Reply mail: Business Reply Mail and Share Mail

How does USPS Business Reply Mail work?

A business hands out reply cards, envelopes or labels without postage, and USPS charges it postage plus a per-piece fee only for the pieces customers mail back.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“The mailer does not prepay postage on BRM postcards, letters, self-mailers, flats, parcels, optical CDs, or label pieces. … The Postal Service collects the applicable postage, plus a per-piece fee, only on pieces that customers actually send back to the mailer.”USPS original The customer pays no postage, supplies no envelope and writes no address.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“The extra inducement is provided by the fact that your customer does not pay the return postage, does not have to supply a postcard or envelope, and does not need to put an address on the mailpiece.”USPS original Business Reply Mail replies come back as First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail or Priority Mail, as cards, letters, flats or parcels.5DMM 505: Return Services (July 2026)“Business Reply Mail (BRM) service enables a permit holder to receive First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail, and Priority Mail from customers.”USPS original1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“First-Class® & Priority® Reply Mail Cards, Letters, Flats, and Parcel mail types allowed”USPS original

How do I apply for a Business Reply Mail permit?

A business files PS Form 3615 at a Post Office, generally the one its replies return to, and that office issues the permit number for a fee.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“A Business Reply Mail permit number is issued at the Post Office where the PS Form 3615 is filed (generally where the mail is returned) and requires a fee.”USPS original The form asks for the company name, the return address, a contact person and a telephone number.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“PS Form 3615 is a simple form requiring you to know the company name, address where the mail will be returned, contact person, and telephone number.”USPS original The Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center can help fill out PS Form 3615 and PS Form 6805, which gets the permit its own ZIP+4 Code.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“MSSC may assist customers with filling out PS3615 and PS6805 as needed”USPS original6Full-Service Certification Standardspage 68“The unique +4 may be obtained by submitting form 6805 to the unit that will deliver the mailpieces.”USPS original

Is there an annual fee for a Business Reply Mail permit?

Yes: as of October 4, 2026, the annual Business Reply Mail permit fee is $390 for letters and flats, paid by cash, check or money order.7Notice 123: Price List (effective October 4, 2026)“Notice 123 • Effective October 04, 2026 … Annual permit fee (letters and flats) | $390.00 | $390.00”USPS original1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“The fee is paid annually by cash, check or money order.”USPS original Other fees vary by level: Qualified Business Reply Mail, the level for barcoded First-Class Mail cards and letters, has lower prices and fees.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Fees vary depending on BRM/QBRM level … Only First-Class® Mail Card and Letter mail types are allowed … Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb) Required”USPS original8Full-Service Certification Standardspage 70“Permit holders distribute reply pieces that qualify for lower postage prices and per piece fees.”USPS original A permit at that level enrolled in Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting, USPS's automated counting and billing of replies, gets waivers on quarterly or annual fees.9Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting (IMbA) and Qualified Business Reply MailPDF page 1“IMbA is an automated solution for the counting, rating, invoicing, and billing processes.”USPS original1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Cost Savings: IMbA-enrolled permits receive waivers on the quarterly and/or annual fees.”USPS original The fees are non-refundable, and USPS posts the amounts on its return services page.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“The annual permit fee and other annual or quarterly fees for each permit account type are non-refundable. … Actual Fee costs can be located at: https://www.usps.com/business/return-services.htm.”USPS original

How do I get business reply mail envelopes?

A business designs Business Reply Mail envelopes free in USPS's Automated Business Reply Mail tool and downloads the artwork ready for printing.10PostalPro: Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool“The United States Postal Service® offers complimentary Reply Mail artwork via the Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) tool, which allows Reply Mail customers to create approved USPS camera-ready artwork for domestic Reply Mail pieces in just a few steps.”USPS original11Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) BrochurePDF page 2“Download the artwork to your computer, ready for printing!”USPS original The tool needs a Mailer ID, a Business Reply Mail permit number and the ZIP+4 Code USPS assigned.10PostalPro: Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool“A valid Mailer ID … A valid PostalOne! Permit Number for Business Reply Mail® or Qualified Business Reply Mail™ … USPS uniquely-assigned 9-digit Business Reply Mail ZIP+4 code (Business Reply Mail or Qualified Business Reply Mail)”USPS original The Mailpiece Design Analyst help desk makes some artwork the tool does not, such as International Business Reply Mail and Business Reply Mail labels.12Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) Instructional Guidepage 13“If you would like to create artwork for one of the items listed below, please contact the MDA Help Desk at 877-672-0007 (option 2 then option 2) or email your request to mda@usps.gov indicating that you are requesting artwork for service not provided by ABRM. … International Business Reply Mail Service (IBRS) … ✓ BRM Labels”USPS original13Intelligent Mail® Barcode FAQPDF page 1“Mailers without a previously-assigned MID should contact a Mailpiece Design Analyst (MDA) at 1-877-672-0007 or MDA@usps.gov.”USPS original

What is USPS Share Mail?

Share Mail lets a business hand out First-Class Mail letters and postcards that people can mail to anyone without a stamp, with the business paying the postage.2PostalPro: Share Mail®“Share Mail (formerly Alternate Postage) provides a mechanism for businesses and organizations to use the mail to share information, not only with their customers but to have those customers send the Share Mail letters and postcards to other parties — without their having to affix a stamp. … Postage is paid by the Share Mail account holder who produces and distributes the mailpieces.”USPS original14Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 3“The purpose of this publication is to describe the use of Share Mail (previously referred to as Alternate Postage) on First-Class Mail single-piece letters or postcards bearing an Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb).”USPS original USPS charges the business for each piece when it is scanned in processing, not when it is handed out.15Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 12“The account holder must pay the Postal Service the prevailing Share Mail price for each static or unique IMb letter or postcard at the time the mailpiece is scanned (as opposed to distributed).”USPS original Share Mail pieces go only to addresses in the United States and to APO/FPO/DPO locations.16Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 5“Account holders can mail Share Mail letters and postcards only to addresses within the United States and to APO/FPO/DPO locations.”USPS original

Can I get an alert when my Business Reply Mail account is low on funds?

Yes: in the Enterprise Payment System, a customer can set a Low Balance Threshold that sends an email when the EPS Trust balance falls below it.17Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQspage 4“EPS allows a customer to set a Low Balance Threshold that will generate an email notification when the EPS Trust balance falls below the set threshold.”USPS original Several Business Reply Mail accounts can link to one Enterprise Payment Account and share its balance.17Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQspage 4“Multiple BRM accounts may be linked to a single EPA thus allowing the EPS balance to be shared across accounts.”USPS original

How do I get a refund for stamps customers put on Business Reply Mail?

A USPS retail associate refunds the postage stamps and meter postage that customers put on Business Reply Mail pieces.18A Guide to Full Servicepage 30“USPS retail associates are authorized to refund for postage stamps on BRM pieces, and postage meter stamps or meter impressions.”USPS original The business submits the pieces with PS Form 3533.18A Guide to Full Servicepage 30“The customer submits BRM pieces with postage affixed, postage meter stamps, or other evidence requested for refund along with PS Form 3533;”USPS original When the permit pays through the Enterprise Payment System, refunds go directly to its Enterprise Payment Account.19Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQspage 15“Refunds will be made directly to your EPA.”USPS original

What is the difference between Business Reply Mail and Courtesy Reply Mail?

With Courtesy Reply Mail the customer puts the postage on the reply, while with Business Reply Mail the business pays for each piece returned.20Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 51“The customer affixes the reply postage before mailing.”USPS original1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“The mailer, not the customer, pays the return postage.”USPS original Courtesy Reply Mail needs no permit and suits replies that are sure to come, such as bill payments.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“No permit required. … Guaranteed responses like bills or invoice payments.”USPS original The business supplies preaddressed, prebarcoded envelopes or cards.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Pre-addressed, pre-barcoded materials ensure accurate addressing.”USPS original

Reply mail is mail designed for the recipient to send back to the sender in a preaddressed envelope or under a preaddressed label.21Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 189“Any type of mail product designed for the recipient to send back to the sender using a preaddressed envelope or preaddressed label.”USPS original Some of it, such as Business Reply Mail, is paid for by the sender.21Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 189“Some reply mail, such as Business Reply Mail service, is paid for by the sender.”USPS original USPS collects that postage and its fees when it delivers each piece back to the business.22Publication 32: Glossary of Postal TermsPDF page 34“Postage and fees are collected when the mail is delivered back to the original mailer.”USPS original Qualified Business Reply Mail is a subset for First-Class Mail cards and letters, at lower prices and fees.8Full-Service Certification Standardspage 70“Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM) is a subset of Business Reply Mail. … Permit holders distribute reply pieces that qualify for lower postage prices and per piece fees.”USPS original1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Only First-Class® Mail Card and Letter mail types are allowed”USPS original International Business Reply Mail lets recipients overseas reply the same way.23Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 107“A service that is similar to domestic Business Reply Mail that enables overseas recipients to return, without affixing postage, response envelopes and postcards to the authorized U.S. sender who mailed the original mailpieces containing the response pieces.”USPS original

Permit Reply Mail pays, at the time of mailing, for both the outgoing piece and the reply inside it.3Publication 32: Glossary of Postal TermsPDF page 166“A service that enables an authorized permit holder to pay postage at the time of mailing for both the outgoing First-Class Mail or Priority Mail piece and the reply piece inside the outgoing piece sent to the customer.”USPS original Metered Reply Mail carries return postage prepaid by a postage meter or PC Postage.4Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 133“A preprinted return envelope, card, or label provided by an approved postage meter or PC Postage customer as a courtesy to customers on which the postage is prepaid as an Information-Based Indicia (IBI) or non-IBI indicia.”USPS original With Courtesy Reply Mail, the customer affixes the postage.20Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 51“The customer affixes the reply postage before mailing.”USPS original

Share Mail lets customers mail the business's letters and postcards to other people, and USPS charges the business for each piece it scans.2PostalPro: Share Mail®“Share Mail (formerly Alternate Postage) provides a mechanism for businesses and organizations to use the mail to share information, not only with their customers but to have those customers send the Share Mail letters and postcards to other parties — without their having to affix a stamp.”USPS original15Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 12“The account holder must pay the Postal Service the prevailing Share Mail price for each static or unique IMb letter or postcard at the time the mailpiece is scanned (as opposed to distributed).”USPS original A Share Mail account holder needs a Business Reply Mail or Postage Due permit.2PostalPro: Share Mail®“Valid Business Reply Mail or Postage Due Permit linked to the EPS account”USPS original

Every letter-size reply piece carries a facing identification mark.24Full-Service Certification Standardspage 63“An FIM is required on ALL letter-sized Business Reply mailpieces, Permit Reply and UOCAVA Military overseas voter pieces, Metered Reply pieces, and Courtesy Reply pieces.”USPS original The free Automated Business Reply Mail tool makes approved artwork for Business Reply Mail, Courtesy Reply Mail and Metered Reply Mail.10PostalPro: Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool“The USPS Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) application is an online, self-service tool that allows Reply Mail customers to create domestic card, letter, and flat-sized mailpieces of Business Reply Mail (BRM), Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM), and Metered Reply Mail (MRM).”USPS original Informed Visibility Mail Tracking & Reporting, or IV-MTR, counts a piece as Reply Mail when its Intelligent Mail barcode uses a Reply Mail Service Type ID.25Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guidepage 9“Mailpiece has an IMb that uses a Reply Mail Service Type Identifier (STID)”USPS original It can show tracking data for such pieces.25Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guidepage 9“Visibility may be provided if the mailpiece is not eligible for Full-Service or if the mailpiece is residual or Reply Mail.”USPS original Business Reply Mail permits can be paid through the Enterprise Payment System.26Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQspage 2“EPS supports the following permit types: Permit Imprint (PI), Metered (MT), Precanceled Stamps (PC), Periodicals (PE and PP), Postage Due and Business Reply Mail.”USPS original

Business Reply Mail suits a reply whose response or timing is not certain.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“BRM® is appropriate when your customer needs a little extra inducement to reply - in other words, the response or its timing is not certain.”USPS original Direct marketers use it for orders, researchers for surveys and magazine publishers for subscriptions.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“This type of reply mail is frequently used by direct marketers seeking to encourage orders, researchers needing survey responses, or magazine publishers soliciting subscriptions.”USPS original Each permit gets a ZIP+4 Code unique to its kind of reply mail, which lets machines sort replies by size and weight.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“The ZIP+4® Code assigned by the Postal Service™ is unique for the category of Reply Mail you use. … This unique ZIP+4® Code enables Reply Mail to be sorted on postal automated equipment by specific size and weight (i.e., cards, 1 oz. letters, 2 oz. letters, etc.).”USPS original

Replies come back as First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail or Priority Mail.5DMM 505: Return Services (July 2026)“Business Reply Mail (BRM) service enables a permit holder to receive First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail, and Priority Mail from customers.”USPS original A service standard is USPS's stated delivery goal for a mail class or service.27USPS Report on Form 10-K, fiscal year 2025PDF page 8“A service standard is the stated delivery goal for a mail class or service.”USPS original Under the standards effective July 1, 2025, no First-Class Mail has a service standard over five days.28Federal Register: Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail Products, final rule (90 FR 10857, Feb 28, 2025)“Rather, the service standard for a particular mailpiece will depend on the specific origin and destination and the cumulative number of days that are applicable across the operational segments (with no First-Class Mail having a service standard that exceeds five days). … Effective April 1, 2025, except for instruction 4 (revising part 121), which is effective July 1, 2025.”USPS original

Fees vary by level.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Fees vary depending on BRM/QBRM level”USPS original Basic Business Reply Mail suits a business that expects fewer than 925 returned pieces a year.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Fewer than 925 returned pieces expected annually.”USPS original Qualified Business Reply Mail has some of the lowest per-piece fees.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“One of the lowest per-piece fees available.”USPS original High Volume Business Reply Mail and every level of Qualified Business Reply Mail pay from an advance deposit account, funds the business keeps with USPS.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Advanced Deposit Account prepays postage.”USPS original8Full-Service Certification Standardspage 70“Has postage and per piece charges deducted from a BRM advance deposit account”USPS original29Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 11“A liability account into which a mailer deposits funds that are maintained by USPS to pay for future services used by the mailer such as permit imprint mailings, Business Reply Mail pieces, postage due mail, or Periodicals.”USPS original

Qualified Business Reply Mail takes only First-Class Mail cards and letters, each with an Intelligent Mail barcode.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Only First-Class® Mail Card and Letter mail types are allowed … Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb) Required”USPS original Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting is an automated process for counting, rating, invoicing and billing those pieces.9Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting (IMbA) and Qualified Business Reply MailPDF page 1“IMbA is an automated solution for the counting, rating, invoicing, and billing processes.”USPS original Machines read each barcode to count the pieces, and invoices go to PostalOne! every day.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Using the Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb) on the mailpiece, the mail processing equipment counts destinations approved and assigned to the mailer. … Invoicing is sent daily, directly to PostalOne!.”USPS original Business Reply Mail that is not qualified cannot use it.9Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting (IMbA) and Qualified Business Reply MailPDF page 1“Note: Business Reply Mail (BRM) is not eligible for IMbA”USPS original

International Business Reply Mail is the same idea across borders: recipients overseas return response envelopes and postcards without postage.23Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 107“A service that is similar to domestic Business Reply Mail that enables overseas recipients to return, without affixing postage, response envelopes and postcards to the authorized U.S. sender who mailed the original mailpieces containing the response pieces.”USPS original USPS collects postage and fees from the permit holder when the pieces are delivered.23Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 107“Postage and service fees are collected from the permit holder when the returned pieces are delivered.”USPS original

Permit Reply Mail lets a permit holder pay at mailing for the outgoing First-Class Mail or Priority Mail piece and the reply inside it.3Publication 32: Glossary of Postal TermsPDF page 166“A service that enables an authorized permit holder to pay postage at the time of mailing for both the outgoing First-Class Mail or Priority Mail piece and the reply piece inside the outgoing piece sent to the customer.”USPS original The customer mails the prepaid reply back without affixing postage.3Publication 32: Glossary of Postal TermsPDF page 166“The customer mails back the specially formatted prepaid reply piece without affixing postage.”USPS original For its artwork, a business hires a vendor.12Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) Instructional Guidepage 13“Artwork Services Not Provided by ABRM or MDA – you will need to solicit the services of a vendor: … ✓ Permit Reply Mail”USPS original

Metered Reply Mail is a preprinted return envelope, card or label on which a postage meter or PC Postage customer prepays the postage.4Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 133“A preprinted return envelope, card, or label provided by an approved postage meter or PC Postage customer as a courtesy to customers on which the postage is prepaid as an Information-Based Indicia (IBI) or non-IBI indicia.”USPS original It suits small businesses with few replies, which prepay return postage piece by piece.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Small businesses with limited reply needs can prepay return postage on single pieces.”USPS original It works with these services:1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“Valid on Priority Mail® Express, Priority® Mail, and First-Class® Mail services, as well as Media Mail® and Library Mail.”USPS original

• Priority Mail Express
• Priority Mail
• First-Class Mail
• Media Mail
• Library Mail

Courtesy Reply Mail is an envelope or postcard a business gives its customers to speed their replies, generally enclosed in the original mailing.20Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 51“Envelopes or postcards that a mailer provides to its customers to expedite delivery of their responses. … The CRM envelope or postcard is generally enclosed in the original mailpiece sent to the customer.”USPS original The customer affixes the postage.20Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 51“The customer affixes the reply postage before mailing.”USPS original It needs no permit and suits replies that are sure to come, such as bill payments.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“No permit required. … Guaranteed responses like bills or invoice payments.”USPS original

Share Mail is for referral marketing.2PostalPro: Share Mail®“Businesses and organizations who wish to use mail for referral marketing.”USPS original A business hands out letters and postcards, most often inside another mailpiece, and recipients mail them on as single-piece First-Class Mail.2PostalPro: Share Mail®“Businesses and organizations who sign up for Share Mail can distribute Share Mail letters and postcards to franchises and customers (most businesses enclose the Share Mail piece within a mailpiece). … Recipients of the mailpiece can then forward the enclosed Share Mail piece to others by depositing it into the mailstream as they would with other domestic, single-piece First-Class Mail.”USPS original USPS processes and delivers them to single-piece First-Class Mail standards.16Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 5“The mailpieces receive First-Class Mail handling procedures, and they receive processing and delivery according to single-piece First-Class Mail standards.”USPS original

Three marks on the address side identify a piece as the account holder's Share Mail: FIM E, the Intelligent Mail barcode and the indicia.16Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 5“During First-Class Mail processing, the “FIM E” mark (described in Section 3), the IMb, and the indicia combine to identify the account holder’s Share Mail letters or postcards for payment purposes.”USPS original A piece is Recorded as Scanned when processing equipment first captures its barcode.16Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 5“Share Mail letters or postcards are considered to be “Recorded as Scanned” after they are mailed, when the Postal Service processing equipment first captures the IMb information that identifies the piece as a Share Mail letter or postcard.”USPS original USPS then invoices the account holder and takes the postage from its payment account.16Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 5“Once the Postal Service scans and records the Share Mail pieces, the Postal Service invoices the account holder and deducts the funds for postage from the account holder’s Centralized Account Processing System (CAPS) account.”USPS original

The barcode can be static, the same on every piece, or unique to each piece.30Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 7“The ability to print on each mailpiece either a static IMb (a barcode that does not vary by mailpiece) or a unique IMb (a barcode that does vary by mailpiece).”USPS original A unique barcode lets the business track individual responses.31Share Mail™ Sales SheetPDF page 1“By using a unique Share Mail IMb, you can track individual responses and tailor follow-ups based on whether a recipient has responded.”USPS original Each piece costs the price of a 1-ounce Share Mail letter or postcard.15Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 12“The amount due for each unit for which payment is required to be made is based on the prevailing rate for a 1-ounce Share Mail letter or postcard (the Unit Price).”USPS original

The Automated Business Reply Mail tool is free and makes camera-ready artwork for domestic reply mail.10PostalPro: Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool“The United States Postal Service® offers complimentary Reply Mail artwork via the Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) tool, which allows Reply Mail customers to create approved USPS camera-ready artwork for domestic Reply Mail pieces in just a few steps.”USPS original It makes card, letter and flat-size Business Reply Mail, Courtesy Reply Mail and Metered Reply Mail.10PostalPro: Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool“The USPS Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) application is an online, self-service tool that allows Reply Mail customers to create domestic card, letter, and flat-sized mailpieces of Business Reply Mail (BRM), Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM), and Metered Reply Mail (MRM).”USPS original It makes card and letter-size Qualified Business Reply Mail.10PostalPro: Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool“ABRM also creates artwork for card and letter-size pieces of Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM).”USPS original Mailpiece Design Analysts are USPS's primary contacts for technical questions on mailpiece design, Business Reply Mail included.33Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 125“The primary USPS contact for mailers seeking technical information on mailpiece design including: automation letter and flats; polywrap for flats; Business Reply Mail services; courtesy reply mail services; and automation barcoding.”USPS original Their help desk makes International Business Reply Mail artwork and Business Reply Mail labels on request.12Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) Instructional Guidepage 13“If you would like to create artwork for one of the items listed below, please contact the MDA Help Desk at 877-672-0007 (option 2 then option 2) or email your request to mda@usps.gov indicating that you are requesting artwork for service not provided by ABRM. … International Business Reply Mail Service (IBRS) … ✓ BRM Labels”USPS original

A facing identification mark is a pattern of bars that machines use to identify, orient and separate certain mail.34Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Termspage 81“A pattern of vertical bars and spaces used by automated postal equipment such as a facercanceler to identify, orient, and separate certain types of mail.”USPS original Each pattern marks one or two kinds of mail:

• FIM A: Courtesy Reply Mail and Metered Reply Mail with a preprinted barcode24Full-Service Certification Standardspage 63“FIM A is used for CRM and MRM with a preprinted barcode.”USPS original
• FIM B: Business Reply Mail without a barcode35Full-Service Certification Standardspage 69“FIM B must be used with BRM without a barcode.”USPS original
• FIM C: Business Reply Mail printed with a barcode, and Permit Reply Mail with a preprinted delivery point barcode35Full-Service Certification Standardspage 69“FIM C must be used with any BRM printed with a barcode.”USPS original24Full-Service Certification Standardspage 63“FIM C is used for BRM with a preprinted BRM ZIP+4 barcode and for PRM with a preprinted deliverypoint barcode.”USPS original
• FIM E: Share Mail letters and postcards24Full-Service Certification Standardspage 63“FIM E is used for postcard-size and letter-size First-Class Mail with Share Mail.”USPS original

A Service Type ID is the three-digit code in an Intelligent Mail barcode that tells USPS a piece's service type.36Ballot Mail & Political Mail STIDs Fact SheetPDF page 1“A unique three-digit code embedded in the Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb®) that indicates the service type for an individual mailpiece.”USPS original USPS lists the reply mail codes in two groups, Reply Mail by ZIP and Reply Mail by MID.37Service Type Identifier (STID) Table Effective January 21, 2024Effective January 21, 2024 · PDF page 9“Reply Mail by ZIP … Reply Mail by MID”USPS original With a Reply Mail by ZIP code, IV-MTR uses the barcode's routing code to decide who sees the piece's data.38Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guidepage 298“For an IMb that uses a Reply Mail by ZIP IMb construct, the application uses the routing code contained in the IMb to determine who has visibility of data for the piece.”USPS original It shows the data to the CRIDs that have that routing code.39Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guidepage 10“For IMb-barcoded pieces that use the Reply Mail ZIP construct, IVMTR provides visibility to the CRIDs who have that routing code associated to them.”USPS original A Business Reply Mail piece with no extra services uses 708.13Intelligent Mail® Barcode FAQPDF page 1“Mailers using Business Reply Mail (BRM) without any services should populate the Service Type ID field with 708.”USPS original

The Enterprise Payment System lets customers pay for USPS products and services through one Enterprise Payment Account.40Enterprise Payment System (EPS) Account Creation Fact Sheet - August 2024PDF page 1“allows customers to pay for Postal products and services through a single account, called the Enterprise Payment Account (EPA).”USPS original It takes Business Reply Mail permits, and several Business Reply Mail accounts can share one account's balance.26Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQspage 2“EPS supports the following permit types: Permit Imprint (PI), Metered (MT), Precanceled Stamps (PC), Periodicals (PE and PP), Postage Due and Business Reply Mail.”USPS original17Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQspage 4“Multiple BRM accounts may be linked to a single EPA thus allowing the EPS balance to be shared across accounts.”USPS original Business Reply Mail fees can be paid through it.17Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQspage 4“Fee payments can be paid through EPS.”USPS original

IV-MTR can show tracking data for reply mail.25Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guidepage 9“Visibility may be provided if the mailpiece is not eligible for Full-Service or if the mailpiece is residual or Reply Mail.”USPS original Its API returns Business Reply Mail only through its Get Piece by IMb (business reply mail) query.41IV-MTR API Developer Toolkitpage 7“Note: Only the Get Piece by IMb (business reply mail) supports Business Reply Mail.”USPS original Before IV-MTR, IMb Tracing gave mailers piece and bundle tracking data, and that system is retired.42Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guidepage 1“Prior to IV-MTR, mail tracking functionality for letters and flats (and their associated containers, handling units, and bundles) was limited for several reasons: … Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb®) Tracing® (formerly CONFIRM®) provided automated piece and bundle tracking data”USPS original43Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guidepage 19“The legacy PKG file format allows you to receive files in the format used by the retired IMb Tracing system.”USPS original Its Origin IMb Tracing for incoming mail let a business anticipate when customers' checks, replies or orders were on the way back.44Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee - Best Practices for ACS™page 43“Origin IMb Tracing for incoming mail lets you anticipate when customers’ checks, replies, or orders are on the way back to you.”USPS original

The 2021 Earned Value Promotion was meant to slow the decline of First-Class Mail, including Business Reply Mail and Courtesy Reply Mail.45PostalPro: 2021 Earned Value Promotion“The 2021 Earned Value Promotion is intended to slow the decline of First-Class Mail® including Business Reply Mail (BRM) and Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM).”USPS original A registered mailer could earn a postage credit for each Business Reply Mail, Courtesy Reply Mail or Share Mail piece a recipient mailed and USPS scanned.45PostalPro: 2021 Earned Value Promotion“Mailers who register their Mailer ID (MID), permit(s), and use eligible Intelligent Mail® barcodes (IMbs) on their BRM, CRM, and Share Mail pieces may receive a postage credit for each mailpiece that is placed in the mailstream by the recipient and scanned during the promotion period.”USPS original The 2021 promotion ran from April 1 to June 30, 2021.45PostalPro: 2021 Earned Value Promotion“Promotion Period: April 1, 2021 - June 30, 2021”USPS original

The +4 code from the ZIP Code Look-up does not work on Business Reply Mail; the business uses the code USPS assigned.46Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) Instructional Guidepage 6“Make sure to use the assigned BRM+4 code assigned (the +4 code found on the ZIP code Look-up will not work for BRM/QBRM).”USPS original A Business Reply Mail barcode cannot carry an 11-digit delivery point code.47Intelligent Mail® Barcode Technical Resource Guidepage 9“Note that 11-digit delivery point codes are not permitted on Business Reply Mail (BRM).”USPS original

A Mailer ID once used for IMb Tracing or eVS cannot go on reply mail, so the business requests another one.12Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) Instructional Guidepage 13“Using IMb Tracing MID … Using eVS MID … Cannot be used on Reply Mail … You will need to request another MID to be used on Reply Mail”USPS original IMb Tracing is retired, and USPS Ship has replaced eVS.43Informed Visibility® Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV®-MTR) User Guidepage 19“The legacy PKG file format allows you to receive files in the format used by the retired IMb Tracing system.”USPS original48PostalPro: Electronic Verification System (eVS®)“eVS has been replaced with USPS Ship.”USPS original

USPS forwards returned Business Reply Mail only after the business pays for the pieces in full.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“BRM pieces must be paid in full before customer’s forwarding can be processed.”USPS original The annual permit fee and the other annual or quarterly fees are non-refundable.1PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)“The annual permit fee and other annual or quarterly fees for each permit account type are non-refundable.”USPS original

A Share Mail account holder that leaves an error uncorrected for 20 business days loses its authorization.49Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 13“If the account holder does not correct the error within 20 business days, the Postal Service revokes the account holder’s Share Mail authorization.”USPS original A piece with the wrong Mailer ID is still charged the price for its size.15Publication 600: Share MailPDF page 12“The account holder is liable for the prevailing postage price based on the mailpiece size regardless of which MID is used.”USPS original

The single-piece query of the IV-MTR API returns no data for Business Reply Mail.50FAQs for the IV-MTR APIPDF page 1“NOTE: The single piece IMb query does not provide data for Business Reply Mail.”USPS original