2014-05-22

Not smartstamp, but what?

So, got a letter today, and this is the postmark/frank.

It is not a normal old fashioned franking machine as it contains a barcode.

It has Royal Mail logo but not the usual second class mark.

It has an IEC16022 datamatrix barcode like a smartstamp, but a different geometry variant. The content are a very similar style to a smartstamp, and include date and price and so on.

I assume it is some sort of franking system - but what?

Anyone know?

Update: Wow, after all of the hassle we had trying to get a spec for smartstamps, it seems MailMark is a system that RoyalMail allow systems integrators to work with to make mailing solutions. They have a process for becoming a producer. I think we may have to look in to it - to replace our use of smartstamp and make a sellable system!

4 comments:

  1. What would solicitors want with you, RevK ?

    ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. A quick google & it's called Mailmark. Found a 1st class version of this at http://www.frama.co.uk/GB-EN-Royal-Mail-Mailmark.frm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looks like they are still thinking franking *machines*. They need to see this as a service, the way smartstamp (and this I guess) works is an API to request postage from the pre-paid balance which is the content of a barcode printed on the letter. We print at the same time as the address and so on, not a separate "machine" to frank. Oh well.

      Delete
    2. I really wish something like this was available. I send out packages and I'd love to be able to print my own postage, but SmartStamp is unavailable to new subscribers, and the web-based system is beyond awful. Instead I use a business account with OBA, which makes things much easier to send large quantities of mail than small quantities.

      Delete

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