View source for Facing Identification Mark

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=physical
|subcat=Bar codes
|image=USPSFIMLocation.png
|caption=Usage of Facing Identification Mark
}}

The '''Facing Identification Mark''' is a bar code format used by the United States Postal Service. Unlike the [[Intelligent Mail barcode]] or [[POSTNET]] code, it does not encode the specific recipient or sender of the mail. Rather, it is pre-printed near the upper right corner of a reply envelope (as printed and sent by businesses seeking a reply to an ad, invoice, etc.) to help mail-sorting machinery determine the proper orientation of a mail piece for address-scanning and cancellation, as well as to distinguish between several different types of reply envelope which differ in postage-collection and sorting.

The bar code carries a set of bits (1 or 0) encoded by the presence (1) or absence (0) of a bar at a given position. There are nine bits in all in a code. This would allow 512 (2<sup>9</sup>) possible values, but in practice only five codes are currently in use:

* '''FIM A''': 110010011 - Reply mail requiring stamp or meter (Courtesy Reply Mail), with [[POSTNET]] or [[Intelligent Mail barcode]]
* '''FIM B''': 101101101 - Business Reply Mail (postpaid), without POSTNET or Intelligent Mail barcode
* '''FIM C''': 110101011 - Business Reply Mail (postpaid), with POSTNET bar code
* '''FIM D''': 111010111 - Information-Based Indicia postage (uses [[PDF417]] or [[Data Matrix]] bar code)
* '''FIM E''': 101000101 - Customized services (uses [[Intelligent Mail barcode]])

== Standards documents ==
* [http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/708.pdf USPS standards document describing bar codes and other mail standards]

== Other links ==
* [[Wikipedia:Facing Identification Mark|Wikipedia article]]
* [http://pe.usps.com/mpdesign/mpdfr_crm_fim.asp Obtaining Facing Identification Mark] (for Courtesy Reply Mail)
* [http://www.endicia.com/tools-resources/harrys-hints/facing-identification-marks Info on Facing Identification Marks]