After USPS^® postponed the Full-Service mandate for earlier this year, many mailers were content to go back to their previous mail entry habits of paper postage statements and generic Intelligent Mail^® barcodes for automation mailings. However, recent moves by USPS will encourage mailers to make the jump to electronic documentation (eDoc) now for presort rate and automation rate mailings, well before a new Full-Service requirement date is announced.

Why eDoc? 

In addition to the information found on printed postage statements, qualification reports and other documentation, eDoc contains additional data USPS uses to track mailings and pieces throughout their network. At mail verification, postal clerks are required to manually enter postage statement information into PostalOne!, which takes time and can be error-prone. eDoc helps to streamline the mail acceptance process. Based on the reduced errors and saved time, USPS will be strongly encouraging mailers to use eDoc for all mailings, regardless of whether it is a Full-Service mailing.

When will eDoc be required?

A new Full-Service requirement date has not yet been announced, but it could be as early as next year. In the meantime, the Postal Service^™ has installedPostalOne! kiosks in pilot Business Mail Entry Units (BMEUs) across the country. These kiosks allow mailers to enter their postage statement information directly intoPostalOne! using the Postal Wizard. While this step is not required, there has been some miscommunication at these sites, and some mailers are being told that they must submit their mailing electronically, using Mail.dat, Mail.XML or the Postal Wizard.

Some mailers may find it easier to transition to eDoc than navigate the differing requirements across BMEUs and having to learn the Postal Wizard. Plus, using eDoc now will make your Full-Service transition easier when you decide to migrate.

How do I use eDoc?
If you are using a Satori Software mailing product, you already have access to eDoc functionality, using Mail.dat or Mail.XML. To learn how to use this technology in your product, search for “generating Mail.dat” or “submitting Mail.XML” in ourTech Notes for help. You’ll want to submit a few mailings to the Test Environment for Mailers (TEM) before using eDoc for a live mailing.

For more information on Satori Software, contact MCC’s Mailing Solutions Division today!