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What Is the Purpose of This Document?
Who is the Audience for this Document?
What Is the Postal Service's Policy
on E-mail Marketing?
Policy
Required Procedures
How to Provide Customer Notice
How to Provide Customer Choice
How to Provide Customer Access to Personal Information
How to Provide Customer Redress
How to Provide Customer Security
How to Use Appropriate Technology That Provides Ease of Use and Safeguards Privacy
What is the Policy Approval Process
for a Marketing E-mail Campaign?
How Do I Contact the Offices Listed
in this MI?
What Definitions Do I Need to Know?
Attachment 1 United States Postal
Service Marketing E-mail Guide
Attachment 2 - Marketing E-mail Policy
Checklist
What is the Purpose
of This Document?
The Postal Service intends for this policy and the guidelines
in this MI to do the following:
• Standardize the Postal Service's process for developing and
sending marketing messages via e-mail.
• Ensure that Postal Service marketing e-mail messages meet
customers' needs and honor their preferences.
This MI applies when the Postal Service, or its supplier, sends to a
customer or prospective customer an e-mail message that markets a
different product or service than the customer may already have received from the Postal Service (or refers to a Web site or directs a
customer to a Web site that markets such a product or service).
Who Is the Audience for This
Document?
This MI applies to the following:
• Any functional organization of the Postal Service that initiates or
plans to initiate a marketing e-mail message/campaign.
• Any third-party supplier initiating or operating a marketing e-mail
message/campaign under contract with the Postal Service.
What Is the Postal Service's Policy on
E-mail Marketing?
Policy
Postal Service employees and suppliers must incorporate the following
elements in the e-mail when a marketing e-mail campaign is conducted
by or on behalf of the Postal Service:
• Providing customers notice about the e-mail.
• Providing customers a choice about being on the e-mail address
list.
• Providing customers access to personal information that the
Postal Service collects and retains on them.
• Providing customers with redress about the e-mail, which
involves not only feedback but also timely processing of that
feedback.
• Providing customers with security of personal information that the
Postal Service manages, transfers, and stores.
• Providing customers with usability and privacy through the use of
appropriate technology.
Required Procedures
How to Provide Customer Notice
There are two kinds of required notice:
1. Notice of e-mail sender, content, purpose.
The subject line of the e-mail outlines the purpose and identifies
the sender of the e-mail. The subject line is the most critical part
of the e-mail (see Attachment 1 for more detailed explanation).
The subject line must do the following:
• Clearly define the topic of the e-mail (i.e., advertisement or
promotion).
• Mention the specific product or service that the e-mail
promotes.
• Identify the sender (i.e., the Postal Service, a Postal Service
affiliate, or a supplier on behalf of the Postal Service).
2. Privacy Notice.
The e-mail message must include a reference or link to the Postal
Service's privacy policy at www.usps.com. If a customer's
response to a marketing e-mail might result in the collection and
placement of that customer's data in a system of records (a file,
database, or program from which information about customers or
employees is retrieved by name or other identifier), the same
e-mail that solicits data must contain a privacy notice.
• If consumers are the target audience, the notice must read:
Privacy Notice
Your information will be used to provide you requested
products, services, or information. Collection is authorized by
39 USC 401, 403, & 404.
Providing the information is voluntary, but if not provided, we
may not process your transaction. We do not disclose your
information without your consent to third parties, except to
facilitate the transaction, to act on your behalf or request, or
as legally required. This includes the following limited
circumstances: to a congressional office on your behalf; to
financial entities regarding financial transaction issues; to a
USPS auditor; to entities, including law enforcement, as
required by law or in legal proceedings; and to contractors
and other entities aiding us to fulfill the service (service
providers). For more information on our privacy policy, see
our privacy link at www.usps.com.
• If business customers are the target audience, the notice
must read: See our Privacy Policy at www.usps.com.
How to Provide Customer Choice
Customers must be able to choose whether or not they want to receive
the marketing e-mail message. This means that you must give customers a way to (1) get on the list (i.e., opt in) and (2) get off the list (i.e., opt
out) for future mailings. Follow these steps to ensure that customers
have a choice about being on the list:
1. Send the e-mail message to customers that are on a Postal
Service house list or the www.usps.com registration list.
Customers who have chosen to receive any marketing e-mail
messages must be:
• Consumers who have opted in.
• Businesses that have either opted in or not opted out.
2. Send the e-mail message to prospective customers from a
third-party list provider. Customers on such a list must be either of
the following:
• Consumers who have opted in.
• Businesses that have opted in or not opted out.
Follow these steps to provide customer choice in getting off the list:
1. Clearly and conspicuously include an opt out function in every
marketing e-mail message that you send customers. An opt out
function is an e-mail or other Internet-based mechanism enabling
customers to request not to receive future marketing e-mail
messages from the Postal Service.
• Opt out function must be fully operational for no less than 30
days after the message was sent.
• Honor customer choices to opt out within 10 business days
after receipt or before the next marketing e-mail campaign
(whichever is first).
• Opt out applies to the specific e-mail address from which the
opt out was sent.
• The preferred placement of the opt out function is at the top
of the e-mail.
2. Require list providers to validate the methods they use to give
customers a choice. All suppliers that provide lists of prospective
customers must also document clearly how they confirmed that
(1) consumers have opted in or (2) businesses have opted in or
have not opted out. List providers must identify the suppression
file and merge/purge process used. Forward the documentation
that you receive from the supplier to the manager of Segment
Advertising.
3. Process the mailing list file for all marketing e-mail campaigns
through the central Postal Service suppression file maintained by
the Advertising and Promotions department. This allows the
Postal Service to merge or purge the list to eliminate the names
of customers who have opted out and to consolidate duplicate
records of customers.
Honor customer choices to opt in and opt out. Customer requests to opt
out must be made within 10 business days after receipt or before the
next marketing e-mail campaign (whichever is first). Incorporate all requests to opt in or opt out into the Postal Service suppression file.
How to Provide Customer Access to Personal
Information
Customers must be able to access information that the Postal Service
collects and retains about them. Customers may access their information depending on how personal data is maintained.
• If the Postal Service maintains data on customers. Give
customers information on how to access their data and to request
corrections or updates to the data.
• If the Postal Service uses a supplier to maintain personal data on
customers. Give customers information on how to access their
data and request corrections or updates to the data. Work with
the third-party and agree on how you will provide information to
customers.
• If neither the Postal Service nor a supplier maintains personal
information. Advise customers that neither the Postal Service nor
a third-party maintains their personal data.
How to Provide Customer Redress
The customer must be able to provide feedback about the marketing
e-mail messages they receive and a process must be in place to respond
to their questions or complaints. You must follow these steps to provide
customers redress about the marketing e-mail message sent to them:
1. In each e-mail, tell the customer that he or she can provide
feedback by replying to the e-mail address from which the
marketing message was sent (i.e., originating e-mail address).
You must also provide a physical Postal Service address in the
e-mail message. The Postal Service has designated the
following address to be placed in all marketing e-mail messages:
USPS MARKETING DEPARTMENT
PO BOX 149263
AUSTIN TX 78714-9263
2. Process customer questions or complaints in a timely manner.
How to Provide Customer Security
The Postal Service must provide security and safeguard procedures
when managing, transferring, and storing customer information. Follow
these requirements:
• To ensure confidentiality, show only the individual recipient's
name in the e-mail address block or message content.
• Add a layer of protection to the transfer of e-mail names by using
encryption software in accordance with security policies in
Handbook AS-805, Information Security.
• Conduct a Business Impact Assessment (BIA) if there is no BIA
for the e-mail storage system or if the data collection system or
process is newly created, as required per Handbook AS-805.
• Contact the Corporate Information Security Office if there are
technical concerns about security compliance.
How to Use Appropriate Technology That Provides
Ease of Use and Safeguards Privacy
Customers must be able to easily access the marketing e-mail message
regardless of the equipment or technology they use, and the technology
used must not compromise their privacy. Follow these requirements:
• Provide standard, readable formats to allow all customers,
regardless of equipment or software, access to the e-mail
message.
• Never use tracking devices such as beacons and cookies, unless
you have prior written approval from the chief privacy officer.
What is the Policy Approval Process
for a Marketing E-mail Campaign?
The functional group initiating the e-mail marketing campaign must complete the attached Marketing E-mail Policy Checklist (see Attachment 2)
and forward it to the manager of Segment Advertising. The checklist
requires (if applicable) the initiating group to do the following:
• Obtain approval from the manager of Brand Equity and Design,
Public Affairs and Communications, for any use of the Postal
Service brand identity design elements in the e-mail message.
• Obtain approval on legal and policy compliance for the e-mail
message. Send requests to the Customer Protection and Privacy
Group in the Office of General Counsel for approval.
• Obtain approval from the chief privacy officer for any use of
tracking devices such as cookies or beacons in the e-mail
message.
• Obtain a letter from the supplier, confirming that the supplier is
fully aware of and will comply with the marketing e-mail policies in
this MI, including the specific information required for choice (see
"How to Provide Customer Choice").
• Notify the manager of Customer Care Operations (at least 48
hours before the start of the campaign) of when (date and time)
and how many e-mails will be released; if the origin of the
e-mail is from within the Postal Service intranet; and if the e-mail
reply is directed to an address within the Postal Service intranet.
How Do I Contact the Offices Listed in
this MI?
For more information on this e-mail policy, contact the appropriate
department below:
MANAGER SEGMENT ADVERTISING
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
475 LENFANT PLAZA SW RM 1227
WASHINGTON DC 20260-1227
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CHIEF PRIVACY OFFICER
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
475 L'ENFANT PLZ SW RM 10407
WASHINGTON DC 20260-2200
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MANAGER CUSTOMER CARE
OPERATIONS
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
4200 WAKE FOREST RD
RALEIGH NC 27668-9300
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OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
475 L'ENFANT PLZ SW RM 6004
WASHINGTON DC 20260-1135
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MANAGER BRAND EQUITY & DESIGN
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
475 L'ENFANT PLZ SW RM 10636
WASHINGTON DC 20260-3100
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MANAGER CORPORATE INFORMATION
SECURITY
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
475 L'ENFANT PLZ SW RM 2411
WASHINGTON DC 20260-2411
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What Definitions Do I Need to Know?
The following terms are essential to understanding the policy that this MI
establishes:
• Affiliate - The owner of a Web site that has placed hyperlinks
on its site and entered into a formal agreement with another site
to send electronic traffic to the other (except as provided in the
Uniform Fee Approaches section of MI AS-610-2001-6, Web Site
Affiliation Program) site in return for compensation.
• House list - A list of current Postal Service customers that have
registered for a product or service or provided their e-mail
addresses through other means.
• Marketing E-mail - An e-mail message/campaign sent by the
Postal Service or its supplier, to a customer or prospective
customer that markets a different product or service than the
customer may already have received from the Postal Service (or
refers to a Web site or directs a customer to a Web site that
markets such a product or service). The term Marketing E-mail
does not include transactional or relationship messages.
• Merge/purge - The practice of consolidating e-mail customer
lists, eliminating duplicates, and removing names of customers
who have opted out.
• Opt in - Customer takes affirmative steps to receive marketing
e-mail.
• Opt out - Customer takes steps to prevent receiving marketing
e-mail. Customer elects not to receive or to discontinue receiving
marketing e-mail messages.
• Personal information - Includes personally identifiable
information such as name, e-mail address, mail address, phone
number, and preferences for receiving specific marketing
messages.
• Suppression file - A database of names and e-mail addresses
that have opted out from receiving future communications from
the Postal Service.
• System of records - A file, database, or program from which
information about customers or employees is retrieved by name
or other identifier.
• Third-party provider - Supplier that provides e-mail lists for
acquisition and lead generation programs.
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