# Reply mail: Business Reply Mail and Share Mail

A business pays the postage on its customers' replies with Business Reply Mail: USPS collects postage plus a per-piece fee only on the pieces customers actually send back.[^1] Share Mail lets customers mail a business's letters and postcards on to other people, at the business's cost.[^2] Permit Reply Mail and Metered Reply Mail prepay the reply instead.[^3][^4]

Updated November 5, 2026. 50 sources.

## Questions

### 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.[^1] The customer pays no postage, supplies no envelope and writes no address.[^1] [Business Reply Mail](https://postalref.com/products/business-reply-mail.md) replies come back as First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail or Priority Mail, as cards, letters, flats or parcels.[^5][^1]

### 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.[^1] The form asks for the company name, the return address, a contact person and a telephone number.[^1] The [Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center](https://postalref.com/guides/getting-help.md) can help fill out PS Form 3615 and PS Form 6805, which gets the permit its own ZIP+4 Code.[^1][^6]

### 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.[^7][^1] Other fees vary by [level](https://postalref.com/products/business-reply-mail.md#options): Qualified Business Reply Mail, the level for barcoded First-Class Mail cards and letters, has lower prices and fees.[^1][^8] 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.[^9][^1] The fees are non-refundable, and USPS posts the amounts on its return services page.[^1]

### How do I get business reply mail envelopes?

A business designs Business Reply Mail envelopes free in USPS's [Automated Business Reply Mail tool](https://postalref.com/products/business-reply-mail.md#abrm-tool) and downloads the artwork ready for printing.[^10][^11] The tool needs a Mailer ID, a Business Reply Mail permit number and the ZIP+4 Code USPS assigned.[^10] The [Mailpiece Design Analyst](https://postalref.com/guides/getting-help.md) help desk makes some artwork the tool does not, such as International Business Reply Mail and Business Reply Mail labels.[^12][^13]

### 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.[^2][^14] USPS charges the business for each piece when it is scanned in processing, not when it is handed out.[^15] [Share Mail](https://postalref.com/products/share-mail.md) pieces go only to addresses in the United States and to APO/FPO/DPO locations.[^16]

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

Yes: in the [Enterprise Payment System](https://postalref.com/products/enterprise-payment-system.md), a customer can set a Low Balance Threshold that sends an email when the EPS Trust balance falls below it.[^17] Several Business Reply Mail accounts can link to one Enterprise Payment Account and share its balance.[^17]

### 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.[^18] The business submits the pieces with PS Form 3533.[^18] When the permit pays through the Enterprise Payment System, refunds go directly to its Enterprise Payment Account.[^19]

### 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.[^20][^1] Courtesy Reply Mail needs no permit and suits replies that are sure to come, such as bill payments.[^1] The business supplies preaddressed, prebarcoded envelopes or cards.[^1]

## How it fits together

Reply mail is mail designed for the recipient to send back to the sender in a preaddressed envelope or under a preaddressed label.[^21] Some of it, such as [Business Reply Mail](https://postalref.com/products/business-reply-mail.md), is paid for by the sender.[^21] USPS collects that postage and its fees when it delivers each piece back to the business.[^22] Qualified Business Reply Mail is a subset for First-Class Mail cards and letters, at lower prices and fees.[^8][^1] International Business Reply Mail lets recipients overseas reply the same way.[^23]

Permit Reply Mail pays, at the time of mailing, for both the outgoing piece and the reply inside it.[^3] Metered Reply Mail carries return postage prepaid by a postage meter or PC Postage.[^4] With Courtesy Reply Mail, the customer affixes the postage.[^20]

[Share Mail](https://postalref.com/products/share-mail.md) lets customers mail the business's letters and postcards to other people, and USPS charges the business for each piece it scans.[^2][^15] A Share Mail account holder needs a Business Reply Mail or Postage Due permit.[^2]

Every letter-size reply piece carries a facing identification mark.[^24] The free Automated Business Reply Mail tool makes approved artwork for Business Reply Mail, Courtesy Reply Mail and Metered Reply Mail.[^10] [Informed Visibility Mail Tracking & Reporting](https://postalref.com/products/iv-mtr.md), or IV-MTR, counts a piece as Reply Mail when its Intelligent Mail barcode uses a Reply Mail Service Type ID.[^25] It can show tracking data for such pieces.[^25] Business Reply Mail permits can be paid through the Enterprise Payment System.[^26]

## Business Reply Mail

Business Reply Mail suits a reply whose response or timing is not certain.[^1] Direct marketers use it for orders, researchers for surveys and magazine publishers for subscriptions.[^1] Each permit gets a ZIP+4 Code unique to its kind of reply mail, which lets machines sort replies by size and weight.[^1]

Replies come back as First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail or Priority Mail.[^5] A [service standard](https://postalref.com/guides/mail-processing.md#service-standards) is USPS's stated delivery goal for a mail class or service.[^27] Under the standards effective July 1, 2025, no First-Class Mail has a service standard over five days.[^28]

Fees vary by level.[^1] Basic Business Reply Mail suits a business that expects fewer than 925 returned pieces a year.[^1] Qualified Business Reply Mail has some of the lowest per-piece fees.[^1] 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.[^1][^8][^29]

Qualified Business Reply Mail takes only First-Class Mail cards and letters, each with an Intelligent Mail barcode.[^1] Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting is an automated process for counting, rating, invoicing and billing those pieces.[^9] Machines read each barcode to count the pieces, and invoices go to PostalOne! every day.[^1] Business Reply Mail that is not qualified cannot use it.[^9]

International Business Reply Mail is the same idea across borders: recipients overseas return response envelopes and postcards without postage.[^23] USPS collects postage and fees from the permit holder when the pieces are delivered.[^23]

- **Business Reply Mail permit**, also called BR, Business Reply: “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.”[^1]
- **Qualified Business Reply Mail**, also called QBRM: “Qualified Business Reply® Mail (QBRM) is Business Reply® Mail type that utilizes the enhanced processing capability of Intelligent Mail® barcode Accounting (IMbA) to reduce processing times and ensure QBRM mailers receive reply mail and invoices quickly.”[^1]
- **Intelligent Mail Barcode Accounting**, also called IMbA: “IMbA is an automated solution for the counting, rating, invoicing, and billing processes.”[^9]
- **International Business Reply Mail**, also called IBRM, IBRS, International Business Reply Service, International Business Reply Mail Service: “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. Postage and service fees are collected from the permit holder when the returned pieces are delivered. Also called International Business Reply Service (IBRS) and, in French, “Correspondance Commerciale-Réponse Internationale” (abbreviated as CCRI).”[^23]
- **advance deposit account**, also called trust fund account, customer trust fund account, advanced deposit account: “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. Also called trust fund account.”[^29]

## Permit, Metered and Courtesy Reply Mail

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.[^3] The customer mails the prepaid reply back without affixing postage.[^3] For its artwork, a business hires a vendor.[^12]

Metered Reply Mail is a preprinted return envelope, card or label on which a postage meter or PC Postage customer prepays the postage.[^4] It suits small businesses with few replies, which prepay return postage piece by piece.[^1] It works with these services:[^1]

- 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.[^20] The customer affixes the postage.[^20] It needs no permit and suits replies that are sure to come, such as bill payments.[^1]

- **reply mail**: “Any type of mail product designed for the recipient to send back to the sender using a preaddressed envelope or preaddressed label. The return piece could be merchandise, a remittance, a questionnaire, or other communication. Some reply mail, such as Business Reply Mail service, is paid for by the sender.”[^21]
- **Permit Reply Mail**, also called PRM: “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.”[^3]
- **metered reply mail**, also called MRM: “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. The reply mail has specific address and format requirements.”[^4]
- **Courtesy Reply Mail**, also called CRM: “Envelopes or postcards that a mailer provides to its customers to expedite delivery of their responses.”[^20]

## Share Mail

Share Mail is for referral marketing.[^2] A business hands out letters and postcards, most often inside another mailpiece, and recipients mail them on as single-piece First-Class Mail.[^2] USPS processes and delivers them to single-piece First-Class Mail standards.[^16]

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.[^16] A piece is Recorded as Scanned when processing equipment first captures its barcode.[^16] USPS then invoices the account holder and takes the postage from its payment account.[^16]

The barcode can be static, the same on every piece, or unique to each piece.[^30] A unique barcode lets the business track individual responses.[^31] Each piece costs the price of a 1-ounce Share Mail letter or postcard.[^15]

- **FIM E**: “The Postal Services requires a special Facing Identification Mark — FIM E — for Share Mail letters and postcards.”[^32]
- **Recorded as Scanned**: “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.”[^16]
- **static IMb**: “a barcode that does not vary by mailpiece”[^30]
- **unique IMb**: “a barcode that does vary by mailpiece”[^30]

## Reply artwork and barcodes

The Automated Business Reply Mail tool is free and makes camera-ready artwork for domestic reply mail.[^10] It makes card, letter and flat-size Business Reply Mail, Courtesy Reply Mail and Metered Reply Mail.[^10] It makes card and letter-size Qualified Business Reply Mail.[^10] Mailpiece Design Analysts are USPS's primary contacts for technical questions on mailpiece design, Business Reply Mail included.[^33] Their help desk makes International Business Reply Mail artwork and Business Reply Mail labels on request.[^12]

A facing identification mark is a pattern of bars that machines use to identify, orient and separate certain mail.[^34] Each pattern marks one or two kinds of mail:

- `FIM A`: Courtesy Reply Mail and Metered Reply Mail with a preprinted barcode[^24]
- `FIM B`: Business Reply Mail without a barcode[^35]
- `FIM C`: Business Reply Mail printed with a barcode, and Permit Reply Mail with a preprinted delivery point barcode[^35][^24]
- `FIM E`: Share Mail letters and postcards[^24]

> 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.[^24]

**Must.** Every letter-size Business Reply Mail, Permit Reply Mail, Metered Reply Mail and Courtesy Reply Mail piece must carry a facing identification mark.

A Service Type ID is the three-digit code in an [Intelligent Mail barcode](https://postalref.com/guides/intelligent-mail.md) that tells USPS a piece's service type.[^36] USPS lists the reply mail codes in two groups, Reply Mail by ZIP and Reply Mail by MID.[^37] With a Reply Mail by ZIP code, IV-MTR uses the barcode's routing code to decide who sees the piece's data.[^38] It shows the data to the [CRIDs](https://postalref.com/guides/business-accounts.md) that have that routing code.[^39] A Business Reply Mail piece with no extra services uses `708`.[^13]

The Service Type IDs for reply mail, by ZIP and by MID, each with and without IV-MTR.

| STID | Group | Option | Informed Visibility Mail Tracking & Reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `703` | Reply Mail by ZIP | Courtesy Reply Mail | Without IV® MTR |
| `050` | Reply Mail by ZIP | Courtesy Reply Mail | With IV® MTR |
| `708` | Reply Mail by ZIP | Business Reply Mail | Without IV® MTR |
| `052` | Reply Mail by ZIP | Business Reply Mail | With IV® MTR |
| `701` | Reply Mail by ZIP | First-Class Reply Mail (PRM) | Without IV® MTR |
| `051` | Reply Mail by ZIP | First-Class Reply Mail (PRM) | With IV® MTR |
| `070` | Reply Mail by MID | Courtesy Reply Mail | Without IV® MTR |
| `030` | Reply Mail by MID | Courtesy Reply Mail | With IV® MTR |
| `072` | Reply Mail by MID | Business Reply Mail | Without IV® MTR |
| `032` | Reply Mail by MID | Business Reply Mail | With IV® MTR |
| `071` | Reply Mail by MID | First-Class Reply Mail | Without IV® MTR |
| `031` | Reply Mail by MID | First-Class Reply Mail | With IV® MTR |

12 codes in the Service Type IDentifier (STID) Table, effective January 21, 2024, where Group is Reply Mail by ZIP.

- **Reply Mail by ZIP**, also called Reply Mail ZIP construct, Reply Mail by ZIP IMb construct: “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.”[^38]
- **Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool**, also called ABRM, 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.”[^10]
- **Facing Identification Mark**, also called FIM: “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.”[^34]
- **Service Type Identifiers**, also called STID, STIDS, STI, Service Type IDs, Service Type ID(s): “A unique three-digit code embedded in the Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb®) that indicates the service type for an individual mailpiece.”[^36]

## Paying for and tracking replies

The Enterprise Payment System lets customers pay for USPS products and services through one Enterprise Payment Account.[^40] It takes Business Reply Mail permits, and several Business Reply Mail accounts can share one account's balance.[^26][^17] Business Reply Mail fees can be paid through it.[^17]

IV-MTR can show tracking data for reply mail.[^25] Its API returns Business Reply Mail only through its Get Piece by IMb (business reply mail) query.[^41] Before IV-MTR, [IMb Tracing](https://postalref.com/guides/mail-visibility.md#imb-tracing) gave mailers piece and bundle tracking data, and that system is retired.[^42][^43] Its Origin IMb Tracing for incoming mail let a business anticipate when customers' checks, replies or orders were on the way back.[^44]

The 2021 [Earned Value Promotion](https://postalref.com/guides/promotions.md) was meant to slow the decline of First-Class Mail, including Business Reply Mail and Courtesy Reply Mail.[^45] 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.[^45] The 2021 promotion ran from April 1 to June 30, 2021.[^45]

## What goes wrong

The +4 code from the ZIP Code Look-up does not work on [Business Reply Mail](https://postalref.com/products/business-reply-mail.md#zip4); the business uses the code USPS assigned.[^46] A Business Reply Mail barcode cannot carry an 11-digit delivery point code.[^47]

A Mailer ID once used for IMb Tracing or eVS cannot go on reply mail, so the business requests another one.[^12] IMb Tracing is retired, and USPS Ship has replaced [eVS](https://postalref.com/products/evs.md).[^43][^48]

USPS forwards returned Business Reply Mail only after the business pays for the pieces in full.[^1] The annual permit fee and the other annual or quarterly fees are non-refundable.[^1]

A [Share Mail](https://postalref.com/products/share-mail.md#problems) account holder that leaves an error uncorrected for 20 business days loses its authorization.[^49] A piece with the wrong Mailer ID is still charged the price for its size.[^15]

The single-piece query of the IV-MTR API returns no data for Business Reply Mail.[^50]

## Index: 14 entries

### Services (5)

- [Business Reply Mail](https://postalref.com/products/business-reply-mail.md)
- [International Business Reply Mail](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#business-reply-mail)
- [Permit Reply Mail](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#prepaid-and-courtesy)
- [Qualified Business Reply Mail](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#business-reply-mail)
- [Share Mail](https://postalref.com/products/share-mail.md)

### Systems (2)

- [Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool](https://postalref.com/products/business-reply-mail.md#abrm-tool)
- [Intelligent Mail Barcode Accounting](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#business-reply-mail)

### Identifiers (3)

- [Business Reply Mail permit](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#business-reply-mail)
- [Reply Mail by MID](https://postalref.com/?q=Reply%20Mail%20by%20MID)
- [Reply Mail by ZIP](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#artwork-and-barcodes)

### Terms (4)

- [Courtesy Reply Mail](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#prepaid-and-courtesy)
- [FIM E](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#share-mail)
- [metered reply mail](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#prepaid-and-courtesy)
- [Recorded as Scanned](https://postalref.com/guides/reply-mail.md#share-mail)

## Sources

[^1]: [PostalPro: Business Reply Mail® (BRM)](https://postalpro.usps.com/brm): “The Postal Service collects the applicable postage, plus a per-piece fee, only on pieces that customers actually send back to the mailer. … The mailer, not the customer, pays the return postage. … The mailer does not prepay postage on BRM postcards, letters, self-mailers, flats, parcels, optical CDs, or label pieces. … 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. … First-Class® & Priority® Reply Mail Cards, Letters, Flats, and Parcel mail types allowed … 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. … 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. … MSSC may assist customers with filling out PS3615 and PS6805 as needed … The fee is paid annually by cash, check or money order. … Fees vary depending on BRM/QBRM level … Only First-Class® Mail Card and Letter mail types are allowed … Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb) Required … Cost Savings: IMbA-enrolled permits receive waivers on the quarterly and/or annual fees. … 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. … No permit required. … Guaranteed responses like bills or invoice payments. … Pre-addressed, pre-barcoded materials ensure accurate addressing. … BRM® is appropriate when your customer needs a little extra inducement to reply - in other words, the response or its timing is not certain. … This type of reply mail is frequently used by direct marketers seeking to encourage orders, researchers needing survey responses, or magazine publishers soliciting subscriptions. … 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.). … Fewer than 925 returned pieces expected annually. … One of the lowest per-piece fees available. … Advanced Deposit Account prepays postage. … 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!. … Qualified Business Reply® Mail (QBRM) is Business Reply® Mail type that utilizes the enhanced processing capability of Intelligent Mail® barcode Accounting (IMbA) to reduce processing times and ensure QBRM mailers receive reply mail and invoices quickly. … Small businesses with limited reply needs can prepay return postage on single pieces. … Valid on Priority Mail® Express, Priority® Mail, and First-Class® Mail services, as well as Media Mail® and Library Mail. … BRM pieces must be paid in full before customer’s forwarding can be processed.”

[^2]: [PostalPro: Share Mail®](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/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. … Valid Business Reply Mail or Postage Due Permit linked to the EPS account … Businesses and organizations who wish to use mail for referral marketing. … 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.”

[^3]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=166), PDF 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. … The customer mails back the specially formatted prepaid reply piece without affixing postage.”

[^4]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=137), page 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. … 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. The reply mail has specific address and format requirements.”

[^5]: [DMM 505: Return Services (July 2026)](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/505.htm): “Business Reply Mail (BRM) service enables a permit holder to receive First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail, and Priority Mail from customers.”

[^6]: [Full-Service Certification Standards](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-05/FS%20Certification%20Standards%20and%20Application%20Form%20May%202024_0.pdf#page=68), page 68: “The unique +4 may be obtained by submitting form 6805 to the unit that will deliver the mailpieces.”

[^7]: [Notice 123: Price List (effective October 4, 2026)](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm): “Notice 123 • Effective October 04, 2026 … Annual permit fee (letters and flats) | $390.00 | $390.00”

[^8]: [Full-Service Certification Standards](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-05/FS%20Certification%20Standards%20and%20Application%20Form%20May%202024_0.pdf#page=70), page 70: “Permit holders distribute reply pieces that qualify for lower postage prices and per piece fees. … Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM) is a subset of Business Reply Mail. … Has postage and per piece charges deducted from a BRM advance deposit account”

[^9]: [Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting (IMbA) and Qualified Business Reply Mail](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2023-01/IMbA%20Fact%20Sheet%20PostalPro%20January%202023.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “IMbA is an automated solution for the counting, rating, invoicing, and billing processes. … Note: Business Reply Mail (BRM) is not eligible for IMbA”

[^10]: [PostalPro: Automated Business Reply Mail (ABRM) Tool](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/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. … 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) … 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). … ABRM also creates artwork for card and letter-size pieces of Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM).”

[^11]: [Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) Brochure](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2021-12/abrm-informational-brochure%20V3.pdf#page=2), PDF page 2: “Download the artwork to your computer, ready for printing!”

[^12]: [Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) Instructional Guide](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2023-03/ABRM%20Tool%20Instructional%20Process%20Guide%20updated%20Feb%202023.pdf#page=13), page 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 … Artwork Services Not Provided by ABRM or MDA – you will need to solicit the services of a vendor: … ✓ Permit Reply Mail … 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”

[^13]: [Intelligent Mail® Barcode FAQ](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2022-05/IMb_FAQ_5222v4.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “Mailers without a previously-assigned MID should contact a Mailpiece Design Analyst (MDA) at 1-877-672-0007 or MDA@usps.gov. … Mailers using Business Reply Mail (BRM) without any services should populate the Service Type ID field with 708.”

[^14]: [Publication 600: Share Mail](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub600.pdf#page=3), PDF 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).”

[^15]: [Publication 600: Share Mail](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub600.pdf#page=12), PDF 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). … 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). … The account holder is liable for the prevailing postage price based on the mailpiece size regardless of which MID is used.”

[^16]: [Publication 600: Share Mail](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub600.pdf#page=5), PDF page 5: “Account holders can mail Share Mail letters and postcards only to addresses within the United States and to APO/FPO/DPO locations. … The mailpieces receive First-Class Mail handling procedures, and they receive processing and delivery according to single-piece First-Class Mail standards. … 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. … 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. … 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.”

[^17]: [Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQs](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-03/EPS%20FAQs%20March%202026.pdf#page=4), page 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. … Multiple BRM accounts may be linked to a single EPA thus allowing the EPS balance to be shared across accounts. … Fee payments can be paid through EPS.”

[^18]: [A Guide to Full Service](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2018-03/AGuidetoFullService.pdf#page=36), page 30: “USPS retail associates are authorized to refund for postage stamps on BRM pieces, and postage meter stamps or meter impressions. … The customer submits BRM pieces with postage affixed, postage meter stamps, or other evidence requested for refund along with PS Form 3533;”

[^19]: [Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQs](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-03/EPS%20FAQs%20March%202026.pdf#page=15), page 15: “Refunds will be made directly to your EPA.”

[^20]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=55), page 51: “The customer affixes the reply postage before mailing. … 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.”

[^21]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=193), page 189: “Any type of mail product designed for the recipient to send back to the sender using a preaddressed envelope or preaddressed label. … Some reply mail, such as Business Reply Mail service, is paid for by the sender. … Any type of mail product designed for the recipient to send back to the sender using a preaddressed envelope or preaddressed label. The return piece could be merchandise, a remittance, a questionnaire, or other communication. Some reply mail, such as Business Reply Mail service, is paid for by the sender.”

[^22]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=34), PDF page 34: “Postage and fees are collected when the mail is delivered back to the original mailer.”

[^23]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=111), page 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. … Postage and service fees are collected from the permit holder when the returned pieces are delivered. … 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. Postage and service fees are collected from the permit holder when the returned pieces are delivered. Also called International Business Reply Service (IBRS) and, in French, “Correspondance Commerciale-Réponse Internationale” (abbreviated as CCRI).”

[^24]: [Full-Service Certification Standards](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-05/FS%20Certification%20Standards%20and%20Application%20Form%20May%202024_0.pdf#page=63), page 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. … FIM A is used for CRM and MRM with a preprinted barcode. … FIM C is used for BRM with a preprinted BRM ZIP+4 barcode and for PRM with a preprinted deliverypoint barcode. … FIM E is used for postcard-size and letter-size First-Class Mail with Share Mail.”

[^25]: [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 has an IMb that uses a Reply Mail Service Type Identifier (STID) … Visibility may be provided if the mailpiece is not eligible for Full-Service or if the mailpiece is residual or Reply Mail.”

[^26]: [Enterprise Payment System (EPS) FAQs](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2026-03/EPS%20FAQs%20March%202026.pdf#page=2), page 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.”

[^27]: [USPS Report on Form 10-K, fiscal year 2025](https://about.usps.com/what/financials/10k-reports/fy2025.pdf#page=8), PDF page 8: “A service standard is the stated delivery goal for a mail class or service.”

[^28]: [Federal Register: Service Standards for Market-Dominant Mail Products, final rule (90 FR 10857, Feb 28, 2025)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2025/02/28/2025-03168.txt): “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.”

[^29]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=15), page 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. … 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. Also called trust fund account.”

[^30]: [Publication 600: Share Mail](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub600.pdf#page=7), PDF 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). … a barcode that does not vary by mailpiece … a barcode that does vary by mailpiece”

[^31]: [Share Mail™ Sales Sheet](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2017-02/10613209_Share_Mail_Sales_Sheet_V2f_chi.pdf#page=1), PDF 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.”

[^32]: [Publication 600: Share Mail](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub600.pdf#page=9), PDF page 9: “The Postal Services requires a special Facing Identification Mark — FIM E — for Share Mail letters and postcards.”

[^33]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=129), page 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.”

[^34]: [Publication 32: Glossary of Postal Terms](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2016-04/pub32_glossary.pdf#page=85), page 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.”

[^35]: [Full-Service Certification Standards](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-05/FS%20Certification%20Standards%20and%20Application%20Form%20May%202024_0.pdf#page=69), page 69: “FIM B must be used with BRM without a barcode. … FIM C must be used with any BRM printed with a barcode.”

[^36]: [Ballot Mail & Political Mail STIDs Fact Sheet](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2025-10/23108_BALLOT%20MAIL%20AND%20POLITICAL%20MAIL_STID%20Tables%20Fact%20Sheet_Jan%202024%20Final(508-Compliant).pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “A unique three-digit code embedded in the Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb®) that indicates the service type for an individual mailpiece.”

[^37]: [Service Type Identifier (STID) Table Effective January 21, 2024](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-04/STID%20Table%20Effective%2021%20January_FINAL.pdf#page=9), Effective January 21, 2024, PDF page 9: “Reply Mail by ZIP … Reply Mail by MID”

[^38]: [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=310), page 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.”

[^39]: [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=22), page 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.”

[^40]: [Enterprise Payment System (EPS) Account Creation Fact Sheet - August 2024](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-08/EPS%20Fact%20Sheet%20August%202024.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “allows customers to pay for Postal products and services through a single account, called the Enterprise Payment Account (EPA).”

[^41]: [IV-MTR API Developer Toolkit](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2023-05/IV-MTR%20API%20Developer%20Toolkit_v2.6.4.pdf#page=7), page 7: “Note: Only the Get Piece by IMb (business reply mail) supports Business Reply Mail.”

[^42]: [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=13), page 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”

[^43]: [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=31), page 19: “The legacy PKG file format allows you to receive files in the format used by the retired IMb Tracing system.”

[^44]: [Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee - Best Practices for ACS™](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2022-05/ACS_BestPractices.pdf#page=43), page 43: “Origin IMb Tracing for incoming mail lets you anticipate when customers’ checks, replies, or orders are on the way back to you.”

[^45]: [PostalPro: 2021 Earned Value Promotion](https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions/2021-earned-value): “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). … 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. … Promotion Period: April 1, 2021 - June 30, 2021”

[^46]: [Automated Business Reply Mail® (ABRM) Instructional Guide](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2023-03/ABRM%20Tool%20Instructional%20Process%20Guide%20updated%20Feb%202023.pdf#page=6), page 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).”

[^47]: [Intelligent Mail® Barcode Technical Resource Guide](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2017-08/221_USPSIMB-Tech-Resource-Guide.pdf#page=9), page 9: “Note that 11-digit delivery point codes are not permitted on Business Reply Mail (BRM).”

[^48]: [PostalPro: Electronic Verification System (eVS®)](https://postalpro.usps.com/shipping/evs): “eVS has been replaced with USPS Ship.”

[^49]: [Publication 600: Share Mail](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub600.pdf#page=13), PDF 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.”

[^50]: [FAQs for the IV-MTR API](https://postalpro.usps.com/mnt/glusterfs/2024-05/FAQ_IV-MTR_API_v3.0_0.pdf#page=1), PDF page 1: “NOTE: The single piece IMb query does not provide data for Business Reply Mail.”

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