Bulk Barcode Generator for POSTNet

Barcode Technology - POSTNet Barcode               Hide the description

The PostNet (Postal Numeric Encoding Technique) is a code by the US Post Office. It encodes the zip of the

addressee in a machine readable format. This improves the speed of sorting and delivering the mail..

The PostNet barcode is used mainly in 3 variants, that differ in the length of the data:

5 digits POSTNET barcode:  5 digit long zip code
ZIP + 4 POSTNET barcodes:  9 digit long zip code
DPBC POSTNET barcode (Delivery Point barcode):  9 digit long zip code + 2 DPBC digits.

Valid characters: 0123456789

POSTNet is one of the many barcode formats currently in use.

A Barcode is a method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form.

The barcode formats has two categories:

One-dimensional (1D) --- Barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines.

Two-dimensional (2D) --- Using rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns to represented data.

Check digit:

The check digit is calculated as follows: First add all digits. The difference of this sum to the next multiple of 10 is the check digit. The check digit of the PostNet barcode is not displayed in the plain text line.

The check digit is chosen so that the sum of all digits in the bar code is a multiple of 10. Equivalently, the modulo-10 sum is 0.
To calculate the check digit:
Add up the digits. For example, if a letter is sent to Young America, Minnesota, it might be sent to 55555-1237, which would have the sum of 38.
Find the remainder of this number when it is divided by 10, in this case 8. This is also known as the sum modulo 10. A simple way to combine the two steps is to sum the digits without a tens column at all, but discard all carries.
Subtract the sum modulo 10 from 10. Continuing with the example, 10 − 8 = 2. The check digit is therefore 2.
If calculated correctly, the sum of the ZIP, ZIP+4, or ZIP+4+delivery point digits and the check digit will always be a multiple of 10. Continuing with the example above, (5+5+5+5+5+1+2+3+7+2) = 40, and 40 mod 10 = 0.
Note that the Delivery Point is often added after the ZIP+4 and before the check digit, in which case the computation of the check digit includes the ZIP+4 and the Delivery Point.

Human Readable:

Most barcodes display their corresponding values below them, which makes it possible to human read and manually  enter the barcode values into the equivalent system when the barcode label is worn out and cannot be read by the barcode scanner.

The Advantages of using barcodes:

If you want to reduce costs and save time, using barcodes is a good choice. Whether you are a company or a non-commercial organization, to improve efficiency and reduce overhead, barcodes are a valuable and viable option, which is economical and reliable.

Using Barcode system eliminates the possibility of human error. The error rate of manually entering data is
significantly higher than that of scan barcodes. Barcode scanning is fast and reliable, and it takes much less time than manual data entry. Especially when using a QR code, hundreds of characters can be read and entered into your system instantly.

When barcodes are used in management information systems, they can promote better decision-making. Because data is obtained quickly and accurately, you can quickly obtain a full range of information for the entire company or organization, so it is possible to make more informed decisions. Better decisions can ultimately save time and money.

Barcodes are cheap and user-friendly, providing an indispensable tool for tracking data from pricing to inventory. The end result of a comprehensive bar code system is reduced overhead.

FAQ About POSTNet Barcode

What is the historical origin of POSTNet barcodes?

The POSTNet barcode is a barcode symbology used by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to assist in the sorting and delivery of mail.

Its historical origins can be traced back to 1978, when the USPS began researching how to use computer technology to improve mail processing efficiency.

The inventor of the POSTNet barcode is George Laurer, an engineer at IBM who designed the barcode in 1979 and patented it in 1982.

POSTNet barcodes feature the use of half-height and full-height bars to encode a zip code or postal code + 4-digit code, and usually the last two digits of an address or box number. This type of barcode begins and ends with a full-height bar to make it easier for scanners to read.

The POSTNET barcode was retired on January 28, 2013 and was replaced by the Intelligent Mail barcode.

In what industries are POSTNet barcodes mainly used?

POSTNet barcodes are primarily used in the mail industry, specifically the United States Postal Service (USPS). It can help with the fast and accurate sorting and delivery of mail and improve mail processing efficiency.

The advantage of the POSTNet barcode is that it can encode postal codes, postal codes + 4-digit codes, and delivery points, providing more detailed address information. It can also be combined with other barcode symbologies such as Planet or Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) to enable more service functions and tracking data.

Are there other types of barcodes used by the USPS?

The US Postal Service also uses other types of barcodes, such as the Intelligent Mail barcode, which is a high-density barcode that can contain more information such as tracking numbers, destination, service type, etc. There's also Planet Barcode, which is a barcode used for mail tracking and confirmation.

Structural characteristics of POSTNet barcode

The barcode begins and ends with a full bar (often called a guardrail or frame bar, represented as the letter "S" in one version of the USPS TrueType font) and has a check digit in the ZIP, ZIP+4, or Post-Delivery view.

Each individual number is represented by a set of five bars, two of which are full bars (i.e., two-fifths codes). The full bars represent the "on" bits in the pseudo-binary code, where these positions represent from left to right: 7, 4, 2, 1, and 0. (Although in this scheme 0 is encoded as decimal 11, or 11000 in POSTNET "binary".)

What is the difference between Intelligent Mail barcodes and POSTNET?

Intelligent Mail barcode is a high-density barcode that can contain more information, such as tracking number, destination, service type, etc. It consists of four lines of different heights, representing 31 bits of data.

The POSTNET barcode is a low-density barcode that can only contain a zip code, zip code + 4 code, or a delivery point number. It consists of half-height and full-height lines and represents 11-bit or 14-bit data.

The POSTNET barcode was retired on January 28, 2013 and was replaced by the Intelligent Mail barcode.

Can these barcodes be used in other countries?

These barcodes are primarily designed for mail routing, classification, and tracking by the United States Postal Service (USPS). They may not work with other countries' postal systems, as each country may have its own barcode standards and specifications.

What other types of postal barcodes are there?

There are many types of postal barcodes, which differ mainly according to different countries and regions. Generally speaking, postal barcodes are one-dimensional barcodes, which are composed of a series of black and white bars.

Common postal barcodes include:

EAN-13 code: product barcode, universal, supports 0-9 digits, and the coding length is 13 digits.

UPC-A code: Product barcode, mainly used in the United States and Canada, supports 0-9 numbers, and the coding length is 12 digits.

China Postal Code: A variant of Matrix 25 code, used for China Post’s express services, supporting numbers 0-9, and the code length is 13 digits.

Code39EMS: EMS-specific 39 code, used for China Post’s EMS service, supports 0-9 numbers and A-Z letters, and the code length is not fixed.

In addition to these, there are other postal barcodes, such as Codabar code, Code25 code, ITF25 code, Matrix25 code, Code93 code, Code128 code, etc.

Who developed the standards for POSTNet barcodes? Why develop this standard?

The POSTNet barcode standard was developed by the United States Postal Service to assist in the sorting and delivery of mail.

The purpose of this standard is to improve the efficiency and accuracy of mail processing and to reduce costs.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of POSTNet barcodes?

Advantage:

It can encode postal codes, postal codes + 4 digits, or delivery point numbers to improve the accuracy of mail sorting and delivery.

It saves space because each number only needs five lines to represent it.

It can detect errors by checking the height and number of lines.

Shortcoming:

It can only encode numbers, not letters or other symbols.

It is less readable and requires a dedicated scanner or software to identify it.

It has been phased out by the U.S. Postal Service and replaced by Intelligent Mail barcode.

What are Intelligent Mail barcode?

Intelligent Mail barcode is a barcode used by the United States Postal Service to classify and track mail.

It can encode up to 31 bits of mailing data in 65 vertical bars, using 4 different symbols.

It is a combination and improvement of POSTNet barcode and Planet barcode, which can provide more detailed information, including the sender and receiver's information.

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