Preflight
USPS mail compliance

USPS mail compliance & IMb validation

Catch USPS barcode, presort, and addressing problems before a mailing ships. A property the document can't determine is reported not evaluable — never an invented pass.

Runs on PDF and AFP / MO:DCA · rulesets are versioned + pinnable (USPS-2026-Q3 / Q4).

IMb integrity
Intelligent Mail barcode decoded and verified — the 11-bit FCS, bar pattern, routing-code length, STID and MID. A corrupt barcode fires critical; an unreadable one is reported not-evaluable, never an invented pass.
IMpb parcels
Intelligent Mail package barcode structure for parcels: PIC, MID, and service-type code validation.
Presort & Move-Update
Presort tier support (5-digit / AADC / Mixed-AADC) and Move-Update currency advisories.
Address geometry
Address-block placement and window-envelope clipping against the mailpiece spec.
Mail.dat consistency
Job-file checks: field widths, IMb compatibility, Job ID match, and missing files.
Scorecard & Informed Delivery
A Mailer Scorecard barcode-error-rate proxy and Informed Delivery readiness — advisory (≤ warn).

Every finding maps to a named USPS rule (the DMM; USPS-B-3200 for the Intelligent Mail barcode), so results are reproducible and defensible in an audit. The compliance modules run in a workspace — the free analyzer parses structure only.

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Frequently asked questions

What is IMb validation?

The Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) encodes routing and tracking data for USPS automation mail. IMb validation decodes the barcode and checks its integrity — the 11-bit error-correction field, the bar pattern, routing-code length, and the service-type and mailer IDs — so a malformed or unscannable barcode is caught before the mailing ships.

Which USPS rules does Preflight check?

IMb and IMpb barcode structure and integrity, presort tier support, Move-Update currency, address-block and window geometry, and Mail.dat job-file consistency, plus advisory Mailer Scorecard and Informed Delivery readiness signals. Rulesets are versioned (e.g., USPS-2026-Q4) and pinnable so results are reproducible.

Does it run on AFP as well as PDF?

Yes. The USPS module runs on both PDF and AFP / MO:DCA — the two formats most transactional and direct-mail pipelines ship.

Is this an official USPS tool?

No. Preflight is independent document QC. Findings map to named USPS specifications (the DMM, and USPS-B-3200 for the Intelligent Mail barcode) so they are traceable, but final acceptance is always USPS’s. Values flagged as representative vs confirmed are disclosed in the rule attestation.

What happens if a barcode can’t be read?

It is reported as not-evaluable rather than passed. Preflight never invents a result — if the barcode can’t be decoded from the document, it says so.

USPS mail compliance & IMb validation · Preflight