NEW IMI Standards
According to the Federal Register, IMI-PC enables USPS to more accurately price shipping/mailing products, provide more detailed corporate reporting, attain operational efficiency by automating many functions (including postage refunds), improve the USPS Federal regulatory compliance, and better secure Postal Service and customer data.
USPS now requires that all new mailing systems meet these IMI standards as the mailing systems go to market.
The new IMI standard was designed to safeguard USPS and its customers with its strongest security. IMI adheres to the Federal Information Processing Standards for data encryption, ensuring information transmits securely.
| Why IMI-PC is Important for the Postal Service | IMI-PC Fully Compliant | IBIP Not Fully Compliant |
|---|---|---|
| Provides transaction level data for each mail piece daily | ||
| Supports automated refunds, refund authorization, and fraud detection (data on IMpb, PIC) | ||
| Restricts Keyed-In-Postage (KIP), which supports proper mail rating/classification for USPS | ||
| Provides end mailer information for Federal Government compliance | ||
| Supports the tracking and management of reprinted indicia | ||
| Provides improved indicia constructs that support Fraud Detection, Readability, and Indicia Management | ||
| Supports the USPS to accurately calculate short paid and over paid postage (data on TW, Price, Notice123, Extra Services) | ||
| FIPS 140-2 Security Level 3+ (EFP/EFT) (security strength to deter current threats) | ||
| Improved security for Rate Table, Log Files and Data Exchange Interface |
Compliant
Partially Compliant
Noncompliant
Additional Benefits of the
New IMI Standards
Even professionally handled manual data entry may produce errors. With IMI the postage is calculated automatically for you after inputting the required Service Class. Using IMI saves money, and mail won't be returned for a lack of postage.
USPS requires IMI systems to connect to the manufacturer's servers once every 3 days. With frequent usage information, USPS is better able to anticipate and manage the mail flow. Updates arrive to the meter in a timely fashion, including rate changes and other modifications to avoid under/overpaying.
Dedicated LAN connections replace the phone lines used for older models, which ensure a constant connection and enables faster updates and postage refills.