IMI postage meters: what USPS changed and what it means for you

What IBI and IMI are

IBI, information-based indicia, is the postage mark digital meters have printed for years: a two-dimensional barcode carrying the postage amount, the date and the meter's identity. It reports a limited amount of postal and transaction data back to USPS. IMI, Intelligent Mail Indicia, is the newer standard. An IMI meter keeps a dedicated network connection to its provider and to USPS, downloads rate changes automatically, and sends transaction data back, under stricter security for the data in transit.

What USPS required

• June 30, 2024: all non-IMI postage meters were decertified. From that date, only IMI machines were eligible for new leases, contracts and rentals.
• December 31, 2024: all non-IMI meters had to be withdrawn from service. USPS no longer accepts mail metered on an IBI machine.
• The stated purpose was to bring every meter up to the newest technology and security standards.

Why USPS made the change

The reasons were practical. IBI gave USPS a limited view of what was being mailed; IMI gives it accurate, detailed and secure data. Three benefits were cited:

• Accurate posting. IMI meters calculate the postage required automatically, so mail is not overpaid and is not held up or returned for the wrong class.
• Security and fraud detection. Data moving between the meter and the postal evidencing system travels under USPS's highest security standards, which also makes fraud easier to see.
• Better service. The dedicated network connection keeps rates current on the meter without a visit, and sends transaction data to USPS so outgoing mail is processed faster and more accurately.

If you still have an IBI meter

It should already be out of service: USPS stopped accepting mail from IBI meters at the end of 2024, and providers may not write new leases, contracts or rentals for one. The practical steps are simple. Confirm which meter you have. Arrange its return to whoever leased it, which usually means a call to that provider. Choose an IMI replacement sized to your volume; every PostBase model qualifies, from the Mini to the Pro DS.

We handle the sizing and the installation, and the new meter connects to MyFP for postage refills from the first day.

How to tell which meter you have

If it is a PostBase of any model, it is IMI. For any other make, call us with the model number; we can tell you in a minute and quote a replacement.

Further reading

USPS published the decertification rule in the Federal Register on December 4, 2020, under Authorization to Manufacture and Distribute Postage Evidencing Systems; the notice is linked below. The list of decertified postage evidencing systems is maintained at 39 CFR 501.17, and FP's newsroom covered the change as the deadline approached.