from Window Book Postal Concierge

As we told you in an earlier e-Tip, there is a new Mail.dat^® version going into effect this month. The new Mail.dat version, 12-2, supports changes in service offerings and mail acceptance initiatives from the United States Postal Service^® (USPS^®). The PostalOne! site will be updated this weekend for these changes, so mailers need to pay attention to make sure their software is up-to-date.

What are the changes?  
Some of the major changes in the June 2012 release of PostalOne!include:

• Implementation of the 2012 Mobile Commerce Barcode and Personalization incentives
• Updates to certain Mail.dat file records, such as the CCR file (to identify content, fees, or incentives, such as the Mobile Commerce incentive), the CSM file, the MPA file, and the MPU file
• Updates to Periodicals PS 3541 statements (flats and parcels will have separate sections)
• Implementation of Labeling List identification for presort preparation in the Mail.dat file (the effective dates and the publication dates of the Labeling Lists, City-State files, Mail Direction files, and Zone Matrices used during the presort process)
• Implementation of “Bypass Seamless Acceptance” indicator in the Mail.dat file (to identify mailings that do not meet the criteria for Seamless Acceptance)

Effective Dates  
Effective June 10, 2012, mailers will be able to access the new postage statement features for mailings that have mail dates of June 24, 2012 or after. At this point, mailers will be able to submit Mail.dat files toPostalOne! using Mail.dat versions 11-2 or 12-1 for mailings with mail dates before June 24, 2012. Version 12-2 Mail.dat files will only be accepted for mailings with mail dates of June 24, 2012 or after. Then, effective June 24, 2012, mailers may submit files in versions 12-1 or 12-2, with version 11-2 files only being accepted for updates to mailings previously submitted with version 11-2 files. 

Handling Change  
Mailers should work with their presort and post-presort software vendors to be sure that any mailing software applications will be ready to support the new Mail.dat version 12-2 and other changes that will be implemented on June 24, 2012. Mailers who use PostalOne! MUSTdownload and install the updated USPS MDR Client software from theBusiness Customer Gateway when it becomes available. Based on the most recent DMM Advisory, which is the primary method the USPS uses to communicate the availability of these updates, the production software should be available after 9:00 am CDT on June 10, 2012. The Test Environment for Mailers (TEM) version of the update will not be available until after 4:00 pm CDT on June 11, 2012. 

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