Informed Delivery Revolution: Post Ramps Up For 2017 Launch

When USPS Vice President Gary Reblin speaks to MAILCOM attendees about Informed Delivery in April, the service will be at roll-out stage. And in a matter of months, millions of people will be getting daily emailed pictures of their postal mail to be delivered.

Informed Delivery represents the breakthrough the USPS has been looking for, the one that finally connects digital and hard-copy mail.

For marketers, it means instant omni-channel.

For First-Class Mailers, advanced notification.

And the for USPS, a new dawn of opportunity (and possible revenue).

[Gary Reblin is presenting on Informed Delivery at MAILCOM ’17. Click for registration information.]

At the March MTAC meeting, more details (and questions) of ID were released including:

• Active Zip Codes: 5,201; plan to have all ZIP Codes on line April 7, 2017
• Enrolled Households: 111,780
• Total Users 117,436 (have multiple people within households)
• E mails sent 66,974 (about 70% of individuals get Email-some choose to use dashboard to get notification)
• Mailpiece images 493,806
• Total Mailer Campaigns tested: 187
Working with mailers on testing and they are seeing over 6% click through.
• Last deployment of equipment is April 7 so all ZIP Codes will be on line around April 10. Are communicating to employees now.
• MyUSPS.com is being converted to Informed Delivery platform. People in this group will be included in late April and they will be able to turn service on.
• USPS has had ‘conflicting spouses’ issues and they end up turning accounts off until it can be figured out.
• NCOA is now fully integrated in Informed Delivery. When COA is filed the USPS sends two letters-one to old address and one to the new address. The letter to new address has specific information on how to activate Informed Delivery at new address (assuming receipt had Informed Delivery at old address).
• USPS says 57% of people go to mailbox as result of getting Informed Delivery. Presently individual gets email at 7:30 AM. Eventually Informed Visibility will be added to Informed Delivery which will allow USPS to send another email telling individual when the mail has been put in the mail box so for those with centralized pick up areas they can go and get it.
• Informed Visibility and Informed Delivery uses same data.
• Target user number at end of 3 years is 40MM users. Goal for end of 2017 is 15MM.
• After April mailers participating in testing the program can go nationwide. If mailer supplies file with IMb in mailing the USPS can provide data as to which IMb has signed up for the program.
• Any household that is DPV compatible will be eligible for the program-after April approximately 100 million households will be eligible. (90% of all households-other 10% have conflicts that need to be resolved.)
• USPS is collecting data regarding who opens email, when they opened and when they clicked on mail piece-USPS is hoping to provide this information back to the mail owner-presently working out the legal details.
• For Flats no image is available now but do know when piece will be delivered so USPS will take upload of image to use in the email.

The picture taken by the camera shows only what the individual can see from the outside of the envelope in good light. So if sensitive information cannot be seen looking at the outside of the mailpiece by the eye then it cannot be seen by the camera. On tri-fold pieces camera only takes a picture of the address panel. Any company with concerns can work with the USPS and the USPS will share the images for the company showing one the consumer will see.

Some mailers are asking the USPS to consider expanding capability of informed delivery so that if consumer reports to the USPS that the physical mail shown in email was not received the USPS will notify the mail owner so that the mail owner can resend mail piece.

Mailers also asked if USPS has received any Informed Delivery feedback regarding customers seeing multiple images of their mailpieces, or of customers seeing their neighbor’s mailpieces images mixed-in with their own mailpiece image notifications.

USPS discussed how and when mailpiece images are captured during automated mail processing, how automation double-feeds and rejects impact image capture and transmission, and how carriers are able during delivery to re view mail trays for discrepancies and to ensure there is a correct delivery of physical mailpieces to the correct address regardless or pre-delivery image differences. USPS will look into the potential for customers to actually be able to see the mailpiece images of other customers.