USPS® INFORMED DELIVERY®
FAQS
GENERAL
How much does it cost for Informed Delivery advertising?
The post office does not currently charge extra for Informed Delivery digital ads. For a limited time, Plum Grove will setup your Informed Delivery digital campaign free of charge for mailings over 5,000 pieces* – all you provide is the ad artwork. Or, our award-winning design department can help with that too (additional charges apply).
*Campaigns under 5,000 pieces cost $49, one low price for digital ad setup. Additional charges may apply.
What types of mail are eligible for Informed Delivery interactive campaigns?
Letters & Postcards
The majority of letter-size mailpieces and postcards are eligible for Informed Delivery because they are automation compatible and scanned through USPS equipment.
Flats
Eligibility varies. Images of flat-size mailpieces are not captured by USPS automation equipment at this time. If the mailer does not conduct an interactive campaign on a flat, users will see a message stating “A mailpiece for which we do not currently have an image is included in
today’s mail.”
Mailers can still conduct Informed Delivery campaigns on flats, but should be aware results may not match letter-size campaigns. The Representative Image is a required campaign element for flats. If a flat with an Informed Delivery campaign applied is processed through automation equipment (or a bundle scan is detected), users will see the interactive campaign.
What is a grayscale scanned image?
During the process of sorting the mail, USPS® digitally images the address side of every letter-size mailpiece that runs through automation equipment. (USPS does not capture images of flat-size mail.) USPS uses these images to provide digital notifications to Informed Delivery users in advance of the delivery of physical mail.
Which mailpieces are eligible for Informed Delivery® campaigns?
Informed Delivery interactive campaigns can be conducted on all letter-size mailpieces that are scanned on USPS® automation equipment, regardless of the class of mail. At this time, not all flat-size mailpieces are scanned through automation equipment and USPS does not provide images of flats to consumers. We do, however, ingest scans from Carrier Route bundles that are present in the Informed Visibility platform. USPS requires mailers conducting a campaign on flat-size pieces to include a Representative Image. If no campaign is conducted on flat-size pieces, consumers will only see a message stating, “A mailpiece for which we don’t currently have an image is included in today’s mail” if a flat scan is detected.
Are letter-size and flat-size mailpieces included in Informed Delivery® notifications?
Images are only provided for letter-size mailpieces that are processed through automation equipment. Visibility for campaigns on flat-size mail is limited due to how flats are processed. USPS® began ingesting Carrier Route bundle scans for flat-size mail in December 2017, which resulted in increased visibility. There is still room to improve, however, and we are continuing to test ways to improve visibility for flats.
As a mailer, is there a way to have my mail excluded from Informed Delivery®?
Although mailers do not have to conduct Informed Delivery campaigns, there is no option for organizations to opt-out of having their mail included in Informed Delivery dashboard or email notifications.
How many days are the mailpiece images and campaigns available to consumers?
Mailpiece images will appear on the Informed Delivery online dashboard for a seven-day period. If a user has opted-in to receive email notifications, he or she may access those images as long as they retain those emails. Links to campaigns are active as long as the website URL is active.
How many mail images are included in Informed Delivery® emails?
Informed Delivery users will see up to 10 mailpiece images in the email notification. The remainder of their household’s mailpiece images are available on the online dashboard.
Where will my interactive campaign be displayed?
Interactive campaigns will generally be shown at the top of a user’s email notification or dashboard, before other grayscale scanned mailpiece images. Package tracking information will appear below all mail images in the email notification and in a separate page for the dashboard or mobile app.
MAIL RECIPIENTS
Why do households sign up for Informed Delivery?
Informed Delivery is a new way to check the mail. It brings the mail experience more directly into the daily digital and mobile lives of households and mail recipients.
Mail represents an important way in which we communicate with one another. Providing advance notice of expected mail deliveries before they arrive increases the flow of information and can sometimes enable a consumer to take action before important mail even hits the mailbox. This feature also benefits the entire family, ensuring that everyone sees the mail each day, not just those that pick up the mail from the physical mailbox.
What is Informed Delivery?
Informed Delivery is a free and optional notification service for residential consumers that gives households the ability to digitally preview their letter-size mailpieces and manage their packages scheduled to arrive soon. To automate the sortation and delivery of mail, USPS creates a digital image of the front of letter-size mailpieces that run through automation equipment. USPS is now using those images to provide digital notifications to users in advance of the delivery of physical mail. Informed Delivery benefits the entire household, ensuring that everyone has visibility into mail and package delivery each day. The feature allows users to take action before important items reach their mailbox, while offering business advertisers an unprecedented opportunity to engage mail recipients through synchronized direct mail and digital marketing campaigns.
How does Informed Delivery work? What will mail recipients see?
Informed Delivery users receive emails containing grayscale images of the exterior, address side of incoming letter-size mailpieces that are arriving soon. These images are also accessible on the dashboard at informeddelivery.usps.com or in the Informed Delivery mobile app. Some mailpieces (e.g., catalogues or magazines) may not be imaged by the automation equipment and will only be shown in an Informed Delivery notification if the mailer conducts a synchronized digital marketing campaign. For items with USPS Tracking®, users will be able to view the delivery status of packages in Informed Delivery notifications. Users can provide USPS Delivery Instructions™, manage their notifications, and schedule redelivery from the dashboard. Users can also receive USPS Tracking updates for incoming packages via separate email or text notifications.
Who is eligible to receive mail using Informed Delivery?
Informed Delivery is now available nationwide to eligible residential consumers and consumers that have personal P.O. Boxes in eligible ZIP Code™ locations. USPS currently provides the feature for delivery points in eligible ZIP Code locations for which mail can be sorted on automated equipment; and where there is a unique delivery ZIP Code, down to the apartment level or other unit designation where applicable. In addition to having an address enabled for Informed Delivery, interested consumers must also complete identity verification to confirm they live at the address.
How secure is Informed Delivery?
The Postal Service takes the privacy of customers’ mail very seriously and takes measures to ensure that all personal information is protected. Because Informed Delivery gives you increased visibility into both mail and packages being delivered to your address, USPS follows industry best practices to verify your identity, including the use of a mail-based verification letter. The scanned mail images are of the external markings, showing only the exterior, address side of letter-size mailpieces. Your mail is protected by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service®, whose sole mandate is to safeguard the entire Postal Service system, including the employees who deliver and process the mail and millions of customers who use it. The Postal Service also adheres to the privacy requirements of the Privacy Act established by the federal government which controls when and how the USPS shares personal information and limits the conditions in which that information can be disclosed externally to outside parties.
USER & HOUSEHOLD DATA
Where can I find how many users and households are currently signed up for Informed Delivery®?
Visit: Informed Delivery User Data
What data can business advertisers see from a campaign?
Informed Delivery business advertisers can view the number of physical mailpieces and emails sent to users, the percentage of mailpieces included in email notifications, the email open rate and number of click-throughs (clicks on the link provided during campaign setup).
What is the difference between a “Registered User” and an “Email-enabled User” for Informed Delivery®?
All Informed Delivery users have a dashboard that displays Informed Delivery images and package tracking information and is accessible on usps.com® or via the USPS® mobile app. The number of
“Registered Users” represents this full number of Informed Delivery subscribers. “Email-enabled Users” represent the number of “Registered Users” that have opted-in to receive Informed Delivery email notifications in addition to their dashboard and mobile app view.
How is USPS® acquiring users for Informed Delivery®?
USPS promotes Informed Delivery using traditional marketing and acquisition efforts, such as direct mail, email, retail signage, etc. Interested consumers can register for a personal account on usps.com and then sign up for Informed Delivery.
How will USPS® know which consumers on my mailing list have Informed Delivery®?
USPS maintains the list of Informed Delivery users and their email addresses. Organizations conduct mailings as usual, and USPS applies an interactive campaign to an Informed Delivery user when a mailpiece is processed on automation equipment, prior to delivery.
CAMPAIGNS
Can I run campaigns on continuous mailings?
Yes.
Can I conduct multiple interactive campaigns at once?
Yes.
Can I run different campaigns on individual mailpieces?
Not at this time. Personalized campaigns will allow mailers to provide a different target URL and/or image to each person in their mailing list. The implementation date for personalized campaigns is not known at this time.
When should I start and end my campaigns?
USPS® suggests that mailers start their campaign three days before and end three days after the target in-home dates. The in-home dates are based on the class of mail, how the mail is sorted, and where it is entered.
What makes a campaign unique?
A unique campaign consists of a unique campaign code, different start and end dates, customized image(s), and a URL that links to online digital content that is clickable by Informed Delivery® users.
AD IMAGES
What are Representative Images?
A Representative Image is a color image chosen by the mailer that is used in lieu of a flat-size image or in place of a grayscale letter-size image (grayscale images of flat-size mail are not provided at this time). The Representative Image is not clickable/interactive. A Representative Image is required for campaigns on flat-size pieces.
What are Ride-along Images?
A Ride-along Image is a color image provided by the mailer that is clickable/interactive for the user through the provided URL. The Ride-along Image URL is also used in the “Learn More” link in the interactive campaign. The Ride-along Image is placed below the grayscale scanned image or Representative Image in the Informed Delivery email notification and dashboard. The Ride-along Image is always required.
Are both Ride-along and Representative Images required for a campaign?
The Ride-along Image is always required. A Representative Image is required for campaigns on flat-size pieces. Regardless of the images used, a single target URL is required to conduct an interactive campaign.
Are there specific creative requirements for Ride-along Images and Representative Images?
For information about specifications (e.g., file type, file size, dimensions) for supplemental content, reference USPS Informed Delivery Ad Requirements.
What URL can I use for my campaign and how can I track click-throughs?
USPS® requires a simple URL, such as https://companyname.com; however, mailers can send their customers to a unique page within a website if they wish. A unique URL allows mailers to track their click-throughs using any type of analytics tool. USPS® tracks click-throughs by putting a “tag” in front of the URL provided by the mailer. USPS strongly suggests that mailers use a unique URL within the Informed Delivery® campaign—one that is not used elsewhere in marketing materials or printed on the mailpieces—so that mailers can best measure results.
DATA
What sort of data will mailers get from USPS®?
Both Pre- and Post-campaign Analyses are available to mailers for their personal business analysis.
Do mailers have to share data with USPS?
Mailers are not required to share data with USPS beyond what is needed to initiate a campaign.
How long is campaign data available to organizations?
There is no retention limit on Pre- and Post-campaign data in the Mailer Campaign Portal at this time. Retention periods will be programmed in the near future, with the expectation that campaign data will be retained for a year.
What type of Pre-campaign data is provided to participating mailers?
Organizations can conduct an optional Pre-campaign Analysis that allows them to evaluate their campaign reach.
Ready To Get Started?
Reprinted with permission of USPSDelivers.com, a resource for business knowledge and insights.