Wholesale
Accreditation Process
Before using Access services to send OCR machine-readable Letters your mail may need accreditation
What is Royal Mail's Accreditation Process?
Before using Access services to send OCR machine-readable Letters we must check your mail is:
- addressed according to Royal Mail's specification
- produced in the correct format which can pass through Royal Mail's machines
Do I need to gain Accreditation?
| Customer Category | Accreditation Needed | Responsibility for Accreditation |
| | | Contract holders are responsible for meeting the accreditation requirements for the relevant services. |
| Contract holders | Yes | Contract holders are responsible for confirming to Royal Mail that each of their Originating Customers holds the correct accreditation |
| Contract holders who consolidate mail | Contract holders can gain their own accreditation when consolidating mail and presenting as OCR . See process - Mail Sorting Machine Output Testing by clicking on the link to the left. |
Which Royal Mail Access service requires accreditation?
In order to be accredited, you need to pass accreditation for the following Access service:
- Access 70 OCR
How do I apply?
Please discuss this with your Customer Service Manager so that they can oversee the process. Together, you will need to complete the relevant forms for the Access service required. Your Customer Service Manager can supply these forms or they can be found below.
Which forms do I need to complete?
The accreditation process consists of two distinct parts and you need only to complete the parts relevant to the product you wish to use.
FORM A
This is required if you need to have your address list checked to ensure it is meeting the minimum addressing standard. If you use an approved software supplier to process your address data you will not need to complete this part of the process as automatic accreditation is given.
FORM B
This form provides the details we need for the mail which needs accreditation and probides details of the Access Contract holder and the originating customer.
Available to download
DSA Form A - Address Management
Ensuring that your mailings are accurately addressed and Postcoded.
Dependant on the Access Service used, you are required to meet the minimum address and Postcode % accuracy level for all your addresses. Complete the form and return it to your Customer Service Manager at the address shown on the form, including, if necessary, an electronic file containing a sample of 5,000 addresses.
DSA Form B - Mailpiece Design and Printing
Ensuring your mail can be processed and read by our sorting machines.
The mail you are going to send must be able to meet a set standard read rate on our machines. Form B should be completed and sent to your Customer Service Manager. Your Customer Service Manager will confirm the accreditation process, including where to send the mailpieces for testing. A copy of the Form B must accompany the mailpiece. Your Customer Service Manager will liaise with the appropriate Royal Mail testing site and confirm the results within 10 working days.
The pass rate required from your representative mailpieces are:
- 90% (95% for Premium) for Access 70 Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
The OCR templates are also useful to assess the mailpiece design, and these can be ordered via your Customer Service Manager.
Mailmark Poll Cards
Next Steps
Your Customer Service Manager will match the forms, and providing all have passed, send a confirmation email for your records. You are then able to start using these services straight away.
For assistance or clarification on any of the information relating to the accreditation process, please contact your Customer Service Manager.
You can send completed accreditation forms in hard copy to the address below, or by email to your customer service manager, or to the email address above
Customer Service Manager
Accreditation
Royal Mail Wholesale
2nd Floor
206 Whitechapel Road
London
E1 1AA
Next Steps
Your Customer Service Manager will match the forms, and providing all have passed, send a confirmation email for your records. You are then able to start using these services straight away.
For assistance or clarification on any of the information relating to the accreditation process, please contact your Customer Service Manager.
You can send completed accreditation forms in hard copy to the address below, or by email to your customer service manager, or to the email address above
Customer Service Manager
Accreditation
Royal Mail Wholesale
2nd Floor
206 Whitechapel Road
London
E1 1AA