Meet the game-changer in mail tracking: Real-time Intelligent Mail Barcode updates, ACS automation, and delivery forecasting—powered by VariTrack.
What is an Intelligent Mail Barcode?
An Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) is a special code printed on your mail that lets you track it from the moment it leaves your hands until it arrives at its destination. Think of it as a GPS for your letters and documents. The USPS created this system to make mail delivery more efficient, but smart businesses are using it to gain a competitive edge.
For organizations sending important documents, such as tax notices, mortgage statements, or collection letters, knowing exactly when your mail arrives isn’t just convenient—it’s essential.
How Mail Tracking Has Evolved
Remember those little bars at the bottom of envelopes? Those old POSTNET barcodes only helped sort mail to the right address. They couldn’t tell you anything about where your mail was or when it would arrive.
The USPS introduced a significant change in 2009 with the Intelligent Mail Barcode. This new 65-bar code does much more than help sort mail—it creates a digital identity for each piece that can be tracked at every step of its journey.
For businesses that must adhere to strict rules regarding the sending of notices, such as tax offices, mortgage companies, and collection agencies, this tracking ability has become a must-have tool.
What Makes the Intelligent Mail Barcode So Powerful?
The secret to the IMB’s tracking power is in its data-packed design. Each barcode contains several pieces of information:
The barcode starts with a code that shows what type of mail you’re sending (like First-Class or Standard). Then comes your unique Mailer ID, which identifies you as the sender. Most importantly, each piece of mail gets its own sequence number, like a license plate that lets you track that specific letter.
For tax offices sending thousands of property notices, this means being able to prove when each notice was delivered before deadlines hit. Mortgage companies can track important loan documents with the same precision they track electronic communications. Collection agencies can document exactly when notices arrived—often a critical legal requirement.
VariTrack: Turning Barcode Data into Business Intelligence
While any business can use the Intelligent Mail Barcode, VariVerge’s VariTrack portal turns this simple tracking tool into a complete mail management system.
VariTrack doesn’t just show you postal scans—it provides visibility from the moment your files enter our system, through printing, insertion, and all the way to final delivery. Our system even predicts delivery dates based on real-time postal patterns.
For tax offices with strict legal deadlines, this predictive ability eliminates uncertainty. Mortgage servicers can prepare their customer service teams for calls that typically arrive after statements have been sent. Collection agencies can time their follow-up calls perfectly, right after notices have been delivered.
The system includes secure file uploads, job tracking tickets, and detailed reports—all in one place. It’s like having a command center for all your mailing operations.
Save Money While Gaining Visibility
Beyond tracking, the Intelligent Mail Barcode helps cut costs. The USPS offers discounts to mailers who use IMB and meet certain requirements. They’re essentially sharing the savings that come from more efficient mail processing.
Organizations that use the “Full-Service” IMB option, which VariVerge fully supports, get even deeper postage discounts. While the requirements are stricter, the savings add up quickly for high-volume mailers.
Another money-saving feature is address correction. The Address Change Service (ACS) works with IMB to notify you electronically when mail can’t be delivered or when someone has moved. This significantly reduces the costs associated with undeliverable mail and reprinting. For collection agencies and insurance companies, maintaining current addresses is essential, and IMB makes it much easier.
VariTrack makes getting these discounts simple by handling all the technical requirements behind the scenes. The system automatically updates addresses through NCOA and ACS, keeping your mailing lists clean and reducing wasted mail.
Personalization Plus Tracking: A Winning Combination
When you combine Intelligent Mail Barcodes with variable data printing— the ability to customize each mail piece — you create communications that are both personalized and trackable.
Mortgage companies can send statements with customer-specific loan information and know exactly when each one arrives. Tax offices can include property-specific details on assessment notices and verify delivery for legal compliance. Collection agencies can tailor payment options for each recipient and track response rates in detail.
VariTrack handles these complex mailings smoothly, maintaining tracking integrity even when content changes from one piece to the next. This combination creates communications that connect better with recipients and provide valuable delivery data.
Turning Mail Tracking into Business Insights
The tracking data from Intelligent Mail Barcodes becomes truly valuable when you analyze it properly. VariTrack transforms raw scanning information into actionable business intelligence.
Instead of just showing when mail was scanned, VariTrack reveals delivery patterns that help businesses optimize their mailing timing. Mortgage servicers can coordinate billing cycles more effectively, insurance companies can identify areas with delivery delays and adjust payment due dates accordingly, and collection agencies can determine which timing strategies yield the best response rates.
These insights help improve your mail operations over time. By understanding which mail pieces are more effective, when delivery is most efficient, and how address quality impacts performance, you can refine your approach with each mailing campaign.
Getting Started with Intelligent Mail Barcode
While IMB offers major benefits, setting it up requires knowledge of postal regulations and tracking systems. This is where partnering with VariVerge makes the process simple.
The first step is getting a Mailer ID from the USPS—your unique identifier in the postal system. VariVerge guides clients through this registration process, ensuring everything is set up correctly. Our expertise with USPS requirements ensures your barcodes meet all specifications for proper scanning.
Most importantly, VariVerge connects mail tracking with your existing business processes. Rather than treating IMB as just a postal requirement, our VariTrack system integrates delivery data with your operational workflows, ensuring the information reaches the departments that need it.
Building a Future-Proof Mailing Strategy
As communication continues to evolve, physical mail and digital channels need to work together. The Intelligent Mail Barcode, especially when implemented through VariTrack, creates the foundation for this integration.
Forward-thinking organizations use IMB tracking data to trigger digital follow-ups, update customer systems, and coordinate overall communication strategies. Tax offices might send automatic email reminders based on when physical notices were delivered. Mortgage servicers could schedule call center staff based on when statements typically arrive. Collection agencies might adjust contact strategies based on confirmed mail delivery.
This multi-channel coordination represents the future of effective communication, especially in regulated industries where documenting contact attempts is crucial. Building your strategy on IMB tracking and VariTrack management positions your organization to adapt as communication methods continue to evolve.
Transform Mail Uncertainty into Business Advantage
The Intelligent Mail Barcode changes what was once a complete unknown—”Did my mail arrive?”—into valuable business data. Through VariVerge’s VariTrack portal, organizations gain not just basic tracking but a complete management system that improves compliance, cuts costs, and enhances customer communication.
For tax offices, mortgage servicers, collection agencies, and insurance companies, this transformation means moving from hoping mail reaches its destination to knowing exactly when it does—and using that knowledge to drive better business results.
The future belongs to organizations that can gather data from every customer touchpoint. With Intelligent Mail Barcodes and VariTrack, your physical mail becomes as trackable, measurable, and optimizable as your digital communications—creating real advantages in today’s complex business environment. Contact us today for more information!