ADVANCE Notification and Tracking System

The ADVANCE Notification and Tracking System web-based application was developed to assist in the delivery and tracking of USPS^® Standard Mail^® and Periodicals mailings with specific in-home delivery windows. ADVANCE provides mailer delivery performance reports and data for each mailing.

ADVANCE is a free service that tracks the delivery process for qualified Standard Mail and Periodicals mailings. Mailers must meet certain requirements for the USPS to post ADVANCE mailings on the Web.

The ADVANCE Process

Using ADVANCE to track date-sensitive mailings is easy. Mailers are required to provide detailed information about their upcoming mailings to the National Customer Support Center (NCSC) at least eight business days before the beginning in-home requested delivery date for a Standard Mail mailing or the preferred delivery date/publication issue date (if a preferred delivery date is not specified) for a Periodicals mailing. In addition to supplying the two data files containing information on the mailing, Standard Mail mailers are required to provide an actual mailpiece or image of the mailpiece, where Periodicals mailers are not. The NCSC also requires a copy of the facing slip if one is used in the mailing. The NCSC processes the mailing information before sending it to the appropriate delivery unit (DU).

There are approximately 7,000 DUs, serving over 11,000 ZIP Code™ areas, participating in the ADVANCE system. ADVANCE posts information via the Internet to all participating units that have mail volume that meets or exceeds the mailpiece requirements per mailing. Participating DUs include those having ten or more carrier routes and/or a computer system. ADVANCE sends a notification to all participating delivery units in which mail volume does not meet the minimum requirements per mailing.

When the mail pieces arrive at the DU, the date the mailing was located is entered by the DU. Then, as the delivery events occur, the DU enters when delivery began and when it was completed. Using this process, the district and area offices can track the mailing to ensure receipt and delivery at the DU.

After the DU has entered the required dates, ADVANCE provides delivery performance reports for Standard Mail mailings calculated from the data entered by the DU. These reports can be obtained in real time through the ADVANCE Mailer Web page, where it can be viewed and/or downloaded by the mailer in a password-protected environment.

Entry to the Mailer Web page is accessible free of charge via a mailer ID and password. You can obtain a Web Access Request Form to apply for a mailer ID and password via the Mailer Web site home page at advmail.usps.gov. A User Guide is also available on this page.

The ADVANCE Technical Guide and an  electronic list of participating ZIPs can be found at ribbs.usps.gov/files/advance. Technical Support can be reached by calling the National Customer Support Center at 800-238-3150.