Domestic Mail

POM REVISION

Easy Stamp Services

Effective immediately, subchapter 15 of the Postal Operations Manual (POM) is revised to reflect updated policy for Stamps by MailŪ service.

Postal Operations Manual (POM)

1 Retail Management

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15 Easy Stamp Services

151 Stamps by Mail

151.1 Description

[Revise 151.11 and 151.12 as follows:]

151.11 Stamps by Mail PS Forms 3227-A and 3227-B

The Stamps by Mail (SBM) service allows Postal Service customers on all carrier routes and Post Office boxes to purchase Postal Service products, such as booklets, sheets, and coils of stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes by ordering through the mail. The Postal Service order forms are incorporated in self-addressed, postage- paid envelopes. Customers may obtain order envelopes (PS Forms 3227-A and 3227-B, Stamps Delivered to Your Door) from city, rural, or contract delivery service carriers, in Post Office lobbies, or by telephoning the local delivery unit to request its delivery.

PS Form 3227-A is for noncredit card Stamps SBM fulfillment sites and PS Form 3227-B is for credit card only SBM fulfillment sites. After completing the PS Form 3227-A order form and enclosing a check or money order, or after completing a PS form 3227-B for credit card-only sites, the customer drops the sealed envelope in a collection box or in his or her mailbox. Mail orders are filled and delivered to the customer within 2 business days after the customer mails the order. Postmasters must requisition PS Forms 3227-A and 3227-B from the printer and maintain a supply for use in filling customers' telephone requests for the form, for customer use in the Post Office lobby, and for all letter carriers and Post Office box clerks to use as required.

Postmasters must requisition PS Forms 3227-A or 3227-B from the printer. To order forms, submit PS Form 3227-O, Stamps At Your Door Supply Order, to the printer. PS Form 3227-O is available at http://blue.usps.gov; click on Forms, then select the form by number.

151.12 Rural Delivery Areas - PS Form 3227-R

Stamp purchase orders allow Postal Service customers, on rural and contract delivery service routes only, to purchase all Postal Service products (such as booklets, sheets, and coils of stamps, postal cards, and money orders) directly from the rural or contract delivery service carrier or by using PS Form 3227-R, Stamp Purchase Order. Customers obtain PS Form 3227-R from the rural or contract delivery service carrier or by telephoning the local delivery unit to request the form's delivery. After completing PS From 3227-R and enclosing cash, check, or money order, the customer places the sealed envelope in his or her mailbox with the flag up. Stamp orders are generally filled and returned to the customer either at the time of mail delivery by the rural carrier or within 1 business day. Postmasters must maintain a supply of PS Form 3227-R for use in filling customers' telephone requests for the form or for rural delivery carriers to use as required.

Postmasters must requisition PS Form 3227-R from the material distribution center (MDC). The MDC applies limits to order quantities depending on the CAG level of the requisitioning office. Since actual need may not be determined by such limits, districts must order "buffer" supplies of forms in order to serve those units receiving too few.

[Add new 151.13 as follows:]

151.13 Written and Telephone Requests

Handle written and telephone requests as follows:

a. Unit managers and clerical employees answering customers' telephone inquiries must be aware that customers may order SBM without using PS Form 3227-A or 3227-B for credit card-only sites by writing to the local postmaster. The customer should indicate the kind and quantity of stamps desired and must enclose a check or money order payable to "Postmaster" for the amount of the stamps. For credit card-only sites, the customer must include the required credit card information.

b. Postage affixed to such an order is not refundable.

c. After filling orders, employees should always enclose a preaddressed PS Form 3227-A or 3227-B for placing the next order.

151.2 Responsibilities

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151.22 Postmasters of City Delivery Offices

[Revise 151.22 as follows:]

Postmasters are responsible for ensuring direct supervision of SBM operations to achieve service standards and to deal effectively with variances.

Postmasters are also responsible for ensuring that rural carriers maintain a supply of stamp stock and PS Form 3227-R order forms sufficient to meet the needs of the customers on the route.

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151.3 Filling Orders

[Revise 151.3 as follows:]

151.31 General

The intent is to maximize quality and productivity within the required 24-hour target for order filling. District managers are expected to implement an appropriate mix of SBM operations among city delivery units. With higher volumes, SBM orders may be preaddressed to (and filled at) central locations, such as the main office. Placing the barcode on the envelope and assigning a unique ZIP Code to SBM allows automated sites to save work hours, speed the mail's availability, and sort directly to the order fulfillment operation. Normally, orders are delivered by regular mail. Certify those valued at $200 or more. Second attempts must be made the next day if the initial delivery attempt is unsuccessful.

151.32 Clerical Downtime

If transaction volumes permit, one method of filling SBM orders is to use clerical downtime. Between customers, retail service counter clerks can fill orders at the customers' own delivery units.

151.33 Centralized Fulfillment Locations

In centralized fulfillment locations, assign at least one clerk and a designated backup clerk to handle sustained order processing. Avoid service failures by training a third clerk to assist in handling the heavy volumes expected before Christmas and following planned promotions or publicity.

In centralized operations, separate filled orders by delivery unit or route, as appropriate. Certify any envelope containing stock worth $200 or more.

151.34 Order Filling Clerks

The order filling clerks receive all SBM orders and may fill them intermittently throughout the business day. For this reason, early availability is necessary to forecast volume and to plan a day's work. All orders must be filled within 24 hours of the clerk's receipt.

As each order is opened, the clerk must do the following:

a. Check for the customer's name and address on both the order form and, especially, on the return address label.

b. Ensure that the order form is properly filled in and includes the quantities and costs of the ordered items. Check the customer's addition to ensure that the total is correct.

c. Verify that the customer's check is signed and made payable to "Postmaster" or "United States Postal Service" in the amount shown on the order. Accept the customer's check in accordance with procedures outlined in Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures. Annotate the back of the check with the initials "SBM."

d. If an error is found, take the following steps before returning the order or order form to the customer:

(1) If the value of the order exceeds the amount of the check, fill as much of the order as permitted, deducting postage equal to the value of the shortage.

(2) If the check lacks a signature or an amount, or if no check or order was enclosed, return the materials to the customer. Enclose a brief descriptive note to the customer, explaining the error. Always include a new order form.

(3) If the check's value exceeds the value of stock ordered, fill the order to the amount of the check or money order.

e. When filling an order, it is preferred that fulfillment sites use standard Tyvek envelopes available from the Material Distribution Center. For more information, see Postal Bulletin 22165 (10-13-05, page 63). Tyvek envelopes should be mailed using a G-10 label. Detach the return address label from the order form and then apply it to the envelope with the G-10 label. Enclose another preaddressed PS Forms 3227-A or 3227-B as appropriate with the stock. Seal the envelope.

f. Reporting SBM Revenue:

Report SBM revenue on PS Form 1412-A, Daily Financial Form, in AIC 094, Stamps by Mail Sales. If orders cannot be filled on the same day as opened, deposit the funds and enter the amount to Trust Funds Received. Make a withdrawal from Trust Funds and entry to AIC 094 on the next business day when the orders are filled. PS Forms 3227 are not submitted as support for PS Forms 1412-A. Keep the files of these forms available for supervisors' review.

g. Place filled order forms aside for filing at the end of the day's order filling. Each form must be round dated, initialed by the person who filled it, and filed according to the customer's last name. These records must be retained in the unit until the next examination of the clerk's accountability or 30 days, whichever is greater.

h. Take the orders to the registry unit.

i. Record the number of orders in each dispatch to a delivery unit on an all-purpose ruled form.

151.35 Registry Unit

The registry clerk must do the following:

a. Validate the count of orders by delivery unit, return a copy of the ruled form to the clerk, and keep a copy for registry records.

b. Place all orders for one delivery unit in a large envelope addressed to the unit manager and marked "Open and Distribute." Record the number of enclosed orders on the envelope's face.

c. Backstamp each large envelope as though it were a regular registered piece, without a registered article number and without listing it on a registry control sheet.

d. Dispatch the large envelopes by pouch to the appropriate delivery units.

151.36 Receiving Delivery Unit

At a receiving delivery unit, the manager must do the following:

a. Remove and open the unit envelope, checking the number of orders against the count appearing on the envelope.

b. Notify the registry section immediately of any discrepancies.

c. Distribute the individual orders to the appropriate carriers. Carriers deliver the orders as regular mail, or Certified Mail, as marked. Managers must leave all orders, except Certified Mail articles, in the delivery receptacle, unless an obvious security risk exists.

151.37 Undeliverable as Addressed Orders

If an order has been misaddressed or is undeliverable as addressed, return it through the registry unit to the SBM section supervisor or SBM clerk. The supervisor or SBM clerk determines from the PS Form 3227 which clerk filled it and if the correct address is on the envelope. The supervisor or SBM clerk notifies the customer to verify the address and explain the delay of the order. If the order is undeliverable and the customer cannot be contacted, the supervisor or SBM clerk returns the order to the stamp credit within a week.

Note: Customer addresses with incorrect or missing ZIP Codes are deliverable.

151.38 Lost Orders

SBM orders are rarely lost in the mail. If a customer reports a lost or missing order, replace it immediately as follows:

a. Check the files for a record of the order. It is unnecessary to ask the customer for a copy of a canceled check. Complete a PS Form 1510, Mail Loss/Rifling Report (initiated by the SBM clerk or supervisor receiving the nonreceipt report). Retain a copy of the PS Form 1510 with the original order PS Form 3227-A or 3227-B for a period of 2 years. Send all replacement orders by Certified Mail, regardless of value. Contact the customer prior to delivery of the replacement order to ensure that the customer will be there to receive the order.

b. Record the customer's name and the reporting date of the loss on PS Form 1096, Receipt, indicating "Duplicate Stamps by Mail Order - original reported lost."

c. The supervisor must clear the issuing clerk's accountability by initialing the PS Form 1096.

d. The clerk submits the PS Form 1096 as support for the entry to suspense on PS Form 1412-A, Daily Financial Form.

e. Return an undeliverable order to the stamp credit out of which it was filled. Increase the stamp credit by reducing AIC 094 and increasing Trust Funds Received.

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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the POM and also into the online update, available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web site:

• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.

• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click on References.

• Under "References" in the right-hand column, under "Policies," click on PolicyNet.

• Click on Manuals.

(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet Web site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)

— Retail Access Channels,
Delivery and Retail, 11-23-06