As you are aware, a key element of our Wholesale Product Roadmap is to increase the proportion of mail volume carrying a Mailmark Barcode, and to ensure that this volume can be processed efficiently through our network.

One particular area of focus for us is the magazine distribution market, which itself is undergoing change in light of consumer attitudes to single use plastic. Over the past two years we have been working extensively with customers, mail producers and our mail centres to optimise the barcode read rate performance of Mailmark large letters. We have made considerable progress and would like to continue this work.

We are delighted to announce that we are now providing even more support.  If publishers are currently sending titles using Manual products and wish to switch to our Mailmark Magazine Subscription service, we are committed to working with you to ensure that the mailing conforms to specification. Mailmark is our lowest cost and most efficient service, we want to ensure that publishers can use the service to its full benefit.

Therefore if you are posting a title on our Magazine Subscription Mail for the first time, our Quality Assurance Team is on hand to provide the support you may need to check the quality of your mail piece to ensure it meets Mailmark specification requirements. All you need to do is email mailmarkqa@royalmail.com  and our Team can check your mailing pack designs and barcodes before you hand over to us.

Also, from 3 August 2020 and up until 31 March 2021, the title will qualify for a temporary suspension on ‘Barcode Not Seen’ adjustment charges, if you meet all the following conditions:

• You are using Mailmark for the first time to post the title using our Mailmark Magazine Subscription Mail service; and
• You have set up a brand new Supply Chain ID for each title (and if applicable, a new Participant ID).

We want to ensure that titles with differing frequencies of publication have an appropriate opportunity to make changes to their production process following feedback from Royal Mail after the mailings, and are proposing that the temporary suspension applies in the following manner:

• two consecutive mailings of the same title for quarterly publications;
• four consecutive mailings of the same title for monthly publications; or
• eight consecutive mailings of the same title for weekly publications.

During this period, you will continue to have access to your Mailmark reports to measure the performance of your mailing, and we will provide you with further support as required to help you identify the potential causes for unread barcodes after each posting.

If you require any further support in implementing our Mailmark service, please contact our Mailmark or Quality Assurance Teams (mailmarkqa@royalmail.com) or your Account Director.