Plan for Secure Postage Meter Technology

Federal Register: February 13, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 30)

In 1995, the Postal Service, in cooperation with all authorized postage meter manufacturers, began a phase out of all mechanical postage meters because of identified cases of indiscernible tampering and misuse. Postal Service revenues were proven to be at serious risk. The completion of this effort resulted in the withdrawal of 776,000 mechanical meters from service, completed Phase I of the plan for Secure Postage Meter Technology. Phase II of the plan, the retirement of electronic meters that are manually set by Postal Service employees, is now being implemented. 

Phases III and IV of the Postal Service proposed Plan for Secure Postage Meter Technology affect non-digitally printing meters that are remotely reset under the Computerized Meter Resetting System (CMRS). The affected meters are those meters that print indicia using older letterpress technology rather than digital printing, even if they have a digital display. If such a meter has an additional feature that automatically disables the meter if it is not reset within a specified time period or when certain preprogrammed criteria are met, it is called an enhanced meter.

Phase III of the proposed plan required that the users of non-enhanced CMRS letterpress meters be notified of the schedule for retirement of their meters by December 31, 2001. The placement of non-enhanced CMRS letterpress meters must cease December 31, 2002, and these meters must be off the market and withdrawn from service by December 31, 2006.

Prior to the signing of a contract for the new placement of any non-enhanced CMRS non-digitally printing meter, the manufacturer placing the meter must notify the customer that the meter must be withdrawn from service by December 31, 2006.

Phase IV of the proposed plan requires that the customers of enhanced CMRS letterpress meters must be notified of the schedule for the retirement of their meters by June 30, 2003. The placement of enhanced CMRS letterpress meters must cease by June 2004, and these meters must be off the market and withdrawn from service by December 31, 2008. Prior to signing of a contract for the new placement of any enhanced CMRS non-digitally printing meter, the manufacturer placing the meter must notify the customer that the meter must be withdrawn from service by December 31, 2008.