Printer's Tip

Getting a CAPS Account

Paying the bills; it's something we all have to do. But a CAPS account from the United States Postal Service gives you a faster, more convenient option. Now, paying your postal bill can be less of a chore.

The Centralized Account Processing System (CAPS) is an electronic system for postage payments available to business mailers for all classes of mail. A CAPS account allows you to pay electronically instead of presenting cash or checks in person at a Post Office for each mailing.

CAPS accounts are available to mailers who have at least one permit account or Express Mail Corporate Account (EMCA) and meet at least one of these qualifications:

• Three permits in two or more postal units with revenue of $10,000 each year
• Three or more permits in one location and revenue of $50,000 each year
• Permit revenue of $500,000 each year

There are two types of accounts from which to choose: A centralized trust account and a centralized debit account. In a trust account, funds are deposited electronically before the mailing is sent, and the postage owed is deducted when the local Post Offices process postage statements. Debit accounts are designated by customers and the total postage is debited for the day on the bank's next business day. Debit accounts are preferred because they work like a charge account. If for some reason the mailer is short on their postage payment, the difference will simply be charged to their account, and no hold-ups in the mailing will occur.

CAPS accounts allow you to conveniently fund permit imprints, Business Reply Mail, merchandise return service, postage due, EMCA, and Address Element Correction.

The accounts are set up under current permit imprints, Periodicals, and Business Reply numbers. Systems have been set up to offer you more monitoring abilities such as account access through Internet and telephone

One major convenience of a CAPS account is not having separate accounts at each Post Office where you mail; instead, the payment is made to the Postal Service.

For more information about CAPS accounts, please contact your local Postal Service business center or the CAPS Service Center at 650.377.1334.

If you're ready to enroll, application forms are available on the USPS website. These can be filled out and mailed to:

The CAPS Service Center
2700 Campus Drive
San Mateo, CA 94497-9442