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What is Royal Mail’s Accreditation Process?
Before using Access services to send machine-readable letters we must check your mail is:
• addressed according to Royal Mail’s specification
• produced in the correct format which can pass through Royal Mail’s machines
• set up to achieve the reduced sortation selections for Access 700
Do I need to gain Accreditation?
| Customer Category | Accreditation Needed | Responsibility for Accreditation |
| Customer Direct Access |
Yes |
Customer is responsible for meeting the accreditation requirements for the relevant services. |
| Operator |
Yes | Operators are responsible for confirming to Royal Mail that each of their Originating Customers holds the correct accreditation |
| Operator as Consolidator |
Yes | Operators can gain their own accreditation when consolidating mail and presenting as OCR or CBC services. See process - Mail Sorting Machine Output Testing by clicking on the link to the left. |
Which Royal Mail Access services requires accreditation?
In order to be accredited, you need to pass accreditation for the following Access services:
• Access 70 OCR/CBC
• Access 120 OCR/CBC
• Access 700
As an option accreditation can also be gained for Access 1400
How do I apply?
Please discuss this with your Customer Service Manager so that they can oversee the process. Together, you will need to complete the relevant forms for the Access service required. Your Customer Service Manager can supply these forms or they can be found below.
Which forms do I need to complete?
The accreditation process consists of three distinct parts and you need only to complete the parts relevant to the product you wish to use.
| Product | Send to Customer Service Manager | Send to Customer Service Manager | Send to Customer Service Manager |
| Access 70/120 OCR |
Yes 90% Standard 95% Premium postcode penetration |
Yes | |
| Access 70/120 CBC |
Yes 90% Standard 95% Premium postcode penetration |
Yes | |
| Access 700 | Yes 100% postcode penetration |
Yes | Yes |
Available to download:
DSA Form A - Address Management
Ensuring that your mailings are accurately addressed and postcoded.
Dependant on the Access Service used, you are required to meet the minimum address and Postcode % accuracy level for all your addresses. Complete the form and return it to your Customer Service Manager at the address shown on the form, including, if necessary, an electronic file containing a sample of 5,000 addresses.
DSA Form B - Mailpiece Design and Printing
Ensuring your mail can be processed and read by our sorting machines.
The mail you are going to send must be able to meet a set standard read rate on our machines. Form B should be completed and sent to your Customer Service Manager. Your Customer Service Manager will confirm the accreditation process, including where to send the mailpieces for testing. A copy of the Form B MUST accompany the mailpiece. Your Customer Service Manager will liaise with the appropriate Royal Mail testing site and confirm the results within 10 working days.
The pass rate required from your sample mailpieces are:
• 90% (95% for Premium) for Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
• 90% (95% for Premium) for Access 120 Customer Bar Code (CBC)
• 100% for Access 700 Customer Bar Code (CBC)
The OCR and CBC templates are also useful to assess the mailpiece design, and these can be ordered via your Customer Service Manager.
DSA Form C - Sortation
Ensuring your mail is correctly sorted to the correct 700 locations.
Here we either test your software with a sample address file or you will automatically pass if you use a Royal Mail Wholesale approved co-supplier or software package. Form C should be completed and sent to your Customer Service Manager address shown on the form.
Next Steps
Your Customer Service Manager will match the forms, and providing all have passed, send a confirmation email for your records. You are then able to start using these services straight away.
For assistance or clarification on any of the information relating to the accreditation process, please contact your Customer Service Manager.
You can send completed accreditation forms in hard copy to the address below, or by email to your customer service manager, or to the email address above
Customer Service Manager
Accreditation
Royal Mail Wholesale
4th Floor
148 Old Street
London
EC1V 9HQ
