Time is Up: USPS® Forced Meter Migration
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The USPS is mandating the replacement of all Information Based Indicia (IBI) compliant postage meters with Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) compliant devices by June 30, 2024, to enhance security and visibility. Companies must ensure their mailing equipment adheres to these new requirements, as non-compliant machines will be decommissioned by December 31, 2024. The document outlines the challenges of migration, various mail equipment options, and strategies for rightsizing and cost savings across enterprises.
Time is Up: USPS® Forced Meter Migration
- 1. Time is Up: USPS® Forced Meter Migration
- 2. 2 Background and Experience Speaker: Adam Lewenberg President/CEO of Postal Advocate Inc. • The only mail audit and recovery firm in the US and Canada • Manage a portfolio of 176,000 pieces of mailing equipment and over 77,000 online postage users for the largest US companies. • Speak and teach nationally on mail savings and industry trends. Former Industry Co Chair- Boston Postal Customer Council and Mail Systems Management Association. CMDSS and MDC Certifications. Featured Writer for Mailing Systems Technology Magazine. Worked for one of the largest mailing vendors for over 17 years • Director of national sales for presort, tabletop inserters, addressing hardware/software and green offerings. • Was one of the top 5 account managers nationally working with some of the nations’ largest accounts.
- 3. 3 What We’ll Cover: 1. Details of the change 2. Devices impacted 3. Creating visibility to your equipment that needs to be migrated 4. Mail equipment options available 5. Rightsizing strategies that can save up to 80%! 6. Enterprise Online Postage solutions – Where and why these systems make sense 7. Planning and implementation 8. What happens after the deadline 9. Ongoing visibility and control of future migration phases
- 4. 4 USPS® Forced Meter Migration • The USPS® is decertifying all Information Based Indicia (IBI) compliant postage meters by June 30, 2024. New devices must be Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) compliant or will no longer be approved for use. Here is what you need to know: • Machines can run out of compliance through December 31, 2024 • Some vendors have exceptions in that may be requested through June 30, 2025. Typically for clients with remaining lease term or difficult circumstances. • Current IBI devices will need to be replaced with new devices and cannot be retrofitted • The USPS is doing this to provide a higher level of security and visibility to the mail pieces • Metering devices will need constant internet connectivity (vs. only at the time of refill) to be compliant Value to the USPS® • Better automate their operations • Higher security specifications due to the rise in threats and challenges • Validate correct postage amounts • Issue refunds automatically through the device • Have more control over what mail is entering their network
- 5. 5 Products Impacted The meter models requiring replacement and the associated timelines for replacement are shown below Please Note: The above chart is subject to change and what is known today. Please contact us or your vendor for final confirmation. Pitney Bowes Quadient (Neopost/Hasler) FP MailStation (K7**) IS/IM-280 Validate meters over 2 years old DM1**, DM2** (P7**, PL**, PR**) IS/IM-330, 350 DM3** (3C**) IN/IH-360 DM4** (4C**, 6C**) IS/IM-420, 430 C200, C300, C400 (1H00, 2H00) IN/IH-600 Hand Feed (HF) Infinity (Production Inserter Base Meter - 1M0T, 1R0T) Connect+ 1, 2 and 3000 (1W00, 4W00, MSF*) IS/IM440, 460, 480, 490 SendProP 1, 2 and 3000 (1W00, 4W00, MSF*) IN/IH600 (Auto Feed), 700, 750, 760 IS/IM5000, 6000 IJ-15k and WJ-Pro Meters that need to be replaced by 6/30/2024 Meters that need to be replaced by 12/31/2027 Meters that need to be replaced by 12/31/2026
- 6. 6 What’s Happening After The Deadline – What We’ve Heard • Non-compliant machines need to be taken out of service by December 31, 2024. • Mandatory monthly connections to the vendor. • Some vendors have earlier cutoff dates to make sure they get the units back in inventory on time. • Pitney Bowes put a “last refill date” for September 29, 2024.
- 8. 8 Client Challenges with Migration • Network Connectivity – All meters need to be constantly connected • IT issues with meters on the network • Expensive meter vendor mobile connectors/subscription fees • Costs – Replacement like for like units will typically be more expensive • Creating visibility to the equipment that needs to be replaced across the enterprise. • Collecting the requirements for the new equipment. • Bidding the cost between vendors and models. • Implementing the new units • Returning old equipment • Refunding postage from the old units – Issue if you change vendors or account numbers.
- 9. 9 Creating Visibility 1. Obtain account numbers for your equipment and leases 2. Equipment models (to see if they match the list above) and serial numbers so you can gain access to the vendors web portals. 3. Contract expiration dates – Some of this equipment will be on leases or rentals that could expire in the future or be on evergreen agreements. 4. Mail volumes – It is important to know how much postage is being processed to better plan for rightsizing the future equipment. 5. Features needed – In the new solution, what is required for feeding, weighing, accounting etc. Methodology – Build a master inventory list • See if you have any reports or agreements provided by your mailing vendors. • Go to accounts payable and do a search of the main mailing vendor names. • Request copies of invoices from specific line items from the accounts payable reports to get a higher level of detail. • Create an account on the meter vendors website. You need to link an account number and a serial number for linkage. • Search the online account for postage usage, contract expiration dates (Available from Pitney Bowes Only) and equipment details. • Call the meter vendors for other visibility items required. Postal Advocate will build this list for any client with over 50 locations with equipment at no fee or obligation
- 10. 10 Mail Solution Options Mail Equipment Model Types Category Online Postage Online Postage Enterprise Stand Alone Meter Automatic Mail Machine - Mid Volume Automatic Mail Machine with Internal Scale - Mid Volume Automatic Mail Machine with Internal Scale - High Volume Monthly Postage Range <$400 <$400 $100-600 $400-2,000 $2,000-5,000 $4,000-25,000 Monthly Piece Range <800 <800 200-1,200 800-4,000 4,000-10,000 8,000-50,000 Specifications Speed 15-45 80-120 130-160/70-100 with internal scale 160-300-160/100-200 with internal scale Thickness Capability local printer local printer Up to 3/8" Min.: .007"Max.: 5/16" Min.: .007" Max.: 5/8" Min.: .007" Max.: 3/4" Feeding Send to local printer Send to local printer Hand Feed Automatic Feed Automatic Feed w/internal weigh Automatic Feed w/internal weigh Sealing n/a n/a Some Models Included Included Included Scale 10LB Sold Separatly 5-10 LB 5-149 LB 5-149 LB 5-149 LB Accounting Unlimited Unlimited 10 to 50 25-3000 25-3000 25-3000 Accounting Type Std Web Accounting Web Accounting Web Accounting Typical Price Ranges $10-30 per mo $1-10 per month per location - One fixed fee for the enterprise $25-100 per mo $170-300 per mo $350-600 per mo $700-1300 per mo
- 11. 11 Rightsizing Opportunities – 40-90% Cost Savings • Does the internal weighing systems and automatic feeding systems justify the costs based on your mail volumes? • Internal Weighing System Cost - $200-300 per month increase • Automatic Feeding Cost - $100-200 per month increase • Can you live with lower weight capacity scales because heavier items are typically going UPS®/FedEx ®or there are other scales that can be used onsite? • Standard scales – 5LB • Higher capacity scales – 10, 15, 30, 70 and 149LB – Can add $30-100 per month *Note – 150LB Electric non-integrated scale can costs $113 at your office supply store – See image. • Are all the features in the current mailing system being fully utilized? Examples: Mail Accounting, custom weighing, conveyor stackers, special services etc. • Can online postage be an option vs. low volume meters? There are 20% postage savings for parcels and can be expanded to UPS® and FedEx® processing. • If you have more than 10 locations, or work from home staff, can enterprise online postage options work for uniform processing and visibility across the enterprise.
- 12. 12 Online Postage • Most common remote mailing solution • Subscription model • Print from any computer with an internet connection and a printer. • Postage stamps • Directly onto envelope (Along with destination and return address) • Stamp Sheets (Most common) – Purchased from online postage provider. • Vendor provided label printer • 4 x 6 - Shipping labels • Regular paper (To be taped to the item or use labelope) • Avery type labels (Purchased from office supply provider) • Inexpensive compared to postage meters and typical costs range from $10-30 per month. • Cloud-based and can be accessed from any device. • Easy to deploy and use – Within 7-10 days, you can receive your login credentials, a scale and starter labels. There are simple online tutorials to get you started quickly. • Visibility to all history and package tracking statuses. • Some systems have multiple carrier options to process UPS®/FedEx® • Significant postage savings –some newer postage meters may come with an online postage subscription to get these rates. Mail Type Stamps Postage Meter Online Postage Savings % Savings 1 Ounce Letter $0.68 $0.64 $0.64 $0.04 6% 1 Ounce Certified Mail with Return Reciept $8.73 $7.36-8.69 $7.36 $1.37 16% Ground Advantage 4 OZ (Formerly 1st CL Parcel) $5.00-5.55 $5.00-5.55 $3.79-4.36 $1.19-1.21 21-24% Ground Advantage 8 OZ (Formerly 1st CL Parcel) $5.70-6.15 $5.70-6.15 $4.21-4.68 $1.47-1.49 21-23% Ground Advantage 15.99 OZ (Formerly 1st CL Parcel) $8.00-9.00 $8.00-9.00 $6.17-7.15 $1.83-1.85 26-36% Ground Advantage 5LB $10.75-21.65 $10.75-21.65 $7.94-13.88 $2.81-7.77 26-36% Ground Advantage 10LB $13.40-33.20 $13.40-33.20 $8.42-16.24 $4.98-16.96 37-51% Priority Mail 1LB $9.25-13.45 $9.25-13.45 $7.13-10.67 $2.12-2.78 21-23% Priority Mail 5LB $12.45-31.15 $12.45-31.15 $7.46-23.83 $4.99-7.32 23-40% Priority Mail 10LB $15.50-51.95 $15.50-51.95 $7.46-23.83 $8.04-28.12 52-54% Priority Mail Express 1LB $30.95-54.75 $30.95-54.75 $26.75-47.25 $4.20-7.50 14% Prices lower than available through postage meters.
- 13. 13 Why is it easier for a company to send an $15 Overnight item than a $.69 letter? • Use free carrier provided solutions • Simple to use and defined process across the organization • All users can ship from any location at any time o Includes home office and traveling users. • All charges are summarized by cost center and downloadable into an excel file for uploads • Multiple ways to process o Postage Meters - $30-1300 per month o Online Postage - $10-30 per month o End users purchasing Stamps at the Post Office at a 5-70% premium + (Cost to go to the USPS) o Courier mail to a hub location to process at $5-15 per pickup • No defined process across the organization • The location determines how mail gets processed based on purchased technology o The majority of locations will need to drive to the USPS® to purchase stamps and will not have the correct denominations for heavier items. • Limited visibility to postage spends. Fragmented process between vendors, petty cash and credit cards. 80%+ of the business locations and 100% of work from home staff in the US have no accessible postage technology.
- 14. 14 Enterprise Online Options – Fastest growth segment Enterprise Online Postage is the same as standard Online Postage with the main difference being how multiple locations can be controlled under a central administration license. This offers the following benefits: • Simplicity of onboarding new users • Reporting on all location and user activities from a central dashboard. • Managing billing for subscriptions, supplies and postage • Controlling user access (This includes removing users who are no longer active) • Single Sign On - Some systems have this option to link to an active directory to eliminate password management. • Platforms can be expanded to process UPS® and FedEx® with real time rate shopping. • Certified Mail Capabilities • Electronic Return Receipts at $1.48 savings • Firm Mail Book creation • All signature files are automatically downloaded with a central repository to hold all information • If you have more than 10 locations using Online Postage, we recommend having them controlled through an enterprise license. Eliminate the need for low volume meters – 70% Savings!
- 15. 15 Central Administration – Keys To Success With users spread out at different locations, working remotely and with different needs, how do you implement and manage these systems to ensure success? Postal Advocate Central Administration 1. Defining requirements 2. System implementation 3. Training 4. Onboarding users 5. Managing user access 6. Case and issue management 7. Monitoring usage 8. Reporting and chargback on key metrics 9. Quantifying savings 10.Expanding and promoting usage • Dedicated client specific landing page • Customized messages and links for common questions. • Pull down menu for common carrier requests • Once the case is submitted: • Email is sent to Postal Advocate to start the process • Email is sent to the requestor with a case number • Activity is created and notes are entered into their location record. • Resolutions are taken care of by Postal Advocate with communication to the location and closure to the activity. • All cases, activities, contacts and notes are stored for reporting and archiving.
- 16. 16 Migration Planning & Implementation • Create your inventory report - Make sure it has contract end dates and spends for all equipment. • Document postage spends by location so you can properly right size. • Understand the features your locations need. • Compare pricing and features with multiple vendors. • Order the new solutions • Validate that the new solution is installed. • Remove the current systems. • Validate that the postage is recovered. • Make sure all locations across the enterprise are covered.
- 17. 17 Ongoing Visibility and Control Important to keep a master list or database of all your mailing equipment, contract terms, spends, invoices and postage balances for the following reasons: • Ongoing rightsizing needs – Mail volumes will continue to go down and solutions will need to be resized. We average 74% and you can do the same with proper oversight. • Invoice Validation – The vendors are not perfect billers and we have been able to recover $23 million for our clients and the key is reviewing every invoice against a master database and validating the charges with the end users. • Postage Management – We have recovered $13 million for our clients in dormant postage. These are the places you need to look to find this money: • Overfunding the meters – Devices sitting with large balances that will take years to use. • Prefunding accounts – Some of these accounts will have excess amounts, might not have any meters connected or may be funded by an advance account. • Advance accounts – Similar to prefunding accounts where there may be large credit balances. These accounts typically charge 18-22% interest and it is important balances are paid in full. We see clients spending tens of thousands in these fees unknowingly. • State Unclaimed Funds Offices – Pitney Bowes will turn funds over for accounts that go dormant for excessive periods. This is typically from returned postage meters where the funds were never requested. • USPS – Other mail vendors do not have their own bank and the funds are held by the USPS. • Location Support – To make sure your offices have the best mailing options and support available. • Manage Future Migrations – 2026 and 2027 requirements • To offset future USPS price increases – Rates have gone up 30-64% over the last 36 months with two rate increases expected annually. Additional, USPS announced 2 rate increases per year starting in July 2025.
- 18. 18 Helping multi-location organizations streamline their mailing costs Over 176,000 pieces of equipment, managed by Postal Advocate Recovered over $23,000,000 in lost postage, vendor Overcharges, and fees ENTERPRISE-WIDEMAILAUDITANDRECOVERY OVER $87,500,000 IN CLIENT SAVINGS $1.8M 74% Average Client Savings Average Equipment Savings HOW WE DO IT • 228+ years of industry experience • Comprehensive web-based tool providing visibility of all mail and equipment spend • Time Savings - Assistance in fleet management visit www.postaladvocate.com or call (888)977-MAIL(6245)
- 19. WE REPRESENT LEADING MULTI-LOCATION COMPANIES IN THESE INDUSTRIES Banking 8 of Top 15 Uniforms 3 of Top 4 Insurance 3 of Top 10 Pharmacy 1 of Top 2 Dairy 1 of Top 2 Utilities 2 of Top 10 Radio 1 of Top 3 Small Package Delivery 1 of Top 2 Scientific Instrument MFG 3 of Top 10 Kidney Dialysis Centers 1 of Top 2 Document Destruction 1 of Top 3 Outdoor Advertising 1 of Top 3 Food Manufacturing 1 of Top 2 Business Services 1 of Top 5 Long Term Care 2 of Top 10 Cable Providers 2 of Top 5 Higher Education 1 of Top 3 Pest Control 1 of Top 3 Paper Products 1 of Top 3 Title Insurance 1 of Top 2 Mutual Funds 1 of Top 5 OVER $87,500,000 IN CLIENT SAVINGS Commercial Real Estate 2 of Top 30 Accounting Services 1 of Top 3 Telecommunications 3 of Top 10 Health Clubs 1 of Top 3 Engineering Services 1 of Top 3 TV Networks 1 of Top 5 Auto Auctions 1 of Top 2 Average Client Savings 74% *Information found in Hoovers ranking on company revenue in a specific industry. 2016 Recovered over $23,000,000 in lost postage, vendor overcharges and fees visit www.postaladvocate.com or call (888)977-MAIL(6245)
- 20. 20 Free No Cost Mail Analysis – For any location with 20 or more locations 1. Letter of Authority – Giving us the approval to research your mailing spends. 2. Any mail equipment reports you may have – Current or Historical. 3. Accounts Payable Export of Mailing Vendor Transactions – Postal Advocate will provide a listing of vendor names. 4. Providing PDF copies of specific invoices requested from the Accounts Payable Export – We will try to limit this. 5. UPS/FedEx – One month of invoice detail in Excel. 6. Meet with us to review the results What we need for the mail analysis: October 23, 2024 Vendor Possible Vendor Names Pitney Bowes Names Pitney Bowes Purchase Power Reserve Account Quadient Names Quadient Neopost Hasler Neofunds Total Funds Mailfinance Francotyp-Postalia Names Francotyp-Postalia Postalia FP Stamps.com Names Stamps.com Endicia United States Postal Service Names United States Postal Service US Postal Service USPS Postmaster Post Office CMRS Savings Detail Savings Summary # of Sites Meter Rentals Maintenance Agreements OnCall Maintenance Lease Total Postage SpendRatio 0.00 Item Current Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Combined Savings Equipment Costs Avoidable Fees (Late Fees, Finance Charges, Equip Insurance, Loyalty Plans) Contract Violations and Overcharges (Supply, maitnenance and meter discount, returned equipment) Lost Postage Total Savings AP Report Vendor Names Letter of Authority Outcomes • Full equipment inventory • Contract details • Postage spends • List of equipment that needs to be migrated • Optimized mail plan to maximize savings