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Centralized account processing system migrating

The U.S. Postal Service has been unveiling for some months now the transition to a new, more secure business mail account payment system to migrate current users of the Centralized Account Processing System. It would also consolidate many different payment locations to run through one central account, now called Enterprise Payment System. It is not mandatory. 
Although CAPS allows debit from a bank account or a deposit to a USPS trust account, the new system allows more flexibility of payment submission and covers even more postal products and services. But to be perfectly clear, there is no prohibition against check deposit into a trust account at your local post office. 
CAPS will eventually be discontinued, but no date has been set. Nevertheless, EPS trust accounts can be paid at your local office rather than checks being sent to San Mateo, CA, under CAPS.
The Enterprise Payment System allows customers to pay for postal products and services through a single account, called the Enterprise Payment Account. This includes Periodicals, Standard Mail shoppers or free newspapers postage and permit fees, Standard Mail renewal notices, plus those paying for multiple post office boxes and other services mailers use.
Although most Periodicals newspaper mailers don’t use CAPS unless part of a larger ownership group, it appears that the Enterprise Payment System could eventually be used for all mailer payments. 
Even though hard-copy postage statements can still be submitted, more newspapers might find it necessary, and valuable, to set up a Business Customer Gateway account at https://gateway.usps.com. Many newspapers already have a BCG account for sending postal documents electronically.
EDOC BENEFITS MAILERS & USPS
Once you have a BCG account, you are one step closer to setting up electronic transmission of paperwork. The PostalOne! postage acceptance system transactions are now being accepted by EPS. If you are not yet transitioned to electronic documentation (eDoc) via the BCG, the new EPS gives you more reasons to do so. 
Many newspapers have learned the ease of transmitting their Periodicals Postage Statement 3541 and USPS Qualification Report with the push of a button from their postal presort software into PostalOne!, which allows Business Mail Entry clerks to see the documents in the system without having to laboriously enter the data themselves from hard-copy statements that arrive with the mailing. 
Use of eDoc can do wonders for your relationship with post offices that are increasingly short-staffed. And it’s a requirement for Overnight Drop of Periodicals for dailies and others so approved under the National Newspaper Association-won policy.
ENTERPRISE PAYMENT ACCOUNT SETUP
After you have set up a Business Customer Gateway account, you can enroll in EPS by requesting an invitation code via an email to PaymentModernizationMigrationTeam@usps.gov
Include this info with your request: Subject line: EPS Request. Provide name, address and contact email plus your CRID (Customer Registration ID) for the permit owner. You should receive an answer within two business days. You can also talk to your local Business Mail Entry clerk. 
You will be assigned a 10-digit EPA number. If you are converting from CAPS, the number will be preceded by 90001.  
The first person to request access is assigned the administrator role. Additional users must be approved by the administrator. 
You can select the option of using a trust account with “Retail Deposit” at your origin-entry post office as always, if that is your normal payment method. But you could also setup electronic (ACH) debit from your bank account, or a central bank account if you are part of a group. Credit cards cannot be used as payment. 
Electronic debit assures that your mail is not held up for lack of funds in a trust deposit account. Mobile payment functionality is planned for those high-tech users out there.
Multiple permits, whether for Periodicals or Standard Mail, etc., can be linked so one EPS account handles all payments, whether local trust accounts or electronic bank debit. This could be helpful even for the owner of a few titles in close proximity who would like to cut down the number of deposit accounts they have to keep “filled” with postage funds. 
Transaction history will be retained for 24 months. © Max Heath 2018

Max Heath, NNA postal chair, is a postal consultant for Landmark Community Newspapers, LLC, and NNA members. He is sponsored by Interlink Software. Email maxheath@lcni.com.