Barcode Guide
FIM
The facing identification mark (FIM) symbology was developed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to allow automatic facing, or orientation, of the mail piece for cancellation. It also identifies reply mail that uses a preprinted USPS POSTNET barcode symbol. Mail that uses a FIM can be routed to a high-speed sorter. The FIM does not encode data.
The following variants are available:
- FIM A: Used for courtesy reply mail and meter reply mail that has a preprinted POSTNET barcode.
- FIM C: Used for business reply mail that has a preprinted ZIP+4 POSTNET barcode.
The FIM is a pattern of vertical bars (five for FIM A and six for FIM C) that are printed in the upper right portion of a mail piece to the left of the postage area.
The FIM is defined in the USPS Designing Letter and Reply Mail document.
Symbol Structure
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