligibility standards for the rate claimed.
PRESORT: The process by which a mailer prepares mail so that it is sorted to the finest extent required by the standards for the rate claims. Generally, presort is performed sequentially, from the lowest (finest) level to the highest level, to those destinations specified by standard and is completed at each level before the next level is prepared. Not all presort levels are applicable to all mailings.
PRSRT STD (Presorted Standard): Basic rate marking requirements for regular rate mailings categorized as "non automation presort (3/5 and basic) Standard Mail" including Enhanced Carrier Route.
PRESSURE SENSITIVE LABEL: An adhesive-backed label which can be removed from a sheet and affixed to another by applying pressure either manually or mechanically.
ROLLOUT: A mailing that goes to a larger quantity of names after a test mailing has produced good results.
SAMPLE MAIL PIECE: An example or reasonable facsimile of the piece to be mailed by the list user of a particular list, and which must be submitted to the list owner or manager for approval prior to the mail date.
SECTIONAL CENTER FACILITY (SCF): A postal facility that serves as the processing and distribution center (P&DC) for post offices in a designated geographic area as defined by the first three digits of the ZIP Codes of those offices. Some SCPs serve more than one 3-digit ZIP Code range.
SELF MAILER: A direct mail piece which requires no envelope for mailing, provided that the paper stock used is heavy enough to meet USPS requirements.
SINGLE PIECE RATE: A postage rate available for individual pieces of Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, and Package Services. It is not available for Periodicals except under the rate category of basic. This type of rate contrasts with rates available for bulk mail and presorted mail.
SOURCE CODE: Analogous to Key Code. Also refers to an alphabetical and/or numerical code used to distinguish one media source from another.
STANDARD MAIL: A class of mail that weighs less than 16 ounces. It comprises the subclasses of Regular Standard Mail, Nonprofit Standard Mail, Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail, and Nonprofit Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail. These subclasses include circulars, printed matter, pamphlets, catalogs, newsletters, direct mail, and merchandise. Standard Mail may be sent at presorted rates and at automation rates.
SUPPRESSION FILE: A specific list of people who are not to be sent promotional mail, such as marketer’s current customers, bad debt customers, people who have requested not to receive direct mail promotions and the DMA’s Mail Preference Service List.
SURCHARGE: An additional fee for nonstandard size mail or certain nonmachinable parcels.
TEST: An initial mailing focusing either upon list(s), package, or offer to determine the probable acceptance of a product. For statistically valid results, only one variable at a time may be tested.
TRAY: A container used in postal facilities to hold letters and First-Class Mail flats. It is used as a basic unit of mail quantity for purposes of preparing mail to qualify for discounted postage rates.
UPDATE: Adding recent names and current information to the master list.
VERIFICATION: A system of checks used to determine if a mailing was properly prepared and if the correct postage was paid.
WALK SEQUENCE: The order in which a carrier delivers mail for a route. This order is required for most carrier route presort mail.
ZIP (ZONE IMPROVEMENT PLAN) CODE: Established in 1963, the system of 5-digit codes that identifies the individual post office or metropolitan area delivery station associated with an address. ZIP+4 is an enhanced code consisting of the 5-digit ZIP Code and four additional digits that identify a specific range of delivery addresses . ZIP Code is a USPS trademark.
