Add Download USPS Rates IM420 and IM440 Mail Meter Machine

Introduction USPS Postal Rates and Mail Meters

If you process United States Postal Service mail using a postage machine, you need to be wary of US Postal Service rate increases.

The postage rates that are loaded onto your postage meter (that is attached to the machine) needs to be updated for any increase so that correct postal rates are applied to your outgoing mail.

Since rate changes do not happen very often it is easy to forget how to download new postage. Loading rates is not very complicated and it does not require a technician to come out like in the old days when a special microchip needed to be installed.

About The Author (Me)

I do not service or represent postal machines. Honestly, I’m not even a corporate mail clerk or government postal employee. That said, I have used them from time to time in the past and have been able to troubleshoot a couple issues. I guess that makes me an expert. Not really, but please see if this works for you in spite of me :-)

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The IM420 and IM440 Machines

The only two machines I teach the rate change for is the IM420 and the IM440 mail systems. These guys calculate postage, seal the envelope and apply postage. Both units follow the same process for applying postage.

Your situation may differ if you use different equipment.

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What You Need for Loading Postage Using This Method

Besides having either an IM420 and IM440, you will typically also need:

Rate protection typically needs to be built into your contact. Yes, this is terribly overrated (see my article on rate insurance / protection here ) but typically your meter / mailer dealer requires it.

You will need to load the rates by a certain date. Check with your dealer on what date this is.

Your postal machine needs to be officially registered / declared (this isn’t just some contraption you set up)

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How to Load New USPS Postal Rates on IM440 and IM420

1) Pull the plug out of the outlet of your postal machine. Leave it out for 15 seconds or so then plug back in.

2) Press the menu key

3) The “Main Menu” screen will appear . Keep hitting the arrow until you get to “Online services”

4) Hit OK

5) The press the down arrow until you are over “Generic Call”

6) Press OK

7) From here the screen on your mailer will change a few times as the call is processed. “Generic Call Preparing…” “Generic Call Dialing….” and “Generic Call Transaction…..” Don’t touch the machine as this is processing. It will explode and destroy the building. Kidding. Just don’t shut down the equipment, you’ll foul up the works

8) Now your rates are downloaded and a “Server MOD” screen appears. Hit the OK button