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How to Identify USPS Bar Code Numbers

A United States Postal Service (USPS) bar code helps track and identify the destination of a letter or a parcel. The new bar code expands USPS's ability to identify and track postal packages and it also makes it possible to combine several different services using the same bar code. All you need to identify a USPS bar code is the ZIP code of the recipient, the ZIP+4 number and the delivery point bar code (DPBC) number.

Instructions

- 1
  Check the front of the letter or the package. If you see a long black line with short and long vertical lines above the recipient's name, you have found the USPS bar code.
- 2
  Count the digits underneath the long black bar code. All USPS bar codes have a maximum 31 digits.
- 3
  Check the tracking code under the bar code. The bar code identifier is two digits. The second digit of the bar code identifier is always between zero and four. The service type identifier is three digits.The mail identifier is between six and nine digits. And the serial number is six or nine digits. The serial number has nine digits if it appears on a six digit mailer ID and six digits if is appears on a nine digit mailer ID.
- 4
  Identify the delivery point ZIP code. The ZIP code has five, nine or 11 digits.
- 5
  Visit the USPS website to encode or decode your bar code. Click "Decode" or "Encode" depending on which service you wish to use. Enter the numbers and letters from the bar code into the search box and click "Decode" to determine the tracking number and destination of the package.

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