PostalOne! Frequently Asked Questions
Updated 11/27/2002

General Questions

1. I'm a business mail customer and I want to participate in PostalOne!. How do I get started?
2. Will participation in PostalOne! require additional resources on my part?
3. Is PostalOne! only for large mailers with Detached Mail Units?
4. I don't have a Detached Mail Unit, can I still participate?
5. Does the PostalOne! Participant Agreement supercede the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) or my Postage Payment Agreement?
6. How does using PostalOne! affect the postage statement process?
7. Can PostalOne! participants make suggestions about features they would like to see in PostalOne!?

Mail.dat Questions

8. What versions of Mail.dat does PostalOne! support?
9. Do I need to "zip" Mail.dat files before sending them to the PostalOne! system?
10. As a PostalOne! participant, do I need to retain my Mail.dat or Delivery Confirmation files after transmitting them to PostalOne!?
11. I'd like to send Mail.dat files automatically. Can you help me?
12. What should I do if I have transitioned to electronic documentation but am suddenly unable to transmit files, or the Postal Service can't receive my files?
13. Can business mail owners be billed individually using data extracted from a business mailer preparer's Mail.dat file?
14. Does the PostalOne! Mail.dat file format differ from the IDEAlliance Mail.dat specification?
15. I received a ZIP+4 error message while using File Validator to validate a Mail.dat file. What should I do?

Security Questions

16. Are my files protected when I send them across the Internet? Is my data encrypted during transmission?
17. Do I need digital certificates to use PostalOne!?

Transportation Management Questions

18. How does the PostalOne! Transportation Management System assign mail to a mode of transportation?
19. How will my company benefit from using a PostalOne! Transportation Management Shipping System?
20. Which companies are certified as PostalOne! Transportation Management Shipping System vendors?
21. Who can participate in the PostalOne! Transportation Management Program?
22. Will PostalOne! help to speed up mail processing, transportation, and delivery?

Questions for Postal Service Users Only

23. What will PostalOne! do for Business Mail Acceptance Clerks?

1. I'm a business mail customer and I want to participate in PostalOne!. How do I get started?

   To get started using PostalOne!, please apply on-line. For additional information about this process, you can review the steps outlined in Chapters 1 and 2 of "PostalOne!: A Guide for Electronic Data Exchange".

2. Will participation in PostalOne! require additional resources on my part?

   Yes. Customers who want to become PostalOne! participants can expect to initially invest time and in some cases, a little capital, while becoming PostalOne! participants. Since every customer is unique, the amount of additional resources required will vary for each customer. For example, Detached Mail Unit (DMU) customers may be required to provide additional space or a dedicated telephone line to accommodate the PostalOne! computer provided by the Postal Service.

   For additional information, please refer to "PostalOne!: A Guide for Electronic Data Exchange".

3. Is PostalOne! only for large mailers with Detached Mail Units?

   No. The PostalOne! vision is to encompass all aspects of business mail acceptance. Currently, the PostalOne! system is available only in Detached Mail Units (DMUs) and is not yet available in Business Mail Entry Units (BMEUs).

4. I don't have a Detached Mail Unit, can I still participate?

   Yes. The PostalOne! vision is to encompass all aspects of business mail acceptance. You can begin learning about transferring files using PostalOne! and be prepared when it becomes available in Business Mail Entry Units (BMEUs). Start now by using the Mail.dat File Validator to test your readiness to transfer files. For further instructions on file validation, please refer to Chapter 4 of "PostalOne!: A Guide for Electronic Data Exchange".

5. Does the PostalOne! Participant Agreement supercede the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) or my Postage Payment Agreement?

   No. The PostalOne! Participant Agreement is subordinate to, and does not replace any provisions of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) or your Postage Payment Agreement.

6. How does using PostalOne! affect the postage statement process?

   Currently, PostalOne! does not affect the postage statement process. In the future, PostalOne! will include electronic payment and other postal payment processing features for use with postage statements. At this time, only Standard Mail 3602R postage statements are supported, however, we will continue to pilot-test and deploy new electronic postage statements as they are developed.

7. Can PostalOne! participants make suggestions about features they would like to see in PostalOne!?

   Yes! Log on to the PostalOne! application and click the Feedback link on the top navigation bar to send your suggestions and comments directly to the PostalOne! team. We truly value your opinions and ideas and welcome your feedback.

8. What versions of Mail.dat does PostalOne! support?

   PostalOne! supports only Mail.dat version 02-1 file format. IDEAlliance, the owner of the Mail.dat file format, no longer supports enhancements to the previous versions of Mail.dat (Version 98-1 or 00-1). For more information about how the PostalOne! system uses the Mail.dat file format, please refer to Chapter 4 of "PostalOne!: A Guide for Electronic Data Exchange".

9. Do I need to "zip" Mail.dat files before sending them to the PostalOne! system?

   No! The PostalOne! file transfer process uses a highly efficient compression routine that eliminates the need for additional file compression. In fact, PostalOne! does not support the "zipped" compression file format.

10. As a PostalOne! participant, do I need to retain my Mail.dat or Delivery Confirmation files after transmitting them to PostalOne!?

    The need to retain Mail.dat or Delivery Confirmation files is based on requirements identified in the Postage Payment System Agreement that you currently have in place. For example, an Optional Procedure Agreement requires you to retain files for one year. Please review your Postage Payment System agreement for this information.

11. I'd like to send Mail.dat files automatically. Can you help me?

    Yes. The Postal Service has developed a tool called a Batch Processor to automatically transmit Mail.dat files to PostalOne!. The Batch Processor works unattended, to pull Mail.dat files from your location and send them to PostalOne!. This usually requires an uninterrupted Internet connection. To use the Batch Processor, the technical point of contact in your company or organization should contact the Customer Care Center for detailed instructions and assistance.

    PostalOne! Customer Care Center
    USPS-NCSC
    6060 Primacy Parkway Suite 101
    Memphis TN 38188-0001
    800-522-9085

12. What should I do if I have transitioned to electronic documentation but am suddenly unable to transmit files, or the Postal Service can't receive my files?

    In the event of a computer system or telecommunications network failure, which prevents you from transmitting electronic files or the Postal Service from receiving and verifying receipt of your electronic files, you must revert to the processes identified in your Postage Payment Agreement until the problem is resolved. When a system outage occurs, the PostalOne! home page will display a notice advising users of the situation and duration.

13. Can business mail owners be billed individually using data extracted from a business mailer preparer's Mail.dat file?

    Not yet. In a consolidated mailing, mailers do include Permit Imprint account numbers for each mail owner that could supply the detailed data necessary to support separate billing for individual mail owners with Centralized Account Processing System (CAPS) debit accounts. This capability is part of the electronic postage statement processing currently under consideration for the current phase of PostalOne! development.

14. Does the PostalOne! Mail.dat file format differ from the IDEAlliance Mail.dat specification?

    No. However, some of the optional fields within the IDEAlliance specification for Mail.dat
    02-1 are mandatory when transmitting files to PostalOne!, (e.g. container label, package quantity, seed name, etc). For more information, please refer to Chapter 4.3.2 of "PostalOne!: A Guide for Electronic Data Exchange".

15. I received a ZIP+4 error message while using File Validator to validate a Mail.dat file. What should I do?

    When mailers become PostalOne! participants, we use the customer’s ZIP+4 code to identify the mailing site with a unique identifier in the PostalOne! system. If you try to validate a Mail.dat file using a different ZIP+4, the file will fail. If you need help determining the correct ZIP+4 code for your location, please contact the Customer Care Center.

    PostalOne! Customer Care Center
    USPS-NCSC
    6060 Primacy Parkway Suite 101
    Memphis TN 38188-0001
    800-522-9085

16. Are my files protected when I send them across the Internet? Is my data encrypted during transmission?

    Yes. The PostalOne! system uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) version 3.0 to transfer files safely over the Internet. SSL is a secure enhancement to the standard Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). It uses a combination of cryptographic processes to authenticate the host computers, and to encrypt and decrypt data transferred between them.

    If you use the Manual mode PostalOne! file transfer process, the pre-installed VeriSign® client SSL certificate (included with the Web browser) secures the file transmissions. No user setup is required for this process other than the use of the required Internet browser.

    If you use the Batch mode PostalOne! file transfer process, your company must have a SSL certificate. The installation and setup of this certificate and the PostalOne! batch processor application is required to use the PostalOne! Batch mode file transfer process. For more information about security certificates, please see Chapter 5 of "PostalOne!: A Guide for Electronic Data Exchange".

17. Do I need digital certificates to use PostalOne!?

    Maybe. PostalOne! currently requires only participants using Batch Processor to obtain digital certificates because the PostalOne! Batch Processor employs Secure Socket Layer (SSL) client and server authentication procedures to secure batch transfers. PostalOne! uses VeriSign® as the Certificate Authority for digital certificates on our servers. We recommend that participants who wish to use Batch Processor obtain Secure Site with a 40-bit SSL (Secure Server) IDs 40-bit SSL IDs (Secure Site Pro) certificates from VeriSign®. We do not recommend using other certificate authorities due to potential difficulties in bridging certificate formats. If you have questions about digital certificates, please call the PostalOne! Customer Care Center
    at 800-522-9085.

18. How does the PostalOne! Transportation Management System assign mail to a mode of transportation?

    PostalOne! uses the basic design of the Fully-Automated Scan-Where-You-Band (FASWYB), or Desktop Shipping System (DSS) to which we have added new functionality. PostalOne!'s system searches the population of all available surface routings to find one that will meet the constraints of destination Critical Entry Time (CET) and origin departure via Highway Contact Route (HCR). Only when a suitable surface routing cannot be found does the system search S-AMS (Surface-Air Management System) for an air routing.

19. How will my company benefit from using a PostalOne! Transportation Management Shipping System?

    Using the PostalOne! Transportation Management Shipping System can result in a more streamlined and consistent workflow within your mailing facility. The PostalOne! Transportation Management Shipping System is designed to scan mailing labels, record weight, and link to the Postal Service Surface-Air Management System (S-AMS) for air or surface transportation assignments, which enables more control of the local Postal Service dispatch assignments frequently resulting in improved service and reliability.

20. Which companies are certified as PostalOne! Transportation Management Shipping System vendors?

    Currently, only Carter Controls, Inc. and Lockheed Martin are certified for high volume systems. CODE-PLUS is certified for desktop systems. For more information about certification, please see PostalOne! Assignment Support System: The PostalOne! Certification Plan.

21. Who can participate in the PostalOne! Transportation Management Program?

    The PostalOne! Transportation Management System is currently offered only to customers who produce primarily First-Class Mail. For additional information on program participation, please call our PostalOne! Transportation Management office at 703-292-3697.

22. Will PostalOne! help to speed up mail processing, transportation, and delivery?

    Yes! PostalOne! will provide opportunities for improvement in all areas of the mailing process by providing information to the multiple handlers of mail within the Postal Service to assist them in coordinating their efforts.

23. What will PostalOne! do for Business Mail Acceptance Clerks?

    PostalOne! will make the acceptance of business mail much easier for the clerks. PostalOne! is a very efficient and business-mailer friendly system for clerks to use. By reducing paperwork, clerks will have more time available for accepting and verifying our customer’s mail.