New Full Service IMb Tech Credit from USPS
In its latest Federal Register Notice, dated October 17th, 2012, the USPS proposed a new incentive program for mailers called the Full-Service Technology Credit (or Tech Credit).
This credit is intended to help offset the investment required to implement the necessary hardware and software infrastructure changes to support full-service mailings.
Eligibility Criteria
The mail volume of all ‘‘Permit Holders’’ and ‘‘Mailing Agents’’, as identified on a postage statement, would be evaluated across qualifying permits for each business location/Customer Registration ID (CRID). Each CRID that exceeds an annual volume of 125,000 qualifying pieces would be eligible to redeem a tech credit.
All CRIDs would be considered for a tech credit regardless of current full-service status. To determine the level of qualifying mail volume for each business location/CRID, the following steps would be taken:
• Mail volume associated with each permit as defined in the ‘‘Permit Holder’’ and/or ‘‘Mailing Agent’’ fields would be evaluated. Permit types would include:
• Permit Imprint
• Metered
• OMAS Imprint
• OMAS Metered
• Precancelled Stamp
• Periodicals
• Ghost
• The following full-service eligible mailings would be considered as qualifying mail volume:
• FCM automation letters, cards, and flats
• Standard Mail automation letters and flats—includes IMb Enhanced Carrier Route (ECR), except saturation flats.
• Periodicals automation/barcoded letters and flats—includes ECR letters & flats
• BPM barcoded flats
• The mail volume for a one-year period would be used in the evaluation.
• To be considered for the tech credit, permits must have been opened and business locations (CRIDs) established.
• When determining a mailer’s qualifying volume, the Postal Service will consider the ‘‘Permit Holder’’ and ‘Mailing Agent’’ volume for each CRID and use the higher of the two volumes to determine the amount of the tech credit.
• The mail volume of the ‘‘Permit Holder’’ for each permit associated with a CRID would be aggregated.
• The mail volume of the ‘‘Mailing Agent’’ for each permit associated with a CRID would be aggregated.
• Each CRID that exceeds 125,000 full-service eligible pieces in annual mail volume (total of all eligible volume from all eligible permits) would be awarded one tech credit as follows:
• 125,001–500,000 pieces = $2,000 postage credit
• 500,001–2,000,000 pieces = $3,000 postage credit
• 2,000,001 + pieces = $5,000 postage credit
• Each business location would be eligible to redeem only one tech credit
In the event there are multiple CRIDs identifying the same business location which have linked permits, the CRID with the highest eligible volume would receive the tech credit.
Notification Process
The Postal Service would provide advance notification to the industry regarding tech credit program status. This messaging would occur prior to the beginning of the promotion.
Redemption Process
The following credit redemption guidelines would be used:
• Any permit linked to a qualified CRID may redeem the tech credit as a postage credit in mailings that contain 90% or more full-service pieces.
• To apply this postage credit, the permit must be the paying permit in the mailing (identified as Permit Holder).
• The following permit types may be used:
• Permit Imprint
• Additional Postage (ADDPOS)
• OMAS Imprint.
• OMAS Metered
• Metered
• Precancelled Stamp
• Periodicals
• Mailers may redeem the tech credit through eDoc submission via Mail.dat or Mail.XML. Postal Wizard submissions would not be eligible.
• Upon submission of an eligible mailing, the tech credit would be automatically applied in full.
• A partial tech credit amount could be applied to statements if the tech credit amount is greater than the total postage for the postage statement.
• The remaining tech credit amount would be applied to subsequent statement(s).
• The tech credit redemption timeframe is proposed to run for a one-year period.
When final, further details regarding the ‘‘Full-Service Technology Credit’’ will be available on RIBBS at https://ribbs.usps.gov.