Mail is a reliable, trustworthy, and universal method for communicating with others, sharing information, and getting important letters, packages and other bulk objects from one place to another. It is woven into the fabric of society in such a way that it’s difficult to even imagine work without physical mail. And regardless of what you hear about digitization, physical mail isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The way we send it, however, is about to change. By the end of 2024, the postage machines that businesses rely on to process mail are going to become obsolete and will need to be replaced.

Postage meters use Information-Based Indicia (IBI) or Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) technology to evidence payment. IBI postage meters, which will become obsolete on June 30, 2024 and will need to be removed from the field by December 31, 2024. IBI technology uses two-dimensional barcodes encoded with postage amount, origin zip code, destination, class of mail, weight, confirmation/tracking numbers, and a cryptographic signature, as well as human-readable information. IMI, which will be the standard required in 2025, is encoded with all the information you can find in IBI, plus additional data that can help the USPS manage mail more efficiently, automate processes, improve security, and reduce costs.

In December 2020, the USPS announced that it will decertify all postage meters that are not IMI compliant on December 31, 2024, and all postage that is paid for using non-IMI postage meters will not be valid after June 2025.

Postage meters simplify and accelerate mailing tasks, reduce the number of letters and packages that get returned to sender due to improper postage, and help businesses save money on postage. They eliminate the need to take trips to the post office to purchase stamps, since customers can fill and refill their machine as needed. The addition of the new IMI standards enhances your mailing experience by capturing more data and eliminating common problems associated with postage, updates and security.

The December 31, 2024 deadline seems far away but it is fast approaching. We recommended that postage meter users begin to look at their current processes and minimize the risk of interrupted mail service.

FP is currently the only mailing solution provider that offers a full line of IMI compliant postage meters. Along with our Award Winning and technologically advanced PostBase mailing machines, FP has a wide array of complimentary solutions like shipping & accounting software, folder inserters, and addressing solutions that will fit all types of business needs.

For over 90 years, FP has been a leader in innovative technology and is continuously finding ways to accompany its customers through every step of their mailing journey. It is our promise to be a visionary and competent partner in your digital transformation. Whether you need help with the handling of letters and packages within the mailroom, to the optimization of document-based processes or the handling of incoming mail – FP has you covered.

For more information about the upcoming decertification, visit our USPS IBI Decertification FAQs page.