Reference
Plain-English definitions of the USPS and direct mail terms you'll run into when planning a print or mail job. It's a practical Plavidian guide; the final mail class, postage, and preparation for your job are confirmed after list processing and production review.
A USPS sort level that automation letters were once prepared to, for groups of ZIP Codes served by an area distribution center. USPS retired the AADC and ADC price and tray levels on July 12, 2026: pieces now sort to 5-digit, SCF (3-digit price) or Mixed trays.
A USPS electronic address-correction service that can tell mailers about moves and undeliverable pieces, so they don't rely only on physical returned mail.
The area on a mailpiece that holds the recipient name, delivery address, city, state, ZIP Code, and often the Intelligent Mail barcode.
An addressing method such as “OR CURRENT RESIDENT” used when a mailer wants delivery to the address even if the named recipient is no longer there.
Printed instructions such as Address Service Requested or Return Service Requested that tell USPS what to do with undeliverable mail.
A discounted rate for qualifying mail prepared with readable barcodes, proper addressing, and USPS automation-compatible design.
A Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) is a USPS facility where commercial mailings are accepted, verified for eligibility, and paid before entering the mailstream.
Per-piece variable-data verification during addressing, offered by Plavidian as Plavidian Sentry™, a per-job add-on for letter-size mail. A Cognex camera photographs each mailpiece as it runs through the addressing machine, and the decoded address, IMb, and other variable data are compared against the final addressing/BCC reference file. Failed reads are auto-diverted from the live mail stream for reprint or recovery, and the customer receives a per-job verification report (read rate, verified rate, bad-read images).
Mail presorted to the USPS carrier route that delivers it. Carrier-route preparation can qualify for lower postage when density and preparation rules are met. Each route qualifies on its own, so one mailing commonly contains routes at several price levels at once.
The entry carrier-route price level, requiring at least 10 pieces on a route. Flats have it; letters don't, so a sparse letter route prices as automation.
USPS-certified address matching software that standardizes addresses and appends ZIP+4, carrier route, and delivery-point data when available.
A USPS identifier for a business location or mail owner, used in PostalOne! and Business Customer Gateway workflows.
The destination post office or delivery unit responsible for final delivery to the addressed route or ZIP Code.
Destination entry at the SCF serving the delivery ZIP Codes, often used to improve timing and reduce postage for qualifying mail.
A USPS service for mailing to entire carrier routes without a named address list. Retail EDDM uses no IMb, so it can't support Informed Delivery campaigns.
Electronic postage statements and mailing documentation used for Full-Service, Seamless Acceptance, eInduction, and PostalOne! workflows.
USPS electronic verification of destination-entered mailings and containers, reducing paper forms and supporting destination-entry logistics.
A pattern of vertical bars printed near the postage area on certain reply mail pieces to support USPS processing.
A mailpiece larger than letter size, such as a large envelope or catalog, that stays flexible and meets USPS flat-size standards.
A folded mailpiece sent without an envelope. Fold orientation, final size, tabs, and address placement must meet USPS rules.
A USPS program using unique Intelligent Mail barcodes, electronic documentation, and mail visibility data for qualifying commercial mail.
A carrier-route price level requiring at least 125 pieces on a single carrier route. Routes a few pieces short pay a higher price on every piece.
A deeper carrier-route price level than High Density, requiring at least 300 pieces on a single carrier route.
A USPS barcode that can encode tracking, routing, mailer identification, and service information for letters and flats.
The printed postage block, usually in the upper-right corner of a mailpiece, that shows the postage was paid.
A free USPS consumer program that lets eligible campaigns add a ride-along image and URL to Daily Digest emails. Plavidian runs them as Plavidian Impression™.
USPS data used to convert old rural-style or changed addresses to current city-style addresses when available.
A machinable letter generally falls between 3.5 x 5 inches and 6.125 x 11.5 inches and within thickness/weight limits.
A standardized file set used to submit commercial mailing documentation electronically to USPS.
A USPS-issued number used in Intelligent Mail barcodes and electronic documentation to identify the mailer or mail owner.
A USPS class for advertising and promotional mail. Postage is lower than First-Class, but forwarding and returns work differently by default.
A USPS requirement for many commercial mailings: addresses must be updated within the required time frame using an approved method such as NCOA Link.
USPS-licensed processing that checks addresses against change-of-address records to identify moves and forwarding addresses.
Mail that does not qualify for automation prices, often due to preparation, addressing, barcode, or machinability limitations.
Reduced USPS Marketing Mail prices available to qualifying organizations with USPS nonprofit authorization.
The lower portion of a letter-size mailpiece where USPS equipment expects to read the delivery address and barcode.
Postage paid through a USPS permit account and shown by printed indicia rather than stamps or meters.
The Kirk-Rudy Phoenix is used for flats only. Its production workflow tracks each piece through the flats addressing run while preserving bundle breaks, top-piece OELs, ZIP sections, and pallet preparation order. On jobs that add camera verification, it also checks each piece for unreadable, jammed, or bad prints, diverts failed pieces out of the live stream, and queues them for controlled reprint, so the printed list is confirmed piece by piece.
Plavidian's piece-tracking service: USPS IMb scan visibility reports that follow mail as it moves through processing. It comes with every Plavidian mailing.
The USPS form or electronic statement summarizing mail class, counts, sortation, entry, and postage due.
Sorting mail by ZIP, route, or facility before entry to qualify for USPS workshare discounts.
A common indicia marking for USPS Marketing Mail, formerly Standard Mail.
Return Service Requested (RSR) directs USPS to return undeliverable mail to you with the new address or the reason for nondelivery, so you can update your list.
The color image shown in a subscriber's Daily Digest email for an eligible Informed Delivery campaign, typically linked to a campaign URL.
The deepest carrier-route price level, based on covering the great majority of a route's delivery addresses rather than on a flat piece count.
A USPS processing facility serving groups of ZIP Codes. SCF entry can affect postage and delivery timing.
A USPS acceptance program that uses electronic documentation and scan data to evaluate mail quality rather than relying only on manual acceptance checks.
Additional addresses included in a mailing so the mailer, client, or campaign can verify delivery and timing.
The postage price for pieces that don't qualify for presort or automation discounts, such as single-piece (nonpresorted) First-Class machinable letters.
Applying tabs or wafer seals to folded self-mailers and booklets so they stay closed during USPS processing.
Mail USPS cannot deliver as addressed because of issues such as moves, incomplete addresses, vacancies, or no mail receptacle.
A nine-digit ZIP Code that identifies a smaller delivery segment and supports accurate routing, barcoding, and automation.
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These cards describe Plavidian's own equipment and production workflows, not USPS standards or postal terms. For the USPS terms above, the Domestic Mail Manual is the authority.
Plavidian production term
The Kirk-Rudy Phoenix is a flats-only production and addressing system. On flats run through the Phoenix and its stacker, Plavidian uses machine tracking, output order, and stacker handling to hold the list and output sequence that USPS bundle and pallet preparation depends on. Bundle breaks, top-piece OELs, ZIP sections, production counts, and pallet order stay aligned with the final print file.
The workflow tracks pieces through production and detects any that are unreadable, jammed, or bad. Those pieces are auto-diverted out of the live mail stream and queued for controlled reprint or recovery. The job is then reconciled, so the confirmed list prints completely without breaking bundle sortation or creating duplicate or out-of-order pieces.
Plavidian production term
On jobs that add it, Plavidian's Camera Verification system reads every mailpiece in-line on the addressing machine. As each piece runs through the MCS Eagle (letters, #10 envelope packages, folded self-mailers, booklets), a Cognex camera photographs the piece and decodes the printed address, IMb, and other variable data fields. Each read is compared against the final addressing/BCC reference file uploaded for the job.
Pieces that fail to read or do not match the expected reference data are auto-diverted from the live mail stream for reprint or recovery, so the mailing leaves the facility complete and in correct sequence. Bad-read images are saved for review. When the run finishes, a per-job Camera Verification Summary PDF is generated showing the total pieces processed, read rate, verified rate, and any exceptions. The summary is available to customers; raw decoded data is admin-only.
Available as a per-job add-on for letter-size mail. Recommended for political, legal, nonprofit, and other mailings where documented per-piece accuracy matters.
Plavidian production term
The MCS Eagle is used for letters, #10 envelope packages, booklet addressing, and similar non-flat mailpieces. It supports Cognex Camera Verification (see above) for jobs needing additional variable-data production verification.
PRSRT STD = USPS Marketing Mail (not First-Class). ECRWSS = Enhanced Carrier Route Walk-Sequence Saturation. U.S. POSTAGE PAID, entry city/ZIP, and permit number identify how postage was paid and where it was accepted. Presorted First-Class shows PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL and should not show PRSRT STD or ECRWSS.
Final USPS preparation is confirmed from the processed list, final addressing output, production count, bundle and pallet documentation, and mail acceptance requirements.