Information Based Indicia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Information Based Indicia refers to a system used by the United States Postal Service (USPS) for labels or marks to be applied to the mail item to indicate electronic postage payment.
Information Based Indicia is a 2-dimensional Data Matrix or bar code combined with visually identifable characters and symbols. The data matrix contains such information as amount of postage, origin zip code, destination, mail class, weight, confirmation/tracking numbers. Some indicia have more information than others. Endicia.com and Stamps.com are two major vendors of online indicia services that sell information based indicia that can be printed ahead of time on labels to be used like stamps in the future.
At its introduction by the USPS, many providers such as Pitney Bowes, Neopost, and estamp entered the online postage market but left if after it proved not to be profitable to them. Pitney Bowes and Neopost have developed postage meters that contain some aspects of information based indicia in their meter impressions.
Currently the major providers endicia.com and Stamps.com have developed full-featured software packages that include support for Certified Mail, other special services, a hidden postage feature, and shipping with other carriers such as UPS.
[edit] References
- Know It When You See It: Information Based Indicia is the Real Deal. USPS Newslink Online (2002-09-26). Retrieved on 2006-06-13.
