postalref

Customer Registration ID (CRID)

A CRID, or Customer Registration ID, is a USPS-generated number of up to 15 digits that identifies a business at a specific location. A business needs a CRID at its location to submit eDoc, claim Nonprofit rates and receive Full-Service benefits.

Updated October 28, 202618 sources

What it is

A CRID is an identifier for a customer's physical business location. eDoc is an electronic postage statement that can also hold details of a mailing, such as barcode information. Mailers and mail service providers that submit eDoc are the people who use CRIDs. Inside eDoc, CRIDs identify the eDoc submitter, the mail preparer and the mail owner.

A mail owner is the business that decides the mailpiece content, benefits from the mailing and pays the postage. A mail service provider is a business that provides mailing services to mail owners for pay.

Other USPS identifiers belong to a CRID. A Mailer ID is a 6-digit or 9-digit code USPS assigns to a mail owner or mail service provider. Each Mailer ID belongs to one CRID at a time. Each mailing permit also belongs to one CRID at a time.

How it works

USPS creates a CRID when a business creates an account on the Business Customer Gateway. The Business Customer Gateway is the USPS website where shippers can manage their mailing activity. A mail owner gets its CRID this way, along with a Mailer ID.

A mail owner registering on the Business Customer Gateway.

  1. Register as a user on the Business Customer Gateway.
  2. To join a business location that already has a CRID, enter that CRID.
  3. On account creation, the system assigns a CRID and a 9-digit Mailer ID.
  4. Log in to the account page to see the CRID.
  5. Wait 48 hours after activation before using the CRID in eDoc.
  6. Identify the mail owner and mail service provider in eDoc with the CRID or another identifier.

Getting CRIDs as a mail service provider

Mail service providers can request CRIDs for themselves or for their customers. They do this through the MID/CRID Request Service on the Business Customer Gateway. The service takes individual and bulk requests. It needs the MSP indicator checked in the account profile.

Requesting CRIDs through the MID/CRID Request Service.

  1. Log in to the Business Customer Gateway.
  2. On the home page, select the “Manage Account” tab.
  3. Select the “Get MIDs/CRIDs” link.

The online form takes up to 10 CRIDs or Mailer IDs at a time. A CSV or Excel upload takes up to 100.

Providers with software that builds Mail.XML messages can request CRIDs with the USPSCRIDCreateValidateRequest message. Each message asks for between one and 20 CRIDs or nine-digit Mailer IDs. The response says whether each CRID is new or existing.

Finding an existing CRID

Mail service providers look up a customer's existing CRID so they don't create a new one. They use the Customer Validation Tool, a tool in the Manage Profile section of the Business Customer Gateway. It is open to mail service providers with Manage Mailing Activity access on the Business Customer Gateway.

Opening the Customer Validation Tool.

  1. Log in to the Business Customer Gateway.
  2. Under Manage Account, select Manage Profile.
  3. Select “Customer Validation Tool” at the bottom of the page.
  4. Enter an identifier to query customer information.

The tool runs these lookups:

  • A CRID returns its business address.
  • A Mailer ID returns its CRID and business address.
  • Permit information returns the CRID, company name and address that own the permit.
  • A FAST Scheduler ID returns its CRID and business address.
  • Up to 50 CRIDs return their nonprofit authorization numbers.

CRIDs in eDoc

A Full-Service mailing names two parties in its eDoc: the mailing agent, called By, and the mail owner, called For. Each party can be given as a Mailer ID, a CRID or a mailing permit. When one party has several, USPS uses the Mailer ID first and the CRID second.

In Mail.dat, the mail owner's CRID can identify the authorized nonprofit organization in the eDoc.

JACKPOT CRID/MID

A JACKPOT CRID/MID is an authorized CRID and Mailer ID that a mail service provider uses as the mail owner for small mail owners. A provider can ask for one when its mail owners have fewer than 5,000 pieces each and it meets 90% Full-Service of eligible volume.

The provider emails the completed application to the Reconciliation Specialist team. Once approved, it creates the new CRID through the Business Customer Gateway. The new CRID uses the provider's existing CRID name preceded by JACKPOT. It uses the same address as the existing CRID.

Rules

Customers must have a CRID assigned to their business location to be able to submit electronic documentation (eDoc), claim Nonprofit rates, and receive Full-Service benefits.

A business must have a CRID at its location before it can submit eDoc, claim Nonprofit rates or get Full-Service benefits.

Mailing Agent (By) and Mail Owner (For) information must be identified in the electronic documentation for all Full-Service mailings.

Every Full-Service mailing must identify both the mailing agent and the mail owner in its eDoc.

Only ONE CRID should be granted to an address.

An address should have only one CRID.

Note - company must have AMS valid address to qualify to have a CRID assigned

A company must have an address that is valid in AMS to get a CRID.

The Mail Service Provider must first acquire a CRID in order to acquire a nine-digit MID for that business location.

A mail service provider must get the CRID for a business location before it can get a nine-digit Mailer ID for that location.

However, a Mail Service Provider may not acquire a MID or CRID on behalf of a Mail Owner using this method.

A mail service provider may not use new user registration to get a CRID for a mail owner. It uses the MID/CRID Request Service or Mail.XML instead.

Newly created permits should be linked to an existing business location CRID whenever possible.

A new permit should be linked to the business location's existing CRID whenever possible.

The JACKPOT CRID/MID is never to be used to identify an eDoc Submitter or a Mail Preparer and can only be used to identify mail owners.

A JACKPOT CRID/MID must never identify an eDoc submitter or a mail preparer. It can only identify mail owners.

What goes wrong

A new CRID used in eDoc finalized in PostalOne! before 48 hours have passed may cause electronic verification errors.

Each new Business Customer Gateway account gets a new CRID unless the user selects the “Company Identifier” button during account creation. Customers often create new accounts when new employees join or leadership changes.

The Customer Validation Tool can be missing from a mail service provider's Manage Services. The provider then edits its location under Manage Account to designate it as a mail service provider.

An eDoc error occurs when the mail owner is missing from a mailing of 5,000 or more pieces. An error also occurs when the mail owner and mail preparer are the same, or the mail owner is a mail service provider. A mail owner with fewer than 5,000 pieces in a Full-Service mailing need not be identified. This exception does not apply to nonprofit mailings.

A provider that lists itself as the mail owner for small volumes gets By/For error code 7140. A supplier provider named as mail owner causes a different By/For error for the provider that submits the eDoc.

For nonprofit prices, the paying permit or the mail owner identifier must have a valid nonprofit authorization number linked to it. If neither does, the Mail.dat file fails server validation.

USPS can audit any provider authorized to use a JACKPOT CRID/MID. A provider that misuses the process may have its authorization revoked.

Terms

Customer Registration IDCRID, Customer Registration Identification Number, Customer Registration Identifier, Customer Identifier, Customer Reference ID, Customer Registration Identifications
a USPS-generated numeric code of up to 15 digits that uniquely identifies a business at a specific location
Mailer IdentifierMID, Mailer IDs, Mailer Identification, Mailer Identification Number, USPS Mailer ID
MID is a unique 6- or 9-digit number that identifies the mailer or the mailer’s client.
Electronic DocumentationeDoc, Electronic Documentation of Mailing Information, electronic document, electronic mailing documentation
an electronic postage statement that may also contain specific information about a mailing such as barcode information and qualification reports
Business Customer GatewayBCG, BCG (Business Customer Gateway)
where shippers can manage their mailing activity
Mail OwnerMO
the business entity, organization, or individual who makes business decisions regarding the mailpiece content, directly benefits from the mailing, and ultimately pays for the postage on the mailpiece directly or by way of a Mail Service Provider
Mail Service ProviderMSP, Mailing Service Providers, Mailing Agent
a business entity, organization, or individual acting on behalf of one or more Mail Owners by providing mailing services for which the Mail Owners compensate the Mail Service Provider.
MID/CRID Request ServiceMID/CRID Request Service (BCG), Mail Service Provider MID/CRID Request Service, MID/CRID Lookup tool
MSPs can request CRIDs and/or MIDs for themselves or on their customer’s behalf
Customer Validation ToolValidate Customer Information
allows customers to validate client information through the manage profile section of the Business Customer Gateway (BCG).
JACKPOT CRID/MID process
Mailers who choose to participate in the Jackpot CRID/MID process will see By/For errors (error codes 7140 and 7142) greatly reduced.

Documents

Quick Service Guides

Fact Sheets

Applications/Forms

Contacts

The Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center answers CRID questions by phone at (877) 672-0007 and by email at mssc@usps.gov.

Requests for a JACKPOT CRID/MID go to the Reconciliation Specialist team at recon@usps.gov.

Sources