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What information is actually in a USPS barcode?

by Seller_YjWh596h4AF5R

I’m just curious- looking at a USPS label- it has the return address printed, and the address printed, and then the tracking number/bar code.

I know the post office uses the barcode to scan the package into the system, and then follow its tracking.

But when the mail carrier actually goes to deliver it, do they then use the printed address, or do they keep scanning the mail from the truck to figure out where it goes?

Or is the mail delivered by the printed address by the time it gets in the truck? IE- the postal carrier actually look at the label and reads it to see where it should be delivered.

If it is all going by scanning the barcode, why have the address printed on the label at all? why not just the barcode?

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Seller_k2Kp1RVfLot3N
In reply to: Seller_YjWh596h4AF5R's post

I believe the carrier looks at the address when delivering–in theory at least. Also, they’re supposed to scan the package once it is actually delivered. But I know they sometimes scan it before physically delivering it, because I’ve seen it multiple times that they scan as delivered and, for whatever reason, don’t get it delivered that day but do the next (or sometimes not).

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Seller_YjWh596h4AF5R
In reply to: Seller_YjWh596h4AF5R's post

Thanks for the reply- so when they scan it on delivery, does it pop up the address that it is supposed to be going to, (in case they read the label wrong) or is the scanning part just entering the tracking number into the system as “delivered”?

IE: if the carrier misread a label that actually read “20 elm street” and they thought it said “70 elm street”

when they scan it as they are dropping it at the door- will the scanner read from the barcode that it is actually 20 Elm Street, or does that scanning process not really deal with the address, just updates the progress of the package in the system?

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Seller_DZ1maDmp7Xt2o
In reply to: Seller_YjWh596h4AF5R's post

fatuhiva

I mail my books at the postal counter, mine have big labels with very readable addresses 20 -22 Point type… for the Aging half blind postal carrier, that might not have their glasses or be reading it in poor conditions…

Once it’s dropped off at the post facility it goes through numerous sorting facilities, it is photographed throughout the entire process , so it’s pretty easy to see where a package is, what it looks like… distinctive packaging is also a good idea more memorable, less easy to lose…

It gets moved around in canvas bins, that are on rollers, at the end of belts -so huge packages basically and get dumped on top of smaller ones … or other higher five six foot tall ones within a post office…

Pretty much the only time it’s read by a human is at the end delivery, your Postman basically gets a bin of stuff for his or her route, and they sort it, scan it in the morning , rubber-banding things together… And then they proceeded to manually walk around generally and deliver it house-to-house or business-to-business… or into Post Office boxes at the post office…

One of the problems you have is when you have your non regular carrier but a fill-in carrier because your regular person is on vacation or is taking a day off & they’re not familiar with their customers… And they whip through the route and just stick things into mailboxes…

Some of those folks go through a route really quick, they’re not paying much attention and then everyone has to come out & exchange mail, or some of them just throw mail away that’s your neighbors…

One of the problems with Amazon purchased postage is the type is so small, and hard to read…

Which is probably why a lot of folks that have drunk the Kool-Aid, and are counting on INR- protection are having package delivery- failures… no one can read the labels, the type is too small…

In my area theoretically all packages are supposed to be delivered prior to 8 p.m. after that they are considered to be defects…

They actually have or weekly meetings about delivery issues and failures…

Which reflect poorly on that particular post office… my postal guy has the theory that everything should be scanned on a regular basis & the more scans that it has the better it looks overall… or so he has been told…

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Seller_Crf6fM5kU33j4
In reply to: Seller_YjWh596h4AF5R's post

Just use a bar code reader on your phone, scan the usps label and it will show you what information is on the bar code. If it has a QR code then use a QR code reader

Usually, weight, address, service used will be there

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