Fact Sheets (Domestic)

Fact Sheet: First-Class Mail

First-Class Mail is matter that contains personal infor­mation, wholly or partially handwritten or typewritten mate­rial, or bills and statements of account. Any matter, except for Customized Market Mail^®, eligible for mailing may be sent, at the option of the mailer, using First-Class Mail^® service. First-Class Mail items are sealed against inspection.

First-Class Mail Highlights

The most significant change for First-Class Mail is the introduction of pricing based on the shape of mail and the relative processing costs. There will be separate prices for letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages (parcels). Prices will decrease for letters weighing over 1 ounce and large envelopes weighing over 6 ounces.

Letters

• The maximum weight for letter-size pieces will be 3.5 ounces.
• The single-piece 1-ounce letter rate will increase to 41 cents, and the single-piece postcard rate will increase to 26 cents. The additional ounce rate will decrease to 17 cents.
• The additional-ounce rate for automation letters will decrease to $12.5 cents.
• Machinable letters preparation is being changed and will require sorting only to the origin 3-digit, auto­mated area distribution center (AADC), and mixed AADC levels.
• Carrier route automation letters will be eliminated.
• To help reduce the number of “air trays” and the costs of handling mail in letter trays, a “reduced” overflow tray option for automation letters will be included. The definition of a “full letter tray” will be revised to one in which pieces must fill the length of the tray between 85 and 100 percent capacity.
• The “heavy piece discount” will be eliminated as the new pricing structure makes it unnecessary.

Large Envelopes (Flats)

The single piece 1-ounce rate for large envelopes (flats) will be 80 cents.

Additional changes include the following:

• All large envelopes (flats) will be required to be rect­angular or square in shape.
• There will be one set of criteria for automation flats including new flexibility standards.

Packages (Parcels)

The single-piece 1-ounce price for packages will be $1.13.

• The new price structure for parcels will include work­share (presorted) prices. A 5-digit UCC/EAN Code 128 barcode or POSTNET barcode will be required. If not, a surcharge of 5 cents each will be assessed. This surcharge will also apply to all parcels weighing less than 2 ounces each, as well as to irregularly shaped items such as tubes and rolls, unless pre­pared in 5-digit scheme or 5-digit sacks.
• Presorted parcel rate levels will be 5-digit and 3-digit.

Customer Opportunities

• Customers may save as much as 39 cents on the first ounce by folding the contents of a flat-size mailpiece (large envelope) into a letter-size mailpiece. Custom­ers can also reconfigure items from a package to fit in a large envelope and save 33 cents on the first ounce.
• The decrease in price to 17 cents for each additional ounce for all mail shapes will result in lower prices for letters weighing over 1 ounce and large envelopes weighing over 6 ounces.
• The additional-ounce rate for presort-rate, letters, flats, parcels, and automation-rate flats is 17 cents. The additional-ounce price for automation letters is 12.5 cents. These reductions along with pricing based on shape eliminate the need for the “heavy piece” discount for mailpieces weighing more than 2 ounces.
• For workshare mail, the additional-ounce rate for letters will decrease to 12.5 cents and the additional-ounce rate for large envelopes and packages will decrease to 17 cents.

Fact Sheet: Priority Mail

Priority Mail^® items are defined as First-Class Mail^® items weighing more than 13 ounces and, at the mailer’s option, any other matter (including regular First-Class Mail items) weighing 13 ounces or less. The weight limit for Priority Mail remains 70 pounds. Material that is required to be mailed at First-Class Mail rates weighing over 13 ounces must be sent via Priority Mail service.

Priority Mail Highlights

The biggest change for Priority Mail service is the intro­duction of dimensional-weight pricing for items larger than a cubic foot and destined to Zones 5–8. Dimensional-weight pricing is based on the cubic capacity of a package (parcel) rather than on weight. It converts the cubic size of an item into a dimensional weight. If a large package is rel­atively light and addressed for delivery to Zones 5–8, it could be charged as a heavier-weight item, based on a standard issued by the International Air Transport Associa­tion (IATA). This standard is used by other commercial car­riers to determine prices for packages shipped by air, and it aligns our Priority Mail prices with the costs we incur for shipping these items by air.

The balloon rate will change. Packages measuring more than 84 inches in combined length and girth and weighing less than 20 pounds will be charged the 20-pound balloon rate, but only to local destinations and Zones 1–4. This rec­ognizes the costs of handling and transporting these large parcels. This limits the balloon rate to those items for which ground rather than air transportation is generally used.

Other changes include:

• Zone 3 Priority Mail items will be priced separately from “local and Zones 1 and 2.” This aligns Priority Mail zones with those used by other classes of mail.
• The maximum size for a Priority Mail item will remain 108 inches combined length and girth (the length or longest side, plus the distance around its thickest part).
• No Priority Mail item will ever be subject to both dimensional-weight and balloon-rate pricing.

Customer Opportunities

• Customers will have the option of using standard USPS^®-provided Priority Mail packaging as they are not subject to dimensional-weight pricing or bal­loon-rate pricing.
• As the size of the box, rather than just the weight, affects the price of mailing, customers are encour­aged to prepare their items for shipment using boxes that are close in size to the item being shipped.
• Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes will be priced at $9.15, regardless of weight, contents, or distance traveled. Priority Mail Flat-Rate Envelopes will be priced at $4.60, the same as the (unzoned) 1-pound rate.

Fact Sheet: Express Mail

Express Mail^® is a premium service offering guaran­teed next-day and second-day delivery service nationwide, 365 days a year. The service options are as follows:

• Next Day and Second Day Post Office to Addressee.
• Next Day and Second Day Post Office to Post Office.
• Custom Designed.
• Express Mail Military Service.

Express Mail Highlights

The only significant change to Express Mail service will be the addition of a new 1-pound rate. The new 1-pound price will be $19.50. Previously, an item over a half pound was charged the 2-pound rate. Adding the 1-pound rate provides better value for customers mailing lightweight documents.

• The 1/2-pound Post Office to Addressee price as well as the Express Mail Flat-Rate Envelope price will increase to $16.25.
• The price for a package weighing over 1 pound and up to 2 pounds will be $21.40 sent with Post Office to Addressee service.
• The fee for additional Express Mail insurance for items valued from $100.01 to $200 will decrease to 75 cents.
• There will be no changes to Express Mail Custom Designed or Next Day Post Office to Post Office ser­vice other than price adjustments.
• Express Mail Military Service (EMMS) remains avail­able. EMMS continues to use Post Office to Addressee prices.

Customer Opportunities

• Customers mailing lightweight documents will enjoy the value of the new 1-pound rate.
• Delivery status of packages are available online at www.usps.com or by calling 800-222-1811.
• A waiver of signature option allows letter carriers to leave packages at a delivery address when the pack­age can be left in a safe location.
• Express Mail service corporate accounts are avail­able and provide a single monthly statement.
• Distinctive mailing supplies, including boxes in a vari­ety of sizes, envelopes, tape, and labels are available.
• There is daily delivery, including on Sundays and on all holidays, at no additional charge.

Fact Sheet: Standard Mail

Standard Mail^® items consist of mailable matter that is neither mailed nor required to be mailed using First-Class Mail^® service, is not entered as Periodicals, and weighs less than 16 ounces.

Standard Mail Highlights

Similar to the changes to First-Class Mail service, which places greater emphasis on mail shape, Standard Mail also emphasizes shape in relation to pricing. As a result, Stan­dard Mail pieces that are not compatible with automated processing equipment, or are parcel-shaped, will be priced higher.

The most significant change to Standard Mail will be for packages (parcels). There will be separate pricing for par­cels, additional presort tiers, and a new destination delivery unit (DDU) drop ship option. A new category, Not Flat-Machinable, has been created to include pieces that are too rigid for mechanized handling. There are also different preparation requirements for irregular and machinable par­cels. These changes will help to process these pieces more efficiently and keep prices lower.

• DDU-entry rates for Enhanced Carrier Route (ECR) letters will be discontinued.
• Regardless of weight, letters that do not meet aspect ratio, or that have any other nonmachinable charac­teristics (too rigid, etc.) will pay the rates for nonma­chinable letters.
• Separate prices will apply for machinable and non­machinable letters.
• The nonmachinable surcharge will be eliminated.
• The maximum weight for automation-rate letters will remain 3.5 ounces.
• The automation basic carrier route rate for letters will be eliminated.
• The definition of an automation flat will be changed to better align prices with processing costs.
• A detached address label (DAL) surcharge of 1.5 cents each will apply to ECR flats and irregular parcels prepared and mailed with DALs.
• DDU-entry rates for flats are retained.
• The nonprofit price structure and incentives will mir­ror those of Standard Mail service.

Customer Opportunities

• Lower increases for heavier items will be reflected in the pound rate.
• Mailers may continue to use the Delivery Confirmation™ electronic option, bulk insur­ance, and return receipt for merchandise with the new irregular and machinable parcel categories. Only Electronic Option Delivery Confirmation will be avail­able with Not Flat-Machinable items.

Fact Sheet: Package Services

Package Services mail consists of mailable matter that is neither mailed nor required to be mailed using either First-Class Mail^®, or entered as Periodicals mail except as permitted or required. Package Services mail includes Bound Printed Matter (BPM), Library Mail, Media Mail, Parcel Post^®, and Parcel Select^®.

Package Services Highlights

• To simplify options at the retail counter, BPM will no longer be offered as a mailing option. However, we will still accept nonpresorted BPM pieces for mailing at the retail counter (as well as at collection boxes and with letter carriers) when the customer has pre-applied postage using any of the current forms: adhesive stamps, meter strips, PC Postage^®.
• The price of a 1-pound Parcel Post item (Zones 3–8) will increase to $4.50.
• The only significant change to Parcel Post and Parcel Select will be the revision of the minimum weight for the balloon rate from 15 pounds to 20 pounds for parcels measuring larger than 84 inches in combined length and girth.
• Balloon-rate pricing will continue to apply to eligi­ble Parcel Post and Parcel Select items destinat­ing to all zones.
• Barcodes will be required on all Parcel Select–DBMC parcels.
• The separate barcode discount of 3 cents will continue on BPM, Library Mail, and Media Mail flats and machinable parcels.

Customer Opportunities

• Mailers who drop ship BPM and Parcel Select in bulk will have smaller price increases.
• The new prices for Parcel Select–DBMC parcels will require that they be barcoded.
• For parcels weighing 1 pound or less, customers may wish to consider Priority Mail^® service.

Fact Sheet: Extra Services and Other Fees

Extra Services are enhancements that, for a fee in addi­tion to postage, provide greater security and accountabil­ity. They include confirmation of mailing, delivery, and receipt; special handling; and payment and acceptance options for mail. Extra Services also provide delivery alter­natives and secure options for sending important matter through the mail.

Extra Services include Certified Mail™, Return Receipt, Delivery Confirmation™, Signature Confir­mation™, Registered Mail™, Collect-on-Deliv­ery, Restricted Delivery, Certificate of Mailing and Insurance. Other services are Post Office™ boxes, Caller Service, and Address Change Service (ACS).

Domestic Insurance

• All domestic insured items will now have a barcode.
• Insurance $200 and under will use PS Form 3813 — and will receive a scan at delivery.
• Insurance over $200 will use PS Form 3813-P and will receive a signature and scan at delivery.
• Prices for insurance coverage have changed as follows:
• Value up to $50 will increase by 30 cents to $1.65.
• $50.01 to $100 will decrease by 25 cents to $2.05.
• $100.01 to $200 will decrease by 90 cents to $2.45.
• $200.01 to $300 will increase by 20 cents to $4.60.
• The cost per additional $100 of insurance will decrease 15 cents to 90 cents.
• Additional Express Mail^® insurance coverage from $100.01 to $200 will decrease to 75 cents.
• Customers purchasing insurance with Delivery Con­firmation or Signature Confirmation service will be able to view delivery information using the Delivery Confirmation or Signature Confirmation barcode information online at www.usps.com.

Post Office Boxes

• Post Office box fees will be realigned to better reflect the costs the Postal Service™ incurs for each individual location. As a result, prices at some loca­tions will increase, while prices at other locations will decrease. In addition, fee group assignments may change.
• Caller Service fees will also be realigned into the same fee groups as Post Office boxes. Instead of one set price, prices will range from $370 to $630 depending on the assigned fee group.
• Key duplication and replacement fees increase to $6.
• Key deposit (refundable fee) remains $1 per key.
• Lock change fees increase to $14.
• Reserve call number fee per year will increase to $38.
• The new Post Office box and Caller Service fees apply only to new rentals and renewals. Current Post Office box holders (and customers paying Caller Service fees) do not begin paying the new fees until they renew. Post Office box and Caller Service fees may be paid for up to two semi-annual periods at a time (i.e., up to 1 year in advance).

Certified Mail and Return Receipt

• Certified Mail service will increase to $2.65.
• Return Receipt Electronic (RRE) option at the time of mailing will decrease to 85 cents.
• Return Receipt service (hard copy) at the time of mailing will increase to $2.15. Return Receipt requested after mailing will increase to $3.80.

Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation

• Delivery Confirmation fees for First-Class Mail^® packages and Package Services at retail will increase to 75 cents and the electronic option fee will increase to 18 cents.
• Delivery Confirmation fees for Priority Mail^® ser­vice (retail option) will increase to 65 cents and the electronic option fee including Click-N-Ship^® will remain free.
• The Delivery Confirmation fees for Standard Mail^® parcels and NFMs electronic option will increase to 18 cents.

Money Orders

• Fees for domestic money orders are as follows:
• Value up to $500 will increase to $1.05.
• $500.01 – $1,000 will increase to $1.50.
• The money order inquiry fee will increase to $5.
• Postal Military Money Orders will increase to 30 cents.

Registered Mail

Registered Mail without insurance will increase to $9.50. Registered Mail fees with insurance coverage will change as follows:

• Value up to $100 will increase to $10.15.
• $100.01 – $500 will increase to $11.25.
• $500.01 – $1,000 will increase to $12.35.
• The cost per additional $1,000 of insurance will increase to $1.10.

Other Fees

Pricing of all Business Reply Mail (BRM) returns will be based on shape. In addition, there are increases as well as decreases to certain BRM per-piece fees. These new fees apply only to first-time payments and fee renewals. BRM customers with current annual and quarterly fees paid do not begin paying the new fees until it is time to renew.

BRM fees will be adjusted as follows:

• Annual permit fee will increase to $175.
• Per-piece charge for Regular will increase to 70 cents.
• Per-piece charge for High Volume will increase to 8 cents.
• The permit imprint application fee and all annual mailing fees will increase to $175. Annual accounting fees (account maintenance fees) will increase to $550. The new fees apply only to first-time payments and fee renewals. Customers with current fees paid do not begin paying the new fees until their current payment period expires.
• The Premium Forwarding Service weekly fee will increase to $11.95. The enrollment fee remains $10. The new weekly fee applies only to customers initially enrolling (or extending) the service and paying on or after May 14, 2007.
• For Confirm^® service, the current Platinum, Gold, and Silver subscription tiers will remain in place. A Platinum subscription will increase from $10,000 to $19,500; a Gold subscription will increase from $4,500 to $6,000; and a Silver subscription will remain unchanged at $2,000. The annual fee for additional Subscriber IDs will remain at $2,000, how­ever, the quarterly fee will increase from $500 to $750. New prices apply to new subscriptions or for renewal of existing subscriptions.

Customer Opportunities

• Customers purchasing insurance online using Click-N-Ship^® service or eBay will be able to initiate claims online at www.usps.com.
• Domestic Insurance fees have decreased for cover­age between $50.01 and $200.
• Customers using Click-N-Ship service will continue to have access to no-fee electronic Delivery Confir­mation on Priority Mail items.
• Items may still be insured up to $500 when pur­chased online via Click-N-Ship, eBay, or at an Auto­mated Postal Center^® (APC^®).
• For items shipped using Express Mail service, $100 of insurance continues to be included at no addi­tional cost.
• Customers who purchase Delivery Confirmation ser­vice or Signature Confirmation service may continue to view delivery information online at www.usps.com.