# Full-Service, Seamless Acceptance and eInduction

Full-Service Intelligent Mail is the USPS automation option that requires unique barcodes on every piece, tray and container and electronic documentation of the mailing.[^1] USPS checks that documentation after the postage statement is finalized and reports errors in the [Mailer Scorecard](https://postalref.com/products/mailer-scorecard.md).[^2][^3] With eInduction and Seamless Acceptance, it is one of three USPS initiatives that streamline acceptance, induction and verification.[^4]

Updated November 5, 2026. 85 sources.

## Questions

### What is Full-Service Intelligent Mail?

Full-Service Intelligent Mail is the USPS automation option that combines unique barcodes on every container, tray and piece with electronic postage statements and documentation.[^1] First-Class Mail, Periodicals and USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats at automation or carrier route prices can qualify, and so can Bound Printed Matter flats.[^1] USPS Marketing Mail Enhanced Carrier Route saturation flats do not qualify.[^1]

### What are the requirements for Full-Service mail?

A Full-Service mailing needs a unique barcode on every container, tray and piece, and its postage statement and documentation sent to PostalOne! electronically as [eDoc](https://postalref.com/guides/edoc.md).[^1][^5] The mailer also needs a Customer Registration ID and appointments in the Facility Access and Shipment Tracking system for its shipments to USPS processing facilities.[^5] Each piece's [Service Type ID](https://postalref.com/products/stids.md) marks it as Full-Service, and its barcode stays unique for 45 days across all mailers.[^6][^7]

### What is the Full-Service discount?

As of July 12, 2026, the Full-Service discount is $0.005 a piece for First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail and Periodicals, and $0.001 for Bound Printed Matter flats.[^8] A mailer claims it at the time of mailing, on pieces that meet the Full-Service requirements.[^9][^2] A mailer whose eligible mail is at least 90 percent Full-Service, and whose mail is 75 percent eligible, pays no annual presort mailing or destination entry fees.[^10]

### What happens when USPS finds errors in a Full-Service mailing?

When a month's errors for one check exceed its threshold, USPS bills a [Full-Service assessment](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-assessments.md) that removes the discount from the pieces in error above it.[^9][^2] The [Mailer Scorecard](https://postalref.com/products/mailer-scorecard.md) shows the errors as they add up, updated daily and measured against the thresholds.[^11] The eDoc submitter pays the assessment or requests a review within 10 business days after the 11th of the following month.[^12]

### What is eInduction?

[eInduction](https://postalref.com/products/einduction.md) is a USPS process that links scans of container barcodes to the mailer's eDoc, so USPS can confirm postage was paid before it accepts a container.[^13] It covers drop shipments and expedited plant load mailings, and it replaces their paper forms and manual reconciliation at the entry facility.[^13] In an expedited plant load, USPS verifies mail and receives its postage at the mailer's plant, before the mailer carries it to a destination facility.[^14]

### What is USPS Seamless Acceptance?

Seamless Acceptance is a USPS process that automates the entry and verification of commercial mailings with electronic documentation, Intelligent Mail barcodes and scans from handheld devices and mail processing equipment.[^15] [Seamless Acceptance](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md) is for Full-Service mailers that take part in eInduction.[^15] Their postage statements finalize on their own on the mailing date in the electronic documentation.[^16]

### How is the Seamless incentive calculated?

[The Seamless Acceptance Incentive](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md#seamless-acceptance-incentive) is a mailing's eligible pieces times a per-piece amount, and only pieces that qualify for Full-Service are eligible.[^17][^18] As of July 12, 2026, the amount is $0.002 for First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail and Periodicals, and $0.001 for Bound Printed Matter flats.[^8] A First-Class Mail or Marketing Mail statement must earn at least $2.00, and a Periodicals or Bound Printed Matter statement at least $1.00.[^17]

### What does Start-the-Clock mean?

Start-the-Clock is the recorded date and time a mailpiece enters the mailstream, usually captured by scanning a container or mailpiece barcode.[^19] Full-Service mailers get it free with their other [scan data](https://postalref.com/guides/mail-visibility.md), but only after the acceptance unit finishes verification and debits the postage.[^20][^21][^22] Start-the-Clock feedback goes only to trays and containers that hold at least one Full-Service piece.[^22]

## How it fits together

In a Full-Service mailing, every container, tray and piece carries its own unique [Intelligent Mail barcode](https://postalref.com/guides/intelligent-mail.md).[^1] The mailer sends the postage statement and mailing documentation to USPS's PostalOne! system electronically, as [eDoc](https://postalref.com/guides/edoc.md).[^5] Sending eDoc takes a Customer Registration ID, the number that identifies the mailer in USPS systems.[^5] USPS gives the Full-Service discount at the time of mailing and verifies the eDoc after the postage statement is finalized.[^2]

The [Mailer Scorecard](https://postalref.com/products/mailer-scorecard.md) adds up a month's verification errors, updates them daily and measures them against thresholds.[^11] Errors over a threshold lead to [Full-Service Assessments](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-assessments.md), which remove the Full-Service discount from the pieces in error above it.[^9]

[eInduction](https://postalref.com/products/einduction.md) checks containers at the dock: it links scans of container barcodes to the eDoc to confirm postage was paid before USPS accepts them.[^13] It handles drop shipments and expedited plant load mailings.[^13] [Seamless Acceptance](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md) is for Full-Service mailers that use eInduction.[^15] It reconciles scans from mail processing equipment and handheld samples to the eDoc, and finalizes postage statements on its own.[^23][^16]

Full-Service mailers also get scan data at no added cost, such as Start-the-Clock, part of [mail tracking](https://postalref.com/guides/mail-visibility.md).[^21][^20] Mailers whose Full-Service quality stays high can earn [Full-Service Certification](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md).[^24] USPS also certifies software vendors whose products support Full-Service and eInduction mailings.[^25][^26]

## Full-Service requirements

Full-Service is open to First-Class Mail cards, letters and flats, Periodicals and USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats at automation or carrier route prices.[^1] Bound Printed Matter presorted or carrier route barcoded flats qualify too, and USPS Marketing Mail Enhanced Carrier Route saturation flats do not.[^1] The other option, basic automation, also earns automation prices but no Full-Service discount.[^27] Its barcodes need not be unique or sent in eDoc.[^1]

To take part in Full-Service, a mailer meets these requirements:[^1]

- Every container, tray and piece has a unique barcode.[^1]
- Mail entered at a processing facility's dock goes on pallets or approved containers when it meets minimum volumes.[^1]
- The mailer gets a [Customer Registration ID](https://postalref.com/products/crid.md) and sends its postage statement and documentation to PostalOne! electronically.[^5]
- The eDoc names the [Mailer ID](https://postalref.com/products/mid.md), the Service Type ID, the mail owner and preparer, and the entry facility.[^5]
- Shipments to USPS processing facilities have [FAST](https://postalref.com/products/fast.md) appointments.[^5]

> Mailers must transmit postage statements and documentation to the PostalOne! System using a Mail.dat file, Mail.XML messages, Postal Wizard (mailings under 10,000 pieces), or the Intelligent Mail for Small Business (IMsb) Tool (mailings under 50,000 pieces).[^5]

**Must.** A Full-Service mailer must send its postage statements and documentation to PostalOne! electronically. Postal Wizard serves mailings under 10,000 pieces, and the Intelligent Mail for Small Business tool mailings under 50,000.

The Service Type ID in each piece's barcode marks the piece as Full-Service or basic.[^6] A piece's barcode is unique by its Mailer ID, serial number and mail class.[^28] Full-Service barcodes stay unique for 45 days across all mailers and mailings.[^7]

The Service Type IDs that mark a First-Class Mail piece as Full-Service, by address correction option and by whether the mailer gets the piece's scan data.[^29][^30] That scan data comes from [Informed Visibility Mail Tracking & Reporting](https://postalref.com/products/iv-mtr.md), IV-MTR, the USPS source of near real-time tracking data for domestic mail.[^31]

| STID | Mail class | Option | Service level | Informed Visibility Mail Tracking & Reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `260` | First-Class Mail® | No Address Corrections – No Printed Endorsements | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `270` | First-Class Mail® | No Address Corrections – No Printed Endorsements | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `320` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 1 | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `314` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 1 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `081` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `141` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `516` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 1 ♻ | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `514` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 1 ♻ | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `083` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 2 ♻ | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `241` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 2 ♻ | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `343` | First-Class Mail® | Return Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `342` | First-Class Mail® | Return Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `232` | First-Class Mail® | Temp-Return Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `222` | First-Class Mail® | Temp-Return Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `505` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 1** | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `503` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 1** | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `509` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 2** | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `508` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 2** | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `521` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 1** ♻ | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `519` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 1** ♻ | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `512` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 2** ♻ | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `511` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 2** ♻ | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `537` | First-Class Mail® | Return Service Requested Opt 2** | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `536` | First-Class Mail® | Return Service Requested Opt 2** | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `545` | First-Class Mail® | Temp-Return Service Requested Opt 2** | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `544` | First-Class Mail® | Temp-Return Service Requested Opt 2** | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `761` | First-Class Mail® | No Address Corrections | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `747` | First-Class Mail® | No Address Corrections | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `763` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 1 | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `767` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 1 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `764` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `768` | First-Class Mail® | Address Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `765` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 1 ♻ | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `769` | First-Class Mail® | Change Service Requested Opt 1 ♻ | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `762` | First-Class Mail® | Return Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | Without IV® MTR |
| `766` | First-Class Mail® | Return Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `720` | First-Class Mail® | No Address Corrections – No Printed Endorsement | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `722` | First-Class Mail® | Forward Ballot- Address Service Requested Opt 1 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `723` | First-Class Mail® | Forward Ballot- Address Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |
| `725` | First-Class Mail® | Return Ballot- Return Service Requested Opt 2 | Full-Service | With IV® MTR |

40 codes in the Service Type IDentifier (STID) Table, effective January 21, 2024, where Mail class is First-Class Mail® and Service level is Full-Service.

Mailers that meet the Full-Service criteria can receive these benefits:[^25]

- The best commercial prices and the largest discounts.[^25]
- No annual presort mailing or destination entry fees, when they meet two Full-Service thresholds.[^10]
- Visibility and tracking of mailings at no cost.[^25]
- Address correction at no cost.[^25]

The fee exception covers automation and presort mailings of First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail and Bound Printed Matter flats.[^10] A mailer qualifies when it sends 90 percent or more of its Full-Service-eligible mail as Full-Service and 75 percent of its total mail is eligible.[^10] When a mailing falls under those thresholds, the annual mailing fee is due, and the mailing's verification date becomes the permit fees' renewal date.[^10]

- **Basic Automation Option**, also called BASIC OPTION, Basic Intelligent Mail: “Mailpieces that carry an IMb and receive automation pricing, but do not receive Full-Service discounts.”[^27]
- **residual mail**: “Mailpiece eligible for Full-Service but was not paid at the Full-Service rate”[^32]
- **Intelligent Mail for Small Business Mailers**, also called IMsb, Intelligent Mail Small Business Tool, Intelligent Mail for Small Business, IMsb for Small Business Mailers, Intelligent Mail Small Business, IMsb Tool: “is a Full-Service mailing solution specifically designed for small business mailers who wish to prepare their own mailings.”[^33]
- **Full-Service Intelligent Mail**, also called FS, Full-Service, Full-Service Intelligent Mail option: “One of two Intelligent Mail offerings that requires a maximum 31-digit Intelligent Mail barcode comprising five fields: the Barcode ID, Service Type Identifier, Mailer ID, Serial Number, and Routing Code. The Full-Service Intelligent Mail option requires unique mailpiece barcodes, the use of Intelligent Mail barcodes on tray labels or container placards, electronic documentation, and the use of Facility Access and Shipment Tracking to schedule appointments for the entry of mailings.”[^34]
- **Barcode Uniqueness**, also called BQ: “It is a requirement of Full-Service to keep barcodes unique for 45 days across all mailers and mailings on containers, handling units, and pieces.”[^7]

## Verification and the Mailer Scorecard

USPS uses three kinds of verification to assess mail preparation.[^35] eDoc verification reviews the data in the eDoc.[^35] Census verification compares the eDoc with scans from mail processing equipment, and sampling verification compares it with scans from handheld sampling.[^23] The Full-Service checks come from the eDoc alone.[^36]

| Full-Service check | Error logged when | Threshold |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mailer ID | The Mailer ID in a container, tray or piece barcode was not assigned by USPS.[^3] | 2% for each level[^3] |
| Service Type ID | The piece's Service Type ID is missing or not valid for its class and service level.[^3] | 2%[^3] |
| By/For | The mail owner and mail preparer are not identified or not accurate in the eDoc.[^3] | 5%[^3] |
| Barcode Uniqueness | A barcode is not unique across all mailings from all mailers over the previous 45 days.[^3] | 2% for each level[^37] |
| Entry Facility | The entry facility in the eDoc is not a valid USPS location.[^38] | 2%[^39] |
| Unlinked Copal | A tray marked for copalletization has no eDoc with it on a pallet.[^38] | 5%[^40] |

USPS sets each threshold through a periodic statistical analysis of all mailings in a period.[^41] Each is at least one standard deviation from the mean error rate of all eDoc submitters' Customer Registration IDs.[^41] [Move Update](https://postalref.com/guides/move-update.md) compliance is checked by census verification on mail processing equipment.[^42]

The Mailer Scorecard keeps each program's results on its own tab:

- Electronic Verification: Full-Service and Move Update results.[^3][^38]
- eInduction: results for containers entered through eInduction.[^38]
- Seamless / Automated Verifications: census and sampling results.[^23][^43]
- Mail Irregularities: problems found in processing after acceptance.[^42]

Results reach the Scorecard 48 hours after the postage statement is finalized.[^44] A month's results become final on the 10th day of the following month.[^45] On the 11th, the Mail Entry Postage Assessment report opens in the Business Customer Gateway.[^46] No additional postage is assessed when the amount due is under $500 across Full-Service, eInduction and Seamless or Automated Verifications, and under $50 for Move Update.[^45]

- **census verification**: “Census verification – comparing the eDoc to MPE scans”[^35]
- **sampling verification**: “Sampling verification – comparing the eDoc to sampling scans”[^35]
- **Entry Facility Verification**, also called EF, Entry Facility: “It is a requirement of Full-Service to identify the entry location for every container or orphan handling unit.”[^47]
- **Mail Quality Data**, also called MQD, Mail Quality Data (MQD) Data, MQD data, Mai Quality Data: “Detailed error data from the Mailer Scorecard”[^48]
- **MicroStrategy reports**: “The MicroStrategy reports show data across all mailings for a CRID.”[^49]
- **Mailer Scorecard**, also called Mailer scorecard report, Full-Service Mailer Scorecard: “a mail quality tool, the Mailer Scorecard, which displays a dashboard view of the results of the letter and flat mailing activity within each of these initiatives over a calendar month.”[^50]
- **Error thresholds**: “a method to measure mailer quality across all pieces mailed in a calendar month”[^51]
- **Full-Service Assessments**, also called Full-Service Postage Assessment: “The assessments result in the removal of the Full-Service discount on those pieces in error above the established thresholds.”[^9]
- **Mail Entry Postage Assessment Report**, also called Mail Entry Additional Postage Assessment Report, Mail Entry Assessment Report: “eDoc submitters view and pay postage assessments via the Mail Entry Assessment reports.”[^52]

## eInduction

eInduction lets USPS confirm at the entry facility that a container's postage was paid, in place of paper PS Forms 8125, 8017 and 8125-C.[^13] A mailer's Customer Registration ID is activated for it through the FAST help desk.[^13] Each container carries a unique Intelligent Mail container barcode, and its eDoc marks it as eInduction.[^53]

USPS checks eInduction containers at two points.[^54] At sites with Surface Visibility scanners, dock employees learn at once about unpaid, misshipped and duplicate containers.[^55] They reconcile those containers with paper forms or return them to the mailer.[^55] Rejected containers are not logged on the Mailer Scorecard and are not assessed.[^54] At other sites, every container is accepted, and USPS systems check payment, entry location and duplicates after the FAST appointment closes.[^56]

Six post-induction verifications then run on every accepted container.[^56] Failures count against the eDoc submitter's monthly error threshold.[^56] The [thresholds](https://postalref.com/products/einduction.md#problems) run from 0.00% for payment errors to 1.05% for misshipped containers.[^57] For mailers in Seamless Acceptance, undocumented container errors are logged but not assessed.[^58]

A mailer that can't finalize its postage statement two hours before entry may request an eInduction Continuous MID.[^53] With it, containers enter before the eDoc arrives.[^53]

- **Surface Visibility**, also called SV: “A concept using barcode technology that allows the tracing of barcoded mail as it passes through automated and manual processes that scan the barcodes and capture the handling in real time by the piece, container, and trailer.”[^59]
- **Post Induction Verification**: “Post Induction verifications compare scans collected at the point of induction to information submitted in the eDoc to very payment and preparation of commercial mail containers.”[^60]
- **Induction Location (Misshipped)**: “Container is at incorrect induction location as specified in the eDoc or by redirects”[^61]
- **Payment not finalized**, also called PF: “the clerk has not yet finalized payment”[^62]
- **PostalOne! eInduction reports**: “provide real time status on eInduction containers. It allows mailers to determine the payment status of their containers before arrival at the entry facility (pre-induction).”[^63]
- **eInduction**, also called EIN, electronic Induction, eInduction program, eInduction Pilot program: “The electronic Induction (eInduction) process streamlines the preparation and induction (how and where the mail physically enters the USPS mailstream) of drop shipments and expedited plant load mailings.”[^64]
- **continuous mailer**: “mailers that have continuous mailing sites and that deliver shipments within 2 hours of finalization”[^65]

## Seamless Acceptance

Seamless Acceptance reconciles scans from mail processing equipment and handheld samples to the eDoc.[^23] Equipment scans let it check almost every mailpiece for quality problems.[^66] A handheld sample adds what equipment can't collect, such as postage payment method, piece weight and mail class.[^67] A complete sample is one container, three of its handling units and 30 pieces.[^67]

Every Full-Service mailing entered at a Business Mail Entry Unit, the USPS unit that verifies and accepts bulk mail, goes through Automated Verifications.[^68][^69] It differs from Seamless Acceptance in two ways: undocumented pieces are not assessed, and statements do not finalize on their own.[^69] Seamless Acceptance is required for Full-Service mailers with a Detached Mail Unit, a Business Mail Entry Unit at the mailer's plant.[^68][^23] At a Business Mail Entry Unit, it is the mailer's choice.[^23] Once a Customer Registration ID enrolls, it cannot opt out.[^23]

A Seamless mailer sends over 90 percent of its eligible volume as Full-Service.[^70] It uses eInduction for origin entry and destination entry drop shipments verified at a Detached Mail Unit.[^16]

> Mailers must submit all barcoded pieces in the eDoc for all mailings, including those that are full-rate and single-piece.[^67]

**Must.** A Seamless mailer must include every barcoded piece in its eDoc, full-rate and single-piece pieces too.

Each census check has its own error threshold for the month, such as `.3%` for undocumented pieces.[^51] Sampling checks of postage, weight and mail characteristics use a Postage Adjustment Factor instead.[^51] The factor applies the error rate from handheld samples to the month's mailings.[^51] USPS collects postage for sampling errors only after a mailer exceeds the factor more than 3 times in a rolling 12 months.[^51]

PostalOne! finalizes a Seamless mailer's postage statements on the mailing date in the eDoc.[^71] The mailer must keep enough postage funds in its accounts for that.[^71]

Seamless eDoc submitters also earn the [Seamless Acceptance Incentive](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md#seamless-acceptance-incentive) on pieces that qualify for Full-Service.[^17][^18] Any active permit imprint, precanceled stamp or meter permit in good status, regular or nonprofit, may pay for a mailing that earns it.[^18] Periodicals letters and flats earned $0.001 a piece in September 2024, the same as Bound Printed Matter flats.[^17]

- **Full-Service Intelligent Mail Device**, also called FS-IMD, Full Service Intelligent Mail Devise: “Acceptance Employee (AE) will sample mail using the Full-Service Intelligent Mail Device (FS-IMD) as prompted based on mailer's sampling frequency.”[^51]
- **Delivery Point Verification**: “It is a requirement of Automated Verification for the delivery point provided in the piece IMb to be valid.”[^69]
- **Mail Characteristic**, also called MC: “Logged when the Processing Category or Mail Class recorded in the FS-IMD Scan does not match what was submitted in the eDoc submission”[^51]
- **Seamless Acceptance**: “Seamless Acceptance automates the entry and verification of commercial mailings by leveraging electronic documentation, Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMbs), and information collected from handheld sampling devices and mail processing equipment scans.”[^15]
- **Automated Verifications**, also called Seamless Parallel: “Prior to participating in Seamless Acceptance mailers must participate in an intermediate step, Automated Verifications to test out their mail preparation standards.”[^16]
- **Undocumented**, also called undocumented error: “IMb was scanned and cannot be found on any eDoc”[^51]
- **Postage Adjustment Factor**, also called PAF: “a method to apply an error rate determined from handheld scanner samplings to the entire population of mailings within a calendar month”[^51]
- **Seamless Acceptance Incentive**, also called Seamless Incentive: “This incentive provides an incentive to the Electronic Documentation (eDoc) submitters (with a qualified Seamless CRID and an Enterprise Payment System Account) for adoption of the Seamless Acceptance program.”[^72]

## Scan data and Start-the-Clock

Full-Service mailers get container, tray, bundle and piece scans as their mail is inducted, processed and sent on.[^73] The data is free for Full-Service mailings.[^21] A container, tray or bundle with a non-unique barcode or an invalid mail owner gets no Full-Service feedback.[^74]

Start-the-Clock reports when USPS received the mail for processing at a mail processing facility.[^22] USPS releases it only after the acceptance unit finishes verification and debits the postage.[^22] Start-the-Clock feedback goes only to trays and containers holding at least one Full-Service piece.[^22]

Day 0 is the date the clock starts for service performance measurement.[^19] For drop shipments, USPS finds Day 0 by comparing the actual entry time with nationally standardized critical entry times.[^22] A critical entry time is the latest time mail can reach the platform at an induction point and still be processed and dispatched in time to meet service standards.[^75]

Data Distribution sends this data to the mail owner and the mail preparer that the eDoc's [By/For](https://postalref.com/guides/edoc.md) relationship names.[^76] Each can receive it or name someone else to receive it.[^77]

## Certification

[Full-Service Certification](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md) is a voluntary USPS certification for mailers that send consistent, high-quality mailings.[^24] A mailer applies after at least 90 days of Full-Service mailings.[^24] The Standard level asks it to meet the Full-Service quality thresholds with 90% or more Full-Service eligible volume.[^78] The Platinum level, for mail service providers, adds total quality management standards.[^79] USPS reviews certified mailers quarterly, and no less than annually.[^24]

USPS lists the vendors that certified their Full-Service software products, with each package's submission method and mail class.[^25] eInduction Certification is for software vendors whose products support eInduction mailings.[^26] Mailers using eInduction-certified software may complete a simplified testing program before onboarding.[^26]

- **Full-Service Certification**, also called FSC: “FSC is a voluntary certification offered to mailers that have provided consistent, high quality mailings to the USPS.”[^24]
- **Platinum Full-Service Certification**, also called FSPC, Full-Service Platinum Certification, Platinum Certification: “The Platinum Full-Service Certification (FSC) is available to mail service providers (MSPs) who can demonstrate an exceptional degree of mail quality and fulfill the application process.”[^79]
- **Certified Full-Service Software Vendors**: “The software vendors listed below have successfully certified their Full-Service software products with the Postal Service™.”[^25]
- **eInduction Certification**: “The USPS offers an eInduction certification for software vendors that support eInduction mailings.”[^26]

## What goes wrong

- Errors over a threshold [remove the Full-Service discount](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-assessments.md#calculation) from the pieces in error above it, only once per piece.[^2]
- An assessment neither paid nor sent for review within 10 business days is [overdue](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-assessments.md#problems), with payment due immediately.[^80]
- [Mailer IDs](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-assessments.md#problems) are not available for use until 48 hours after activation.[^81]
- Two pieces with the same Mailer ID and serial number are [non-unique](https://postalref.com/guides/intelligent-mail.md) when their Service Type IDs indicate the same class.[^37]
- A scanned barcode that matches no eDoc is an [undocumented error](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md#problems) in Seamless Acceptance.[^82]
- A container whose postage statement is reversed while it arrives may be [held](https://postalref.com/products/einduction.md#problems) at the destination facility.[^83]
- A Seamless statement that can't finalize for lack of funds is [finalized by hand](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md#finalization) after 14 days, once funds are added.[^84]
- Mailers are not charged for errors caused by a [USPS system issue](https://postalref.com/products/mailer-scorecard.md#problems), such as a PostalOne! delay in posting eDoc.[^85]

## Index: 45 entries

### Programs (6)

- [Automated Verifications](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#seamless)
- [eInduction Certification](https://postalref.com/products/einduction.md#einduction-certification)
- [Full-Service Certification](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md)
- [Platinum Full-Service Certification](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#platinum-certification)
- [Seamless Acceptance](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md)
- [Standard Full-Service Certification for Mailers](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#standard-certification)

### Systems (7)

- [Data Distribution](https://postalref.com/?q=Data%20Distribution)
- [eInduction module in PostalOne!](https://postalref.com/products/einduction.md#terms)
- [Full-Service Intelligent Mail Device](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#seamless)
- [Intelligent Mail for Small Business Mailers](https://postalref.com/products/intelligent-mail-barcode.md#imsb)
- [Mailer Scorecard](https://postalref.com/products/mailer-scorecard.md)
- [Seamless Acceptance and Service Performance](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md#terms)
- [Verification Assessment Evaluator](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-assessments.md#terms)

### Files (5)

- [Mail Entry Postage Assessment Report](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#verification)
- [Mail Quality Data](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#verification)
- [MicroStrategy reports](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#verification)
- [PostalOne! eInduction reports](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#einduction)
- [Quality Manual](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#terms)

### Document (1)

- [Intelligent Mail Guides and Specs](https://postalref.com/?q=Intelligent%20Mail%20Guides%20and%20Specs)

### Roles (2)

- [Certified Full-Service Software Vendors](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#software-vendors)
- [continuous mailer](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#einduction)

### Terms (24)

- [Barcode Uniqueness](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#requirements)
- [Basic Automation Option](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#requirements)
- [BI](https://postalref.com/?q=BI)
- [Corrective Action](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#terms)
- [Delivery Point Verification](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#seamless)
- [eInduction](https://postalref.com/products/einduction.md)
- [Entry Facility Verification](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#verification)
- [Error thresholds](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#verification)
- [External Quality Audits](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#terms)
- [Full-Service Assessments](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-assessments.md)
- [Full-Service Intelligent Mail](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#requirements)
- [Full-Service Report Testing: Service Type Identifier (STID) Errors](https://postalref.com/products/mailer-scorecard.md#stid-error-testing)
- [Induction Location (Misshipped)](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#einduction)
- [Internal Quality Audits](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#terms)
- [Mail Characteristic](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#seamless)
- [nonconforming product](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#terms)
- [Payment not finalized](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#einduction)
- [Post Induction Verification](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#einduction)
- [Preventive Action](https://postalref.com/products/full-service-certification.md#terms)
- [residual mail](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#requirements)
- [Seamless Acceptance Incentive](https://postalref.com/products/seamless-acceptance.md#seamless-acceptance-incentive)
- [Surface Visibility](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#einduction)
- [Unassociated](https://postalref.com/?q=Unassociated)
- [Undocumented](https://postalref.com/guides/full-service.md#seamless)

## Sources

[^1]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=15), PDF page 15: “The Postal Service offers the mailing industry two options for automation discounts: Basic Service and Full-Service. … Full-Service combines the use of unique barcodes on each container, tray and mailpiece with electronic submission of postage statements and documentation. … First-Class Mail (cards, letters, and flats), Periodicals (letters and flats), and USPS Marketing Mail (letters, and flats) meeting eligibility requirements for automation or carrier route prices (except for USPS Marketing Mail Enhanced Carrier Route saturation flats), and Bound Printed Matter (BPM) presorted or carrier route barcoded flats, are potentially eligible for FullService incentives. … Ensure all containers, handling units and mailpieces have an appropriate unique barcode: IMcb, IMtb, or IMb. … In a Basic Automation mailing, the IMb is not required to be unique and does not have to be submitted via eDoc. … To participate in Full-Service, a mailer must meet the following requirements: … Utilize pallets or approved alternate containers whenever a mailing is entered at the dock of a Postal Service processing facility and meets minimum container/pallet volume requirements under DMM 705.8”

[^2]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=17), PDF page 17: “Mailers are given the Full-Service discount at the time of mailing. After the electronic postage statement is finalized in PostalOne!, verifications are performed on the eDoc to ensure Full-Service requirements are met. … Full-Service errors are identified as being postage-assessment eligible when the total pieces in error for a specific metric have exceeded an established error threshold. … Only pieces over an error threshold are eligible for assessment and the assessment is equal to the Full-Service discount claimed on the piece eligible for assessment. … Mailpieces may only lose the Full-Service discount once even if they are eligible for assessment in multiple error types.”

[^3]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=94), PDF page 94: “Full-Service verification data is located on the Electronic Verification tab of the Mailer Scorecard. … A MID Piece error is logged when the Mailer ID in the Intelligent Mail barcode was not assigned by the Postal Service, and is invalid, or cannot be found. … MID Handling Unit 2% … STID 2% A STID Error is logged when the Service Type ID in the Intelligent Mail barcode is missing or not valid and correct for the class and service level of the mailpiece. … By/For 5%* A By/For Error is logged when the Mail Owner and Mail Preparer are not identified or are not accurate in the eDoc. … A Barcode Uniqueness Piece error is logged when the Intelligent Mail barcode is not unique across all mailings from all mailers over the previous 45 days of the Postage Statement Mailing Date that was provided in eDoc.”

[^4]: [PostalPro: Intelligent Mail Guides and Specs](https://postalpro.usps.com/GuidesandSpecs): “The Postal Service has three key initiatives to streamline the acceptance, induction, and verification of commercial mailings: Full-Service Intelligent Mail, eInduction, and Seamless Acceptance.”

[^5]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=16), PDF page 16: “Use an approved electronic method to transmit a postage statement and mailing documentation to the PostalOne! system: … Submission of eDoc requires mailers to register on the Business Customer Gateway (BCG) and obtain a Customer Registration ID (CRID), used to identify the mailer in Postal Service systems. … Schedule appointments through the Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) system for any mailer shipments to origin and destination entry points at Postal Service processing facilities. … Accurately include the following required information in the eDoc: … By/For identification for Mail Owner and Mail Preparer. … Mailers must transmit postage statements and documentation to the PostalOne! System using a Mail.dat file, Mail.XML messages, Postal Wizard (mailings under 10,000 pieces), or the Intelligent Mail for Small Business (IMsb) Tool (mailings under 50,000 pieces).”

[^6]: [PostalPro: Full-Service Report Testing: Service Type Identifier (STID) Errors](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/full-service-report-testing-service-type-identifier-stid-errors): “The STID defines the mailpiece as full-service or basic (non-automation) and is also used to determine the disposition of undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail and the form of address correction that a mailer desires if any.”

[^7]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=25), PDF page 25: “It is a requirement of Full-Service to keep barcodes unique for 45 days across all mailers and mailings on containers, handling units, and pieces.”

[^8]: [PRC: Mail Classification Schedule through July 12, 2026 (docx, converted to HTML with mammoth)](https://www.prc.gov/sites/default/files/mcs/MCS%20Through%2007122026.docx): “(Revisions Through July 12, 2026) … Subtract $0.005 for each automation letter or automation postcard that complies with the requirements for the Full-service Intelligent Mail option. … Subtract $0.005 for each automation letter that complies with the requirements for the Full-service Intelligent Mail option. … Subtract $0.005 for each barcoded or Carrier Route letter or flat that complies with the requirements for the Full-service Intelligent Mail option. … Subtract $0.001 for each presorted or Carrier Route barcoded flat that complies with the requirements for the Full-service Intelligent Mail option. … Subtract $0.002 for each piece eligible for Seamless Acceptance and prepared under the Full-Service Intelligent Mail option. … Subtract $0.001 for each piece eligible for Seamless Acceptance and prepared under the Full-Service Intelligent Mail option.”

[^9]: [PostalPro: Full-Service Assessments](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/full-service-assessments): “As a reminder, to submit a mailing as Full-Service, and claim the per piece discount, the following requirements must be met: … Assessments are generated at the electronic documentation (eDoc) submitter Customer Registration ID (CRID) level when there are errors that exceed the established thresholds for a calendar month. … The assessments result in the removal of the Full-Service discount on those pieces in error above the established thresholds.”

[^10]: [DMM 705: Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/705.htm): “Mailers who present automation or presort mailings (of First-Class Mail cards, letters, and flats, USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, or Bound Printed Matter flats) that contain 90 percent or more full-service eligible mail as full-service, and 75 percent of their total mail is eligible for full-service incentives, are eligible for the following exceptions to standards: … Annual presort mailing or destination entry fees, as applicable, do not apply to mailings entered by mailers who meet both the 90-percent and 75-percent full-service thresholds for qualified full-service mailings, as specified in 23.3.1. … If any mailing falls under the 90-percent and 75-percent full-service thresholds for qualified full-service mailings, the annual mailing fee will be due and the mailing verification date will become the renewal or anniversary date of the permit fees.”

[^11]: [PostalPro: Mailer Scorecard](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/mailer-scorecard): “This aggregated data is updated daily, measured against established thresholds.”

[^12]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=88), PDF page 88: “eDoc Submitters can either pay or request review of a postage assessment within 10 business days after the 11th of the month.”

[^13]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=37), PDF page 37: “eInduction links scans from Intelligent Mail Container Barcodes to eDoc information, allowing the Postal Service to verify that postage was paid prior to accepting a mailer shipped container. … The electronic Induction (eInduction) process streamlines the preparation and induction (how and where the mail physically enters the Postal Service mailstream) of drop shipments and expedited plant load mailings. … eInduction eliminates the need for paper PS Forms 8125, 8017, and 8125-C, and the need for manual reconciliation at the entry facility. … Call the FAST help desk at 1.877.569.6614, or e-mail the help desk at FAST@usps.gov, to begin the CRID activation process.”

[^14]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=83), page 79: “An authorized verification and receipt of postage payment for mailable matter at the mailer’s plant, prior to the mailer’s transport of the shipment to a destination postal facility.”

[^15]: [PostalPro: Seamless Acceptance](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/seamless-acceptance): “Seamless Acceptance automates the entry and verification of commercial mailings by leveraging electronic documentation, Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMbs), and information collected from handheld sampling devices and mail processing equipment scans. … Seamless Acceptance is for Full-Service Mailers participating in eInduction.”

[^16]: [Seamless Acceptance: Mailer Fact Sheet](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-10/Seamless%20Acceptance_%20Mailer%20Fact%20Sheet%20_%20PostalPro%20v4.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “The statement will be auto-finalized on the postage statement Mailing Date (Mailer's Mailing Date identified in eDoc), which allows mailers greater control over postage payment. … for DMU-verified origin entry or destination entry-drop shipments … Prior to participating in Seamless Acceptance mailers must participate in an intermediate step, Automated Verifications to test out their mail preparation standards.”

[^17]: [Seamless Acceptance Incentive Fact Sheet](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-09/2024_09_12%20Seamless%20Incentive%20Fact%20Sheet.v6.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “The total number of eligible pieces multiplied by $0.001 or $0.002 will be the total Seamless Incentive for a given mailing. … Minimum Incentive must be $2.00 … Minimum Incentive must be $1.00 … The Seamless Incentive provides an incentive to electronic documentation (eDoc) submitters for adoption of the Seamless Acceptance program. … All eligible Periodicals letters and flats and BPM flats will continue to receive a $0.001 incentive. … Product Solutions September 2024”

[^18]: [Seamless Acceptance Incentive FAQs](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2020-11/Seamless%20Incentive%20FAQs.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “Pieces must qualify for Full-Service in order to qualify for the Seamless incentive. … Any active Permit Imprint, Pre-canceled Stamps or Metered (regular or non-profit) permit in good status may be utilized of payment.”

[^19]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=217), page 213: “The recorded date and time when a mailpiece enters the mailstream, usually captured by scanning a container or mailpiece barcode. … Start-the-Clock Day Zero is the date when the clock starts for service performance measurement.”

[^20]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=9), page 3: “Visibility into mailings – with Start-the-Clock and tracking via barcode scan;”

[^21]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=7), page 1: “Container, tray, bundle, and piece scan data that is available for free for Full-Service mailings;”

[^22]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=77), page 71: “Start-the-clock information will not be made available to customers until the unit has completed any verification activities and processed the postage statement for account debiting. … Start-the-clock feedback will only be distributed for handling units and containers containing at least one Full-Service piece within a mixed mailing. … The report provides information on when the mail is inducted (received by the Postal Service) for mail processing at a USPS mail processing facility. … Start-the-Clock (Day 0) determination is calculated by comparing the Actual Entry Time (AET) to the nationally standardized Critical Entry Times (CETs).”

[^23]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=59), PDF page 59: “Mailpiece scans collected from Mail Processing Equipment (MPE) and samples from hand-held scanning devices are reconciled to the mailer eDoc to confirm proper mail preparation for the discounts claimed and postage paid. … Mail is verified through the comparison of eDoc to MPE scans (called census verification) and the comparison of eDoc to scans from sampling (called sampling verification). … The results of these Seamless Acceptance verifications are aggregated over a 1-month period, measured against established error thresholds, and displayed in the Mailer Scorecard under the Seamless Tab. … Participation in Seamless Acceptance is required for mailers with FullService eligible mail that have a DMU. … Mailers submitting Full-Service Mail at a BMEU have the option to enroll in Seamless Acceptance. … Once a CRID is enrolled in Seamless Acceptance there is no ability to “opt out.””

[^24]: [Full-Service Certification Standards](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-05/FS%20Certification%20Standards%20and%20Application%20Form%20May%202024_0.pdf#page=4), page 4: “FSC is a voluntary certification offered to mailers that have provided consistent, high quality mailings to the USPS. … A mailer must submit Full-Service mailings for at least 90 days before applying for FSC. … Certified mailers will be reviewed by the USPS to determine continued eligibility quarterly, but no less than annually.”

[^25]: [PostalPro: Certified Full-Service Software Vendors](https://postalpro.usps.com/Full-Service-Cert): “The software vendors listed below have successfully certified their Full-Service software products with the Postal Service™. … By meeting the Full-Service criteria, you can receive: … The best commercial prices and the largest discounts available … No cost visibility/tracking of your mailings … No cost address correction … We identify if the software is Cloud based or On Premise, the method of submission to the Postal Service, and the class of mail the software supports.”

[^26]: [PostalPro: eInduction Certification](https://postalpro.usps.com/certifications/einduction-certification): “The USPS offers an eInduction certification for software vendors that support eInduction mailings. … Mailers using an eInduction certified software product may complete a simplified testing program prior to onboarding to eInduction.”

[^27]: [Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee - Best Practices for ACS™](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2022-05/ACS_BestPractices.pdf#page=42), page 42: “Mailpieces that carry an IMb and receive automation pricing, but do not receive Full-Service discounts.”

[^28]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=17), page 11: “The uniqueness of a mailpiece IMb is determined by the six or nine-digit MID, the six or nine-digit serial number, and the piece’s class, indicated by the STID.”

[^29]: [Service Type Identifier (STID) Quick Service Guide](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2021-05/STIDQuickServiceGuide.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “The STID Table located on the PostalPro® website allows you to determine which STID to use based on the mail class, address correction option, use of Informed Visibility – Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR), and whether the mail contains a Full Service or Basic IMb.”

[^30]: [Appendix A: Ancillary Service Type Identifier (STID) Details](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-02/Appendix%20A.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “Determine if you want to receive Informed Visibility® - Mail Tracking and Reporting (IV-MTR) scan data.”

[^31]: [PostalPro: Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR)](https://postalpro.usps.com/informedvisibility): “is a near real-time, single source for all domestic-bound mail and mail aggregate tracking information.”

[^32]: [Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guide](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-09/IV_MTR_UserGuide_v2.19.9.pdf#page=21), page 9: “Mailpiece eligible for Full-Service but was not paid at the Full-Service rate”

[^33]: [Intelligent Mail® for Small Business (IMsb) Fact Sheet](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-10/IMsb%20Tool%20Fact%20Sheet%20October%202026_0.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “is a Full-Service mailing solution specifically designed for small business mailers who wish to prepare their own mailings.”

[^34]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=96), PDF page 96: “One of two Intelligent Mail offerings that requires a maximum 31-digit Intelligent Mail barcode comprising five fields: the Barcode ID, Service Type Identifier, Mailer ID, Serial Number, and Routing Code. The Full-Service Intelligent Mail option requires unique mailpiece barcodes, the use of Intelligent Mail barcodes on tray labels or container placards, electronic documentation, and the use of Facility Access and Shipment Tracking to schedule appointments for the entry of mailings.”

[^35]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=16), page 10: “The USPS uses three different verifications to get an accurate assessment of mail preparation: … eDoc verification – reviewing data in the eDoc; … Census verification – comparing the eDoc to MPE scans … Sampling verification – comparing the eDoc to sampling scans”

[^36]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=20), PDF page 20: “This error is derived from eDoc only.”

[^37]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=26), PDF page 26: “Barcode Uniqueness Piece 2% … If the same MID and Serial Number are used on two mailpieces with two different STIDs that indicate the same class of mail (for example First-Class STIDs 314 and 320), those pieces will be flagged as non-unique.”

[^38]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=95), PDF page 95: “An Entry Facility Container Error is logged when the entry facility as included in the eDoc (Locale Key or Postal Code) of the container is not a valid Postal Service location in the Facility File of the Drop-Ship Product File. … An Unlinked Copal Error is logged when a tray/virtual sack is marked for copalletization at origin but no eDoc is submitted with the tray/virtual sack on a pallet. … Move/Update verification data is located on the Electronic Verification tab of the Mailer Scorecard. … eInduction verification data is located on the eInduction tab of the Mailer Scorecard.”

[^39]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=28), PDF page 28: “Entry Facility Container 2%”

[^40]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=30), PDF page 30: “Unlinked Copal 5%”

[^41]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=93), PDF page 93: “The Postal Service sets these error thresholds through a periodic statistical analysis of quality for all mailings in a defined time period. … The Postal Service determines both the mean (average) and the standard deviation for each error type at the eDoc submitter CRID level. The error threshold for each error type was set to at least one standard deviation from the mean.”

[^42]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=14), PDF page 14: “The Postal Service has updated the verification of Move Update compliance to census verification using Mail Processing Equipment (MPE). … Mail that is identified as having issues during normal postal processing after acceptance will be recorded and reported to the Mail Scorecard in the Mail Irregularities tab.”

[^43]: [Full-Service Automated Verification Fact Sheet](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2021-06/Full-Service%20Automated%20Verification%20Fact%20Sheet.6.10.21%20v9_0.pdf#page=2), page 2: “Effective June 27, 2021, the Seamless tab on the Mailer Scorecard will be renamed Seamless / Automated Verifications.”

[^44]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=18), PDF page 18: “There is a 48-hour delay between electronic postage statement finalization to the time that data becomes available on the Mailer Scorecard and mail quality reports.”

[^45]: [Request a Review of a Postage Assessment](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2023-08/Request%20a%20Review%20of%20a%20Postage%20Assessment.v3_0.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “The results of verifications performed on mailings throughout the calendar month are finalized on the 10th day of the following month. … If the percentage of errors is below the established threshold or if the additional postage due is less than $500 cumulative across Full-Service, eInduction, and Seamless/Automated Verifications, and less than $50 for Move Update, then no additional postage is assessed.”

[^46]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=87), PDF page 87: “On the 11th of the following month, the Mail Entry Postage Assessment report is available for review in the Business Customer Gateway.”

[^47]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=27), PDF page 27: “It is a requirement of Full-Service to identify the entry location for every container or orphan handling unit.”

[^48]: [Provisioning Informed Delivery® Post-Campaign (IDPC) Data in Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR)](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-09/IV-MTR_Provisioning%20IDPC%20User%20Guide%20v1.4.pdf#page=4), page 4: “Detailed error data from the Mailer Scorecard”

[^49]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=79), page 73: “The MicroStrategy reports show data across all mailings for a CRID.”

[^50]: [Guide to eInduction](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-08/375_Guide-to-eInduction_1.pdf#page=53), page 52: “a mail quality tool, the Mailer Scorecard, which displays a dashboard view of the results of the letter and flat mailing activity within each of these initiatives over a calendar month.”

[^51]: [Seamless Acceptance: Mailer Fact Sheet](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-10/Seamless%20Acceptance_%20Mailer%20Fact%20Sheet%20_%20PostalPro%20v4.pdf#page=2), PDF page 2: “a method to measure mailer quality across all pieces mailed in a calendar month … For Seamless Acceptance mailings, the Postal Service uses error thresholds for all verifications plus undocumented pieces identified by MPE and Sampling. … IMb was scanned and cannot be found on any eDoc .3% … Postage Payment Method or Postage Affixed amount on the piece is different than what was identified in the eDoc PAF – 1.05 … Scan does not match what was submitted in the eDoc submission PAF – 1.05 … Postage Adjustment Factor (PAF) is a method to apply an error rate determined from handheld scanner samplings to the entire population of … USPS will only collect postage for sampling errors when a mailer has exceeded PAF more than 3 times in a rolling 12month period. … Acceptance Employee (AE) will sample mail using the Full-Service Intelligent Mail Device (FS-IMD) as prompted based on mailer's sampling frequency. … Logged when the Processing Category or Mail Class recorded in the FS-IMD Scan does not match what was submitted in the eDoc submission … IMb was scanned and cannot be found on any eDoc … a method to apply an error rate determined from handheld scanner samplings to the entire population of mailings within a calendar month”

[^52]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=85), PDF page 85: “eDoc submitters view and pay postage assessments via the Mail Entry Assessment reports.”

[^53]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=38), PDF page 38: “Include IMcb for each container. The IMcb must be unique for 45 days from the electronic postage statement mailing date. … Using the eInduction indicator field. … Mailers who cannot generate a finalized electronic postage statement two hours before container entry may request approval for an eInduction Continuous MID. … Once approved, mailers may enter any container with the approved MID in the IMcb prior to the receipt of electronic documentation.”

[^54]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=42), PDF page 42: “The Postal Service performs eInduction verifications at the following two points: … Rejected containers are not logged on the Mailer Scorecard, do not impact error thresholds, and are not subject to assessment.”

[^55]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=41), PDF page 41: “At sites enabled with Surface Visibility scanners, the dock employee receives immediate feedback about unpaid, misshipped, and duplicate containers within the appointment. … Containers with these errors are reconciled with paper documentation or returned to the mailer.”

[^56]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=43), PDF page 43: “Postage payment, entry location, and IMcb duplicates are checked by Postal Service systems following FAST appointment closeout per 4-3.3. … Postal Service systems perform six post-induction verifications on all accepted eInduction containers. … Verification failures are logged as errors and count against the eDoc submitter’s monthly error threshold.”

[^57]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=96), PDF page 96: “Payment 0.00% A Payment Error is logged when the postage statements for a scanned container are not in a FIN or FPP status. … Misshipped 1.05% A Misshipped Error is logged when the container is scanned at an incorrect entry location, per the Mail Direction File.”

[^58]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=44), PDF page 44: “For mailers participating in Seamless Acceptance, eInduction Undocumented Errors are logged but containers are not subject to assessment.”

[^59]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=221), page 217: “A concept using barcode technology that allows the tracing of barcoded mail as it passes through automated and manual processes that scan the barcodes and capture the handling in real time by the piece, container, and trailer.”

[^60]: [Mail.dat Technical Specifications R65.0.0.0](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-10/USPS_Mail_dat_Tech_Spec.pdf#page=167), page 167: “Post Induction verifications compare scans collected at the point of induction to information submitted in the eDoc to very payment and preparation of commercial mail containers.”

[^61]: [Guide to eInduction](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-08/375_Guide-to-eInduction_1.pdf#page=23), page 22: “Container is at incorrect induction location as specified in the eDoc or by redirects”

[^62]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=61), page 55: “the clerk has not yet finalized payment”

[^63]: [Guide to eInduction](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-08/375_Guide-to-eInduction_1.pdf#page=30), page 29: “provide real time status on eInduction containers. It allows mailers to determine the payment status of their containers before arrival at the entry facility (pre-induction).”

[^64]: [Guide to eInduction](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-08/375_Guide-to-eInduction_1.pdf#page=7), page 6: “The electronic Induction (eInduction) process streamlines the preparation and induction (how and where the mail physically enters the USPS mailstream) of drop shipments and expedited plant load mailings.”

[^65]: [Guide to eInduction](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-08/375_Guide-to-eInduction_1.pdf#page=47), page 46: “mailers that have continuous mailing sites and that deliver shipments within 2 hours of finalization”

[^66]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=65), PDF page 65: “Using information from the MPE for verification allows Seamless Acceptance to check almost every mailpiece for quality problems.”

[^67]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=64), PDF page 64: “These characteristics include information about the postage payment method, piece weight, nonprofit eligibility, mailpiece content, mail class, and processing category of the mailing. … A complete sample includes one container, three handling units from that container, and 30 pieces from the container (10 pieces from each handling unit). … Mailers must submit all barcoded pieces in the eDoc for all mailings, including those that are full-rate and single-piece.”

[^68]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=107), page 101: “Business Mail Entry Unit (A specialized USPS organization responsible for receiving, verifying, and accepting business (bulk) mail) … Detached Mail Unit (A BMEU located at a mailer’s mail production plant)”

[^69]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=55), PDF page 55: “All Full-Service mailings entered at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) are verified using automated sampling and verification processes. … Automated Verification differs from Seamless Acceptance in that undocumented is not currently an assessable metric and auto-finalization does not occur. … It is a requirement of Automated Verification for the delivery point provided in the piece IMb to be valid.”

[^70]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=60), PDF page 60: “Be sent by a mailer who is mailing over 90 percent of their eligible volume as Full-Service.”

[^71]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=62), PDF page 62: “The postage statements are finalized by the PostalOne! system on the Postage Statement Mailing Date that was submitted in the eDoc at which point balance checks are performed. … It is the responsibility of the mailer to ensure that their account contains sufficient postage funds for all Permit numbers they submit for auto-finalization.”

[^72]: [PostalPro: Seamless Acceptance Incentive](https://postalpro.usps.com/seamless-incentive): “This incentive provides an incentive to the Electronic Documentation (eDoc) submitters (with a qualified Seamless CRID and an Enterprise Payment System Account) for adoption of the Seamless Acceptance program.”

[^73]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=14), page 8: “Full-Service mailers have access to container, tray, bundle, and piece-level indications when their mail is inducted, processed, or en route.”

[^74]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=11), page 5: “Full-Service feedback will not be provided for a bundle, handling unit, or container that has a non-unique barcode or an invalid mail owner.”

[^75]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=56), page 52: “(1) For mailers, the latest time that a reasonable amount of a mail class or product can be received at the platform at designated induction points in the postal network for it to be processed and dispatched in time to meet service standards (i.e., the latest time when mail can be presented to postal operations of Day Zero processing).”

[^76]: [Mail.xml Technical Specifications R65.0.0.0 ](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-10/eDoc-XML-Tech_Spec.pdf#page=37), page 37: “The dissemination of the data is referred to as full-service Data Distribution. The recipients for the Data Distribution are determined according to the By/For relationship defined in the MailXML job submission.”

[^77]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=71), page 65: “Data for most of the above services can be provided to the mail owner or someone they designate and it may also be provided to the mail preparer or someone they designate; however it cannot be provided to both the primary and their designate.”

[^78]: [Full-Service Certification Standards](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-05/FS%20Certification%20Standards%20and%20Application%20Form%20May%202024_0.pdf#page=5), page 5: “Achieve established full-service quality thresholds … Maintain 90% or higher FS eligible volume on the Mailer Profile of the Mailer Scorecard”

[^79]: [PostalPro: Platinum Full-Service Certification](https://postalpro.usps.com/certifications/full-service-platinum-certification): “For mail service providers (MSPs) who achieve established full-service quality thresholds and meet total quality management standards. … The Platinum Full-Service Certification (FSC) is available to mail service providers (MSPs) who can demonstrate an exceptional degree of mail quality and fulfill the application process.”

[^80]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=91), PDF page 91: “Assessments that are neither paid nor submitted for review within 10 business days are set to overdue. A reminder email is sent to the eDoc submitter with payment due immediately.”

[^81]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=19), PDF page 19: “Mailers should note that MIDs are not available for use until 48 hours after activation.”

[^82]: [Seamless Acceptance Undocumented Mail Fact Sheet](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2023-02/Undoc%20Fact%20Sheet%20v9.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “If no match is found to an eDoc, the piece is reported as an undocumented error.”

[^83]: [Guide to eInduction](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-08/375_Guide-to-eInduction_1.pdf#page=13), page 12: “This could result in containers being held at the destination facility.”

[^84]: [Publication 685: Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub685.pdf#page=63), PDF page 63: “After the 14-day auto-finalization period, the mailing must be manually finalized by a Postal Service Acceptance Employee after funds have been added.”

[^85]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=92), page 86: “Mailers will not be responsible for postage assessments on an exceeded threshold for any errors that were caused by a Postal Service system issue (e.g. a PostalOne! delay in posting submitted eDoc).”

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