The QR code promotion that the U.S. Postal Service proposed last month has been given the green light by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The program offers a discount to catalogers who use two-dimensional mobile barcodes between July 1 and Aug. 31.
Commercial mailers that include a mobile barcode inside or on the mailpieces will receive an upfront 3% discount on the prices for first-mail and Standard Mail letters and flats. Nonprofit mailers are now eligible for the promotion as well—they weren’t included in the initial proposal from the Postal Service.
And mailpieces must include a two-dimensional barcode inside or on the mailpiece that can be read by a mobile smart phone. Although one-dimensional barcodes can be read by smart phones, they do not qualify for the postal promotion.
Will this program increase mail volume? Probably not—in fact, the USPS believes it will likely reduce revenue, according to the PRC ruling. The Postal Service explains that the primary objective of the adjustment “is to increase awareness of how integrating technology increases the value of mail.”