File Name

Record Positions

Field Name

Revision and Comment

Header

075–077

USPS Electronic File Version Number

Change: Electronic file version number will change from 1.3 to 1.4.

New Rates. All Header Records submitted with the new rates and fees for rate case R2006-1 must use the new electronic file version number 1.4, to be displayed as the 3-digit numeric code 014.

The Product Tracking System (PTS) will not be able to accept files with the new rates with version number 1.4 until the implementation date of the new rates. Version number 1.4 files received before the implementation date will be rejected, and the eVS mailer will need to resubmit the files on the implementation date.

Old Rates. The Product Tracking System (PTS) will process files with the old rates with file version number 1.3 up to 30 days after the date of rate implementation if those files use the old layout and old coding.

This 30-day period will allow the Postal Service to handle files for mailings at the old rates presented before the implementation date of new rates but received after that date because of processing errors or other technical difficulties.

These files will be handled manually and postage from these files entered as adjustments to the mailer’s postage payment account because eVS will not be able to generate postage statements with the old rates beginning on the implementation date of the new rates.

Detail 1

003–004

Class of Mail

Change: The code “SA” is redesignated as Standard Mail Regular; three new Standard Mail codes will be added:

• S2 = Standard Mail Nonprofit
• S3 = Standard Mail Enhanced Carrier Route
• S4 = Standard Mail Nonprofit Enhanced Carrier Route

Enhanced Carrier Route and Nonprofit Enhanced Carrier Route parcel mail will not be available for eVS mailers upon the implementation of new rates. eVS will be expanded at a future date to include these subclasses.

Detail 1

038–044

Postage

Revision: Postage amount will no longer include discounts; discounts will need to be displayed in record positions 163–169.

Discounts should be considered as negative numbers when calculating total postage and fees; surcharges should be considered as positive numbers.

Complete postage and fees calculation would include the following record positions:

• 038–044 = Postage Amount
• 082–086 = Fee for 1st Extra Service
• 089–093 = Fee for 2nd Extra Service
• 096–100 = Fee for 3rd Extra Service
• 163–169 = Discount or Surcharge Amount
• 174–180 = Nonincidental Enclosure Postage

Detail 1

045

Unit of Measure

Change: All weights will be required to be expressed in pounds, even weights for Standard Mail and First-Class Mail.

The required code for unit of measure is “1” for pound weight.

Detail 1

046–054

Weight

Change: Physical weight, not rate weight, will be used.

Using physical weights ensures data integrity for mailer and the USPS. This information is needed for developing production and transportation costs and for assuring material handling safety. Accurate weights are critical to the USPS for developing costs related to each mail class and rate category.

For parcel mail, use of rate weights can exaggerate the true physical weight of a mailing. For example, Parcel Post is charged at 1-pound increments. In other words, a parcel weighing 0.5000 pound is charged as though it weighed 1.000 pound.

If a mailer has two parcels, each weighing 0.5000 pound but records each as 1.0000 pound in the manifest for calculating the correct postage, the total weight would appear to be 2 pounds, when in fact the total physical weight is only 1 pound for the two parcels.

When this is compounded by a large number of parcels, the implication of using rate weights can become significant.

Detail 1

055

Processing Category

Change: Current processing categories 3, 4, and 5 will include subclass application; new processing category codes 6, 7, 8, and 9 will be added.

Each mail processing category shows the subclasses to which it could apply. The processing category “irregular,” for example, can apply to Standard Mail, Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail.

The new processing categories 6 and 7 will be used only for Standard Mail Not Flat-Machinable parcels. Processing category 6 will refer to parcels weighing less than 6 ounces; processing category 7 will refer to parcels weighing 6 ounces or more. This distinction will be required because barcoding and sortation standards will differ by this weight break. Parcels weighing less than 6 ounces can be barcoded using either a POSTNET barcode or a UCC/EAN 128 Code barcode; parcels weighing more than 6 ounces may use only the UCC/EAN 128 Code barcode.

Processing category 8 will be reserved.

Processing category 9 will be used for Priority Mail, which traditionally has not had parcels classified by processing categories.

Detail 1

056

Destination Rate Indicator

Change: The destination rate indicators “T” (for Intra-BMC Parcel Post) and “E” (for Inter-BMC Parcel Post) will be eliminated.

Destination rate indicators will be used only to identify those classes, subclasses, or rate categories that receive either a discount or a reduced rate if the mailer transports the mail to the indicated destination facility. Standard Mail and Bound Printed Matter are eligible for destination entry discounts; Parcel Select is eligible for destination rates.

The destination rate indicators, corresponding to facility type, will be “B” for destination bulk mail center (including auxiliary service facilities (ASFs)), “S” for sectional center facility (generally a large processing facility); and “D” for destination delivery unit (such as a station, branch, or small post office).

The designation “N” is used for two situations:

1. (1) The rate structure for the subclass or rate category does not include destination entry rates or discounts. The rate structures for First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, Intra-BMC Parcel Post, Inter-BMC Parcel Post, Media Mail, and Library Mail do not include entry rates or discounts. The code “N” is always used for these classes, subclasses, and rate categories.
2. (2) The rate structure for the subclass includes destination entry discounts as well as non-entry presorted rates or single-piece rates for mail deposited at origin. The rate structure for Standard Mail includes non-entry presorted rates; the rate structure for Bound Printed Matter includes non-entry presorted and single-piece rates. “N” is used in those cases.

Detail 1

057–058

Rate Indicator

Change: All 27 rate indicators used for any rate combination in eVS will be new.

For this complete revision of coding, the 27 rate indicators, with a few exceptions for Parcel Post, will no longer contain class-specific information.

Barcoding information will not be included in the rate indicator; it will be the sixth “rate ingredient” for eVS and will be shown in record position 199.

Detail 1

101–105

Length

Change: New field (field composed of positions 101 and 102, formerly used for “Extra Service Code 4th Service”; and positions 103, 104, and 105, formerly used for the first three positions of “Fee for 4th Extra Service”).

In response to the new requirements for dimensional weight calculations for certain Priority Mail parcels destined for zones 5, 6, 7, or 8, a new 5-position field will be added for recording the rounded length of the parcel. Positions 104 and 105 represent decimal places 1 and 2.

Detail 1

106–110

Width (Girth)

Change: New field (field composed of positions 106 and 107, formerly used for the last two positions of “Fee for 4th Extra Service”; positions 108 and 109, formerly used for the two positions of “Extra Service Code 5th Service”; and position 110, formerly used for the first position of “Fee for 5^th Extra Service”).

In response to the new requirements for dimensional weight calculations for certain Priority Mail parcels destined for zones 5, 6, 7, or 8, a new 5-position field will be added for recording the rounded width of the parcel. Positions 109 and 110 represent decimal places 1 and 2.

In anticipation of future changes, this field has also been designated as the “girth” field for parcels that are measured by length and girth to determine specific rate categories or eligibility for mailing.

Detail 1

111–115

Height

Change: New field (field composed of positions 111, 112, 113, and 114, formerly used for the last four positions of “Fee for 5th Extra Service”; and position 115, formerly used for the first position of “Extra Service Code 6th”).

In response to the new requirements for dimensional weight calculations for certain Priority Mail parcels destined for zones 5, 6, 7, or 8, a new 5-position field will be added for recording the rounded height of the parcel. Positions 114 and 115 represent decimal places 1 and 2.

Detail 1

116–121

Dimensional Weight

Change: New field (field composed of positions 116, formerly used for the last position of “Extra Service Code 6th Service”; and position 117, 118, 119, 120, and 121, formerly used for all five positions of “Fee for 6th Extra Service”).

In response to the new requirements for dimensional weight calculations for certain Priority Mail parcels destined for zones 5, 6, 7, or 8, a new 6-position field will be added for recording the rounded weight (dimensional weight) of the parcel. Positions 120 and 121 represent decimal places 1 and 2.

Detail 1

161–162

Discount or Surcharge Type

Change: Modified field to allow three new codes for surcharges and nine new codes for discounts.

Surcharges. The three new surcharges will reflect changes for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail only. The residual-shape surcharge for Standard Mail will be eliminated.

The three new surcharges will be indicated with the prefix “N” followed by a single digit. N1 is a nonmachinable or nonbarcoded parcel surcharge that will apply to First-Class Mail only; N2 is a nonbarcoded parcel surcharge that will apply to Standard Mail only; and N3 will be a fee for the use of detached address labels for Standard Mail Enhanced Carrier Route and Nonprofit Enhanced Carrier Route.

Discounts. The nine new discounts will reflect changes for Packages Services, including a machinable parcel barcode discount, OBMC presort discount, Presort BMC discount, and discounts when special handling is applied to certain nonmachinable parcel mail for which a surcharge is included in the rate tables.

Detail 1

163–169

Discount or Surcharge Amount

Change: Expand the decimal field to three positions for future fractional cents.

Detail 1

170–171

Nonincidental Enclosure Rate Indicator

Change: Restriction of valid rate indicators.

Rate indicators will be valid in any combination with the class of mail code in record positions 172 and 173.

Detail 1

172–173

Nonincidental Enclosure Class of Mail

Change: Restriction of class of mail codes.

Only codes for First-Class Mail (“FC”) and Regular Standard Mail (“SA”) will be permitted in this field.

Detail 1

199

Postal Routing Barcode

Change: New field (formerly the first position of the filler field, made up of positions 199 and 200).

In response to the new barcoding requirements, this 1-character position will be used to record whether the parcel bears a barcode representing the destination 5-digit ZIP Code (usually referred to as a postal routing barcode for parcel mail).

• “0” will indicate the absence of a barcode;
• “1” will indicate a UCC/EAN 128 Code barcode (available for all parcel mail, regardless of weight); and
• “2” will indicate a POSTNET barcode (available only for First-Class Mail parcels and, for par­cels weighing less than 6 ounces, Standard Mail parcels)

Detail 1

200

Filler

Change: New field size (formerly the second position of the filer field, made up of positions 199 and 200).