Effective May 7, 2012, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 301 and 602 to change the size of pieces allowed as Standard Mail® saturation flats when those pieces bear simplified addresses.
This change to physical standards determines mailability of a piece as a Standard Mail flat only for pieces bearing simplified addresses and that are mailed at saturation (carrier route) prices. Specifically, flats mailed under the above conditions are defined either as they are currently (with at least one dimension larger than a letter-size maximum dimension) or as pieces that are longer than 10-1/2 inches, with a minimum height of 3-1/2 inches. This new option for the categorization of flats allows pieces addressed to city routes and city PO Box™ sections that are currently determined to be letters to be prepared and priced as saturation flats when they bear simplified addresses. We retain the current option for mail with simplified addresses to be letter-size or flat-size when pieces are addressed for rural route delivery. Although items addressed for rural route delivery may be mailed as flats under the revision, we expect that when mailers are able to send such items as letters they will continue to do so. Current standards that set the maximum dimensions and the minimum height and thickness for flats will remain.
This revision will allow the use of “Business Customer” as a simplified address to city routes with 100 percent business deliveries. We will also remove the current requirement to print the delivery city, state, and ZIP Code™ on Standard Mail saturation flats with simplified addresses that are not entered directly at destination delivery units.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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300 Commercial Flats
301 Physical Standards
1.0 Physical Standards for Flats
1.1 General Definition of Flat Size Mail
[Revise the introductory text of 1.1 as follows:]
Flat-size mail must have the following characteristics:
[Revise item 1.1a as follows:]
a. Be more than 11-1/2 inches long, or more than 6-1/8 inches high, or more than 1/4 inch thick, other than automation flats under 3.0 or as allowed for Standard Mail pieces with simplified addresses under 2.2.2.
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2.0 Physical Standards for Nonautomation Flats
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2.2 Standard Mail
[Renumber current 2.2.2 as new 2.2.3 and add a new 2.2.2 as follows:]
2.2.2 Dimensions for Standard Mail Flats with Simplified Addresses
Standard Mail flats with simplified addresses for which saturation flats prices are paid must have at least one dimension that is greater than a letter-size maximum dimension as noted in 1.1a. The minimum thickness must be at least 0.007 inch up to a maximum 0.75 inch. As an exception to the minimum length, flats with simplified addresses may have a length shorter than a letter-size maximum length, under all of the following conditions:
a. The length must be greater than 10.5 inches up to a maximum 15 inches.
b. The height must be at least 3.5 inches up to a maximum height of 12 inches, but the height must be no greater than the length.
c. If the piece is also entirely within letter-size dimensions under 201, the piece must bear an “EDDM” marking directly after the “ECRWSS” marking required in 302.3.2c.
d. When the piece is mailed as part of a saturation flats mailing under applicable conditions in 602.3.2.
e. Letter-size pieces that meet the size standards in 301.2.2.2a and b and that are addressed to rural routes may be mailed as letters or flats with simplified addresses at the mailer’s option.
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600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
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602 Addressing
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3.0 Use of Alternative Addressing
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3.2 Simplified Address
3.2.1 Conditions for General Use
The following conditions must be met when using a simplified address on commercial mailpieces:
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[Revise the introductory text of item 3.2.1b as follows:]
b. Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Bound Printed Matter flat-size mailpieces (including Standard Mail pieces allowed as flats under 3.2.1c), and Standard Mail and Periodicals irregular parcels for distribution to a city route or to Post Office boxes in offices with city carrier service, may bear a simplified address, but only when complete distribution is made under the following conditions:
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[Delete current item b5 in its entirety. Redesignate current item b4 as new b5 and add a new item b4 as follows:]
4. When preparing mail to routes with 100 percent business deliveries, mailers may use “Business Customer” to indicate that delivery is intended to all active business deliveries.
[Revise redesignated item b5 as follows:]
5. Use of the word “Local,” or the Post Office and state name, is optional; however, the Postal Service recommends using the Post Office, state, and ZIP Code for mail not entered at or dropshipped directly to a destination delivery unit.
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[Add a new item 3.2.1c as follows:]
c. Standard Mail flats with simplified addresses must have one dimension larger than a letter-size maximum dimension, except under 301.2.2.2. Standard Mail pieces, when mailed under conditions in 301.2.2.2, are considered to be flats and are charged postage for Standard Mail saturation flats. Letter-size pieces that meet the size standards in 301.2.2.2 and that are addressed to rural routes may be mailed as letters or flats with simplified addresses at the mailer’s option.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Pricing, 4-19-12
