DIRECT MAIL NEWSLETTER & POSTAL UPDATES ARCHIVE USPS's MERLIN Inaugurated In November, 2003

In an effort to streamline its operations of the processing of automated discount rate mail, the US Postal Service has developed and recently implemented a high-tech, computerized, optical scanning machine that checks all mail for compliance to the automated discount postal rate requirements.

As with any new and innovative technology widely implemented by the Federal government or other large organizations, there are bound to be problems or "bugs" with it while it is in its infancy. This new system, called MERLIN, has been both anticipated and dreaded by the Mailing House industry. It is a system that will help to insure low postage rates but also cause problems for mailers as it will reject pieces of mail submitted by Mail Houses or other individuals for automated discounts.

MERLIN is an acronym for Mail Evaluation Readability Lookup INstrument. It verifies First-Class, Standard and Periodic mail for barcode quality, address accuracy, mail make up and mail piece characteristics. In addition, it performs presort verification, shortpaid meter sampling, analyses mail characteristics including the height, weight, thickness and aspect ration of the sample.

According to The Mail & Fulfillment Service Association (MFSA), Mailing Houses across the country have experienced difficulties with MERLIN when submitting properly prepared and bar-coded mail to the Post Office. In many cases, customers who have sought to question and appeal their mail's rejection by MERLIN have been required to pay additional postage during the interim while their case is being reviewed by Postal Inspectors.

We at Exec-U-Mail Direct understand the importance of the quick processing of our client's mail and also that they pay for their postage at the automated discount rates. Consequently, we have and will do everything in our power to make sure our mail processing complies with all postal regulation and MERLIN.