The New Enterprise Payment System: What you Need to Know
The USPS® recently announced the new Enterprise Payment System (EPS), which seeks to combine and standardize multiple payment options into a single payment system for all USPS customers, with the individual nuances being attached to the account and not the method of payment. This means small business newsletters pay using the same system as high-volume mail shops, just with different account set up on the back end.
How do I get started with EPS?
EPS is not yet required, but it is possible to sign up now. Enrollment is done via the Business Customer Gateway( BCG) but requires requesting an EPS Invitation code from your BMEU or postalone@usps.gov. Once you have this code, it is just a matter of using it along with your BCG account to create a new EPS number, or migrate your current CAPS account number over to EPS. From there, this ten digit number becomes they key to almost all your USPS payments.
Almost all existing payment methods and systems are supported by EPS. The unsupported services consist of the following: Parcel Return Service (PRS), Electronic Verification System (eVS), PC Postage, Scan Based Payment (SBP), Merchanise Return Service (MRS), Offical Mail accounting system (OMAS), Premium Forwarding Service Commercial (PFSC), Sharemail and Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting (IMBA). Nearly everything else will still be supported, including most mail classes, permit types, and transactions.
Integrating EPS with BCC Mail Manager™
Once you have your ten-digit EPS number, changing things over in BCC Mail Manager™ is very simple. Simply enter the EPS number into the CAPS number for your company entry in the permit. If you have a CAPS account number and migrate that over to EPS, you will not need to change anything, as you should already have the CAPS number entered in for your company. Please note the same number will be read from the same field, but it will use EPS instead of CAPS for the payment since you will have switched that over on the PostalOne! end.
The Enterprise Payment System should be a fantastic move for the USPS and mailers alike. The convenience alone of being able to add funds from anywhere with only the ten-digit EPS number, combined with standardizing dozens of payment systems should simplify the process considerably. For further information on the new EPS system, please see the USPS’s Fact sheet and FAQ documents. You can also contact BCC Software Customer Support with any questions at 800.624.5234.
