This Technical Specification specifies a mechanism for the unique identification of individual receptacles. It
defines the method of construction of the identifier, referred to as the receptacle asset number, and specifies
one required and a number of optional methods by which this identifier may be associated with (affixed to) the
receptacle itself.
The receptacle asset number is defined in accordance with the specification of data identifier number 5B, B
being the data identifier category associated with container information.
The Technical Specification also identifies a number of receptacle attributes, or characteristics, which it may be
useful to communicate between parties making use of the receptacle concerned.
A coded representation of one of these attributes – equipment qualifier – is integrated into the recommended
structure of the receptacle asset number. The others are not defined in detail in this document. Precise
definitions and encoding formats for them will be developed over time, as a result of practical experience of use
of the Technical Specification. The definitions will be included in an appropriate reference specification, such as
UPU standards S25 [16] and M82 [9], which serve as baseline definition documents for attributes used in postal
industry communications about postal items, mail aggregates and receptacles.
The application of this Technical Specification is voluntary in the sense that receptacles are not required to be
individually identified.
NOTE 1 Not all receptacles need to have a receptacle identifier. In particular, in today’s environment, mailbags and
disposable trays are not normally identified explicitly – rather their contents are. Many Posts are, however, starting to
individually identify more valuable receptacles and this practice is expected to spread, including to trays, as the
advantages of being able to individually track and control receptacle movement become more apparent.
However, for postal receptacles which do carry an individual identifier, the application of this Technical
Specification is strongly recommended.
NOTE 2 Individual postal operators could define proprietary approaches for use domestically, if they so wished.
However, this would almost certainly lead to increased development and maintenance costs both for the Posts and
their customers and service providers. It can also be difficult to guarantee that postal receptacles, identified in
accordance with the (closed) proprietary system, are segregated from postal receptacles which are exchanged with
other postal operators in accordance with the open system described here.
The receptacle asset number, defined in accordance with this Technical Specification, is primarily intended for
use in asset management applications, which may include receptacle tracking. It is not intended that it be used
to replace the mail aggregate identifier1, defined in UPU standard S9 [10], for the process management and
tracking of the content of the receptacle. However, users of the Technical Specification can agree to its use for
this purpose on a bilateral basis.
NOTE 3 A companion to this Technical Specification, covering the allocation of aggregate identifiers in accordance
with the ISO licence plate standard, is under development. It is envisaged that the resulting aggregate licence plate will,
in time, replace the use of UPU standard S9.
Many of the examples given in this document relate to receptacle asset numbers issued under the UPU issuing
agency code (IAC). The use of this IAC is subject to registration as an issuer under UPU standard S31. The use
of the examples concerned is in no way intended to pre-empt or prejudice such registration.