The United States Postal Service's Intelligent Mail Indicia, or IMI, is the future of mailing technology, offering advantages for businesses of all sizes. It provides detailed transaction data, automates costly back-office postal operations, and employs enhanced security protocols. Utilizing this data, the USPS® can offer faster and more dependable mailing services. Let's break down the basics and discover how this technology can transform your mailing operations.

Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) is a type of postal indicia used by the USPS to provide detailed information about a mail piece. It's a 2D barcode printed on a mail piece that contains information such as sender and recipient addresses, tracking number, and postage payment details.

The IMI is utilized for all mail categories, including letters, flats, and parcels. The USPS scans the barcode during mail processing to provide real-time tracking updates to the sender and recipient.

IMI technology has revolutionized the postal industry by providing a comprehensive mail tracking, delivery, and cost management solution. It has replaced traditional information-based indicia (IBI) barcodes and simplified postage payment methods for businesses.

With IMI, the USPS can provide more detailed reporting, more accurately price products, enhance operational efficiency by automating many functions (including postage refunds), improve Federal Regulatory compliance, and better secure customer data.

It's so pivotal that the USPS has mandated that all new mailing systems meet IMI standards. This is a testament to the importance of IMI technology in the modern postal industry.

On June 30, 2024, the USPS will decertify all non-IMI postage meters. After December 31, 2024, all non-IMI-compliant postage meters will be considered inactive.

You can get ahead of this by working with a USPS-certified postage meter provider, like Quadient, to find a suitable IMI-compliant postage meter for your mail volume. The sooner you switch, the sooner you can experience the benefits of IMI technology.

The IMI standard was developed to protect both the USPS and all users of mailing systems, ranging from home offices and small businesses to larger enterprises.

• Correct postage: With IMI, the cost of postage is automatically calculated based on the required service class (i.e., First-Class Mail, Priority Mail), eliminating the potential for errors that may occur during manual data entry. This saves money and prevents returned mail due to insufficient postage.
• Automatic updates: To ensure timely updates and better mail flow management, the USPS requires IMI systems to connect to the manufacturer's servers every 72 hours. Frequent updates enable the USPS to manage mail flow more efficiently. The IMI system receives automatic updates, including postal rate changes and other modifications, in a timely fashion, avoiding over or underpayment of postage.
• Better security: IIMI adheres to strict data encryption standards, ensuring your information travels securely to and from the postage meter. This guarantees that the information is transmitted securely, regardless of its direction.
• Greater connectivity: To ensure a constant and faster connection for updates and postage refills, a dedicated LAN connection is required for IMI technology, eliminating the need for a dedicated phone line.

Download our complimentary Ebook: Quick Reference Guide: Everything you need to know about USPS® Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) Compliance and Infographic: What you need to know about the new USPS® Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) Standards to learn more about IMI Compliance.

While you can choose which postage meter you purchase, it must comply with USPS standards. Quadient's iX-Series meets the latest IMI and Dimensional Weighing (DIM) USPS requirements, making it an ideal choice for small offices or large mail centers.

The iX-Series mailing systems offer a complete suite of tools for processing, tracking, reporting, and reconciling postage expenses for mail and parcels. In addition, these systems come with a color screen, an easy-to-use control panel, different processing speeds, and various weighing and stacking options.

Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) is a comprehensive solution for businesses and USPS to streamline mail processing, enhance security standards, and reduce operational costs. Its implementation has revolutionized the postal industry by providing a more efficient and accurate mail tracking and delivery system. Businesses can use IMI technology to improve mail processing, reduce costs, and provide a better customer experience.