posted on July 15, 2001 07:09:50 PM
Just signed up for Endicia and it looks pretty cool so far.
I have one quick question for other Endicia users or Mr. Whitehouse if you're still hanging around these boards that I can't find the answer to anywhere on the Endicia site.
Now that we can print PC postage for international postage through Endicia: Can we drop these packages off (customs form filled out and attached) in the convenient blue mailbox on the corner or do we still need to go into the post office and hand these to a counter person?
posted on July 16, 2001 12:26:48 PMNow that we can print PC postage for international postage through Endicia: Can we drop these packages off (customs form filled out and attached) in the convenient blue mailbox on the corner or do we still need to go into the post office and hand these to a counter person?
We are the first vendor to support International PC-Postage mail and are also on a "learning curve". I'm going to have to research this one with USPS HQ staff and get back to you.
Thanks for your response. I don't know if it's "official" or not, but I spoke with my postmaster and she said it was fine to deposit international packages in the blue mailbox on the corner just as long as the correct postage was printed and the correct customs form is affixed.
It may be because they know me very well at my local post office and they know how much time I used to tie up thier lines. Now with Endicia, I will NEVER have to wait in line at the post office again. (Unless I have a package to large to fit in the box.)THAT'S GREAT! This will save me hours and hours each month from waiting in line at the post office.
I'm very pleased with the service so far, though I'm kind of confused as to why we have to go through so much hassle to get the envelopes and labels to work correctly. (The stamps.com software preforms one simple test and after that ALL labels and envelopes work perfectly.) I have a very common Canon BCJ 2110 printer, so I don't know why the envelopes aren't working right. The Endicia software won't let me print envelopes long ways like the Stamps.com software will. That is causing me problems.
This software definitely has a greater learning curve than Stamps.com or Clickstamps. It is much more customizable, but not user friendly to set up at all. As suggested in another thread, I plan to spend some time on the phone with your tech support and get all of my envelope and label sizes working as soon as time allows. I still have quite a bit of postage left in my Stamps.com account to use up first before I cancel it.
Also, I have a large supply of Avery 2x4 (5163) labels that I would like to use up. I can't figure out how to do the address on one label and the postage on another. Is there a way to do this with the Endicia software? Your labels for sale on your site are cool, but 8 cents a pop is a little pricey for me with my low dollar auction items. I need a lower cost label like the 5163 with many uses per page of labels.
The ability to do Media Mail, International mail and FREE online Delivery Confirmation makes Endicia the best PC Postage service out there by far and it's Half the monthly price of Stamps.com Power Plan too! One other big plus I just found is that the Stamps.com scale (The one that Stamps.com Power Plan users got free) with serial connector works perfectly with the Endicia software. All of that combined with "real" customer service makes Endicia hard to beat.
I too signed up for Indicia, which is no small matter considering I Beta tested for Stamps for almost a year and spent time meeting with their representatives while it was being fine tuned before the public roll out. Which is to say I have been using Stamps for more than 3 years.
However it is very incovieneneit to not be able to print postage for Media Mail, Standard Mail, and International Mail. Which is why at Tomwiii 's suggestion I looked at Endicia. (BTW I wanted to give Tom referral credit but I don't know his email address, I assume you do and will give him the credit. Thank you.).
OK So I downloaded something called Dazzle which looks to be some sort of mail graphics program. (BTW I found the user interface for this Dazzle to be unnecessarily complicated).
Could you clarify if Endicia is a dedicated postage system, or a postage system that happens to be part of Dazzle, (I still can't quite figure out what it is supposed to do.)
Am I correct that the address book must be maintained in a separate program such as Outlook?
If not, is there an address book somewhere within the program that I haven't been able to find?
Could you list which labels must be used to print postage? Very specifically by the standard Avery number?
All I could find was that whatever label is used the postage, address, and return address must fit on the same label.
Is this correct?
Does Indicia have the capability to generate reports of printed postage with the name and address of the recipient along with a few non-printing notation fields? Notation that can be entered when the address is created or at the time the postage is printed? (A spread sheet will get you a place in heaven).
Then I noticed that Endicia does not seem to issue Post Meter licenses? Or at least one screen advised it wasn't necessary?
How is this possible?
To my knowledge if one deposits anything into mailbox weighing 13 ozs or more it must have a Meter License number on the postage label. Or it must be handed to a Post Office employee. a major point of having a postage system is to *not* have to stand in line and hand stuff to a postal employee. Could you clarify this point?
I suppose what I am looking for is an interface that is as easy to use as Stamps, with as many postage options as Endicia claims to have available.
All I want to do with an online postage system is:
Open the program
Enter the address
Verify the address
Weigh the parcel
See the postage options
Select the type of postage and mailing services
Print the labels
Endicia seems to be more about graphics and advertising possibilities using Dazzle, and the postage part, what I could find of it, which I assume is Endicia, looks to be an "add on".
I am sorry to ask so many questions but I found Indicia and/or Dazzle to be very confusing, . A very detailed PDF users guide would be very helpful. These screens that read "It is easy! All you have to do is X" drives me crazy because most of the time who ever wrote it assumes that everyone knows what X is or isn't. If I knew what X was I wouldn't need the help......
I still can't get the test envelope to print properly. I have followed all of the directions, and looked at the help files,and I am not computer illiterate Like many of us I just don't have hours and hours to waste trying to figure out what a program is supposed to do and how to get it to work.
I want to give Endicia a chance (and probably a lot of fees), but you gotta make this thing a lot less disjointed with a more of a logical flow and clearly define the relationship, (or lack of it), between Dazzle and Endicia.
posted on July 16, 2001 04:14:42 PMI'm very pleased with the service so far, though I'm kind of confused as to why we have to go through so much hassle to get the envelopes and labels to work correctly. (The stamps.com software preforms one simple test and after that ALL labels and envelopes work perfectly.) I have a very common Canon BCJ 2110 printer, so I don't know why the envelopes aren't working right. The Endicia software won't let me print envelopes long ways like the Stamps.com software will. That is causing me problems.
If you go to File|Printer Setup you should see a "Guide Me" button. This should auto-configure your layout (it will print a test sheet on normal 8 x 11 paper with alignment coding).
I'll give that a try myself this evening -- my wife coincidently bought a 2110 for my daughter's computer this weekend.
The DAZZle client is 10 years old and has accumulated loads of features and options over that time period. So, it's a bit more difficult to master. But once you get a layout that works for a given media, you save it with a descriptive name and it's there for you from that point on.
Ok, I've got it figured out now... I Just tried the 8 x 11 paper setting and now my no. 10 envelopes are printing correctly. (When I set it up before and used the guide me feature, I tried to use the #10 envelope as the printer paper size in the printer setup dialouge.)I haven't tried it with the other envelope sizes I use yet, but I'm sure that's where my problem was. Can't believe I didn't figure it out yesterday!
Could you clarify if Endicia is a dedicated postage system, or a postage system that happens to be part of Dazzle, (I still can't quite figure out what it is supposed to do.)
DAZzle is a 10 year old mailing software program. The internal corporate standard of the USPS, it is used to create automation-compatible envelopes and labels. It supports courtesy reply indicia, business reply indicia, bulk and non-profit indicia --basically a host of "postage types". In 1994, it won the Windows 100 Software award, and it has continued to evolve over the years.
DAZzle 2001 (the version you are running) has been embellished with one more type of postage indicium -- PC postage. This is an internet-based service and we call the service Endicia.
Am I correct that the address book must be maintained in a separate program such as Outlook? If not, is there an address book somewhere within the program that I haven't been able to find?
DAZzle 2001 will either read/write to your Outlook address book (so you can seamlessly use address data from either the Outlook or DAZzle programs) or you can configure DAZzle to create it's own address book based on the DB4 file format. To choose the configuration you want:
File|Preferences|Address Book Tab
Could you list which labels must be used to print postage? Very specifically by the standard Avery number?
For labels which will be used on non-letter mail (e.g. flats and packages), there is NO requirement per se -- you just have to be able to fit the postage indicium and address information. We support every Avery label configuration -- see the complete list under Media/Labels.
If you want to create a postage label which will be put on a letter-size envelope, you need a label with a red florescent trace. I believe there is a separate Avery label number for that which we support (but I don't know the number off hand). But what I do in a situation like this is use a conventional stamp. If I can't print the destination address, FIM mark and postage directly on the envelope, I use a stamp instead. Cheaper, easier, prettier <g>.
[i]All I could find was that whatever label is used the postage, address, and return address must fit on the same label.
Is this correct? [/i]
This is no hard requirement for this that I know of. In fact, some of the Dymo printers have a label format which prints the address and PC Postage mark on distinct labels. The key is to keep the pairs of labels together. The ZIP+4+2 of the destination address is embedded in the 2D barcode -- if the USPS scans a mailpiece the ZIP+4+2 that it finds in the barcode should match the ZIP+4+2 of the printed address.
Does Indicia have the capability to generate reports of printed postage with the name and address of the recipient along with a few non-printing notation fields? Notation that can be entered when the address is created or at the time the postage is printed? (A spread sheet will get you a place in heaven).
Under Postage|Postage Log you can view all of your transactions. You can print the detail of any single transaction which includes:
Complete From Address
Complete To Address
Log Entry ID
Date/Time
Piece Number
Postage
Class
Weight
Optional Services
DC or Express Mail PIC Code
Last delivery status message
I don't believe we have a notation field in the DB now -- I'll check with the lead developer on that.
You can also print a log of all transactions, with each row showing Entry ID, Date/Time, Type of Transaction (Stamp or Buy), Destination ZIP+4+2, Piece Count, Postage Amount, Service Class, Tracking ID (if applicable), weight and running balance.
We are lobbying with USPS to provide a simple export routine for the log. The original rules required that the log be in a "format which could not easily be interpreted or modified by the end user". That rule was written for the older dongle-based systems, where the USPS had to depend on the local PC log if the wanted a detailed accounting of postage. Endicia is a centralized system and we track each transaction on our servers as well (although not in as great detail). This centralized tracking should be enough for any USPS requirements, which *should* allow the local log to be more flexible.
[i]Then I noticed that Endicia does not seem to issue Post Meter licenses? Or at least one screen advised it wasn't necessary?
How is this possible? [/i]
When you apply for the service, we submit a license request for you in the background. So all Endicia users are licenced USPS meter users. If you used the same name/address when signing up as you did with Stamps, you should actually get the *same* license number.
We don't make a big issue of presenting the USPS Licence number to end users because, for the most part, it is a meaningless number to them.
To my knowledge if one deposits anything into mailbox weighing 13 ozs or more it must have a Meter License number on the postage label. Or it must be handed to a Post Office employee. a major point of having a postage system is to *not* have to stand in line and hand stuff to a postal employee. Could you clarify this point?
You are correct. A licensed meter user (including a PC Postage user) is considered a "known mailer" in the eyes of the USPS and FAA, and therefore can drop any weight package into a collection box.
I still can't get the test envelope to print properly.
Under File|Printer Setup, there is a "Guide Me" button which should auto-configure a layout for you. If that doesn't work, give our CS folks a call and have them give you a hand. Also, if you have a chance, Email me the printer model you have ([email protected]) and I'll see if we have a stock layout file on hand.
HTH
Harry
[ edited by HarryWhitehouse on Jul 16, 2001 04:59 PM ]
I did battle with my daughter last evening to get some time on her computer, and here's how I set up her Canon 2110 to print comm 10 envelopes in landscape.
1. Choose COM10 envelope for media in DAZzle.
2. Go to File|Printer Setup and set the following values.
Printer Paper Size: #10 Env 9.50 x 4.12 in
Envelope Offset:
From Top: 0
From Left: -1.1"
Check the following buttons
Portrait
Face Up
Bottom First
Left Side
Uncheck "Print upside-down".
Then I fed the envelope in as recommended by Canon's icon on the printer (landscape, flap down) and it came out very nicely.
Save your layout as something like "My Canon COM10 Envelope" so you can use it whenever you do an envelope.
Thanks for all your help. After some tweaking and a lot of test printing, I have got all of the sizes of envelopes and labels that I regularly use printing correctly.
It was nice of you to take the time to personally test this for me. I'll try the setup you suggested as it would be better to feed the envelopes portrait as opposed to landscape.
The Dazzle software is really great. Much more flexible than Stamps.com's software. Just takes some playing with to get used to.
I'm enjoying very much printing all of my international and media mail postage without standing in line at the post office!
One more question: Is support for the new signature confirmation going to be offerred soon? (or have I just missed it?)
posted on July 17, 2001 01:26:37 PMIs support for the new signature confirmation going to be offerred soon? (or have I just missed it?)
I spoke with the USPS Program Manager on this a few hours ago. They hope to have their end done by mid-August. We should be ready soon thereafter, so I'm guessing early September for this service.
We are testing a single ply Express Mail label now and that should be OK'ed for general release in August.
posted on July 19, 2001 04:08:12 PMDelivery Confirmation on First Class Mail
I checked with a number of Postal sources on this. While DC for FCM was being considered a while back, it appears that it is a dead issue for now. The last reply I got was "don't hold your breath".
posted on July 19, 2001 05:07:17 PMDepositing International Mail with Customs Forms in a Collection Box
This was the original question which started this thread. I was able to speak with both USPS HQ personnel and the San Francisco USPS/FAA coordinator. The FAA coordinator was perhaps the most helpful. It is her team that actually gets international packages out of the country and on the way to their international destinations -- all the while ensuring that dangerous items don't get into the cargo holds of those jumbo jets.
International Packages > 16 oz
It appears that you really need the retail clerk's involvement to be certain that your parcel will clear the FAA international screening. The USPS/FAA folks carefully look for
1. A round stamp on the customs form.
2. A round stamp on or near the postage
Note that being a "known meter mailer" (as a PC-Postage user is) does not waive this requirement. (It does give you a waiver for domestic mail, but NOT international mail).
You always need a customs form on any package 16 oz or heavier.
She suggested that mailers look for "contract stations" -- small post office sub-stations often located in pharmacies, etc. They can accept/round stamp your package for you, and the lines are often shorter.
International Packages < 16 oz
If the package contains "printed matter" and is marked as such, you can simply drop the package in a collection box. A customs form is not required.
If the package contains anything other than "printed matter" a customs form is required. While the USPS/FAA representative still encouraged the mailer to present this package at a PO or contract station, since the package weight is < 16 oz the FAA security test evidently does not look for the round stamps. So conceivably, you could simply drop the package with completed customs form in a collection box. But if you want absolute assurance that your package won't be bounced back to you, present it at a PO and get the two round stamp imprints.
Custom Forms Guidelines
She had some guidelines for the customs form based on what she sees every day:
1. The addresses on the custom form MUST match the addresses on the shipping label.
2. Don't forget to sign and date the form.
3. The customs form must be written entirely in English. However, the shipping label can be written in a foreign language as long as the country name (last line) is in English.
4. If you don't want the destination country to make their own assumptions, check the appropriate boxes regarding contents (gift, merchandize, commercial sample) and what to do if the item can't be delivered (abandon, return).
5. Contrary to what I have heard elsewhere, she indicate that US Customs does in fact spot check OUTBOUND packages heading to foreign countries.
Closing Thoughts
I have very little personal experience mailing internationally, but I think here's what I'd do if I was mailing similar merchandise to a few selected countries repeatedly.
If the packages were > 16 oz, I guess I'd resign myself to getting a formal PO acceptance of the packages.
If the packages were < 16 oz, I'd try an experiment and drop a few in my local collection box. For countries in the same general geographic area (e.g., Europe) packages should follow the same domestic processing path within the USPS system. If one makes it through, they all should. If I saw no hiccups, I'd continue using the collection box.
PC-Postage labels tend to look very professional and I think your package will be given the "benefit of the doubt" because of that. And, in talking with USPS folks, it appears they really feel much more comfortable seeing a clear return address on the package -- so include that with perhaps even your phone number. (You can include your phone number as the last line of your return address, or use a "rubber stamp" to place it elsewhere on your label.)
So that's what I found out!
Best regards,
Harry
[ edited by HarryWhitehouse on Jul 19, 2001 05:07 PM ]
