Method for identifying a machine-readable code applied to a postal item, device for carrying out said method, postal item and method for providing the postal item with the machine-readable code

A method for detecting a machine-readable code that has been applied onto a mailpiece in a selected area of a surface of the mailpiece, whereby the selected area is at least 1 cm away from at least one nearby edge area of the mailpiece, the method comprising:

• checking for the presence of at least two parallel lines in the selected area;
• and
• beginning a detection of modules of the machine-readable code comprising a data-matrix code at a predefinable distance from one of the lines.

A device for processing a mailpiece, the device comprising a detector that is adapted to identify a machine-readable code comprising a data-matrix code that has been applied onto the mailpiece, the detector being adapted to detect the presence of at least two parallel lines, the detector being adapted to start a detection procedure of modules of the data matrix code at a predefinable distance from the lines.

A mailpiece with a machine-readable code disposed thereon, the machine-readable code having a data-matrix code containing postal information and at least two parallel lines that are adjacent to the data-matrix code.

A method for applying a machine-readable code onto a mailpiece, the method comprising:

• applying postal information in the form of a data matrix code onto the mailpiece;
• and
• printing at least two parallel lines onto the mailpiece in the vicinity of the data matrix code, the lines being adjacent to the data-matrix code.