What are the meanings of the barcodes on business reply mail?

Asked by DominicX (28813

) October 12th, 2009

This is probably the most boring question I’ve ever asked (and evidence that I’m up too late), but I recently got the iPhone Red Laser app which reads barcodes, and so now I’m interested in barcodes and I’ve been reading about them (and scanning anything with a barcode I can find and watch the name of the product show up on the phone…so cool…)

Anyway, business reply mail has three sets of bars on and it seems to be hard to find info on what they mean:

http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/publications/content_images/businessreply-sample.gif

What are the meanings of the thick bars on the right, the ones on the top, and the ones on the bottom?

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3 Answers

Just a guess, but maybe to help them sort the large volume of reply mail they get accurately and automatically?

The thick one on the right doesnt look like a barcode, as they are all the same width. It might be there to let the computer know the orientation of the card, so it can more easily read the others.

also, i have red laser, it is so much fun. I have yet to do something useful with it though

jackm (6212

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Astrochuck will verify, but the barcode on the bottom I’m nearly sure is the full 9-digit zip code (which you can also see printed on your delivered mail).

If I remember my sesame street correctly, stamped letters go through two machines—one that “reads” your handwritten zipcoode and prints the barcode, the others for sorting based on that barcode.The bars on the right and top are (my guess) to also aid in the orientation for the said optical sorting machines the USPS uses for mail.

Both ensure accurate and speedy sorting and delivery—and having the barcode already on the envelope lets you skip the (what I imagine would be) lengthier step.

andrew (16562

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