Effective July 15, 2007, we are revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) with the new mailing standards and prices that resulted from the R2006-1 Omnibus rate change. We published these standards in the June 7, 2007, Postal Bulletin, and we are making several additional revisions for clarity as we add the new standards to the DMM. The clarifications include the following:
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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700 Special Standards
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705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
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8.0 Preparing Pallets
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8.10 Pallet Presort and Labeling
8.10.1 Periodicals—Bundles, Sacks, or Trays
[Add a new last sentence as follows:]
***For pieces meeting the standards in 707.26.0, mailers may prepare the nonpalletized (residual) portion of a mailing in sacks under 705.10.0.
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9.0 Preparing Cotrayed and Cosacked Bundles of Automation and Nonautomation Flats
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9.2 Periodicals
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9.2.4 Bundles With Fewer Than Six Pieces
[Revise the last sentence to clarify that Outside-County pieces in low-volume bundles must be claimed at the mixed ADC rate as follows:]
***Pieces in low-volume bundles must claim the applicable mixed ADC rate (Outside-County) or basic rate (In-County).
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10.0 Preparing Merged Containerization of Bundles of Flats Using City State Product
10.1 Periodicals
10.1.1 Basic Standards
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[Revise item c as follows:]
c. Pieces in the machinable rate mailing must meet the flats criteria in 301.3.0; pieces that meet the flats criteria in 707.26.0 also may be sacked under this option. Pieces in the Presorted rate mailing and the carrier route mailing must be nonletter-size.
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10.1.3 Bundles With Fewer Than Six Pieces
[Revise the second sentence to clarify that Outside-County pieces in low-volume bundles must be claimed at the mixed ADC rate. Make this same change to 705.11.2.3, 705.12.1.3, 705.13.1.3, 707.22.4, 707.23.6, and 707.25.1.9.]
***Pieces in these low-volume bundles must be claimed at the applicable mixed ADC rate (Outside-County) or basic rate (In-County).***
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10.1.4 Sack Preparation and Labeling
[Revise the sixth sentence as follows:]
***If, due to the physical size of the mailpieces, the machinable or nonmachinable flats rate pieces are considered flat-size under 707.26.0, and the carrier route sorted pieces and presorted rate pieces are considered irregular parcels under 401.1.6, "FLTS" must be shown as the processing category on the sack label.***
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12.0 Preparing Merged Palletization of Bundles of Flats Using a 5% Threshold
12.1 Periodicals
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12.1.4 5% Threshold
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[Revise item e to clarify that pieces in low-volume bundles must be claimed at the mixed ADC rate as follows. Make this same change to 705.13.1.4e.]
e. For the purpose of determining the 5% threshold, addressed pieces in low-volume carrier route bundles count as carrier route sorted pieces, and addressed pieces in low-volume 5-digit bundles count as 5-digit sorted pieces, even though the mixed ADC rate (Outside-County) or basic rate (In-County) is paid for such pieces.
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707 Periodicals
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2.0 Rate Application and Computation
2.1 Rate Application
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2.1.2 Applying Outside-County Piece Rates
[Revise the first and third sentences in new 2.1.2 for clarity as follows:]
The per piece charge applies to each copy and each firm bundle in the mailing. Outside-County piece rates are based on the shape of the mailpiece (letter, flat, or parcel); the characteristics of the mailpiece (machinable or nonmachinable, see 18.4ac and 18.4ad); the application of a barcode; and the bundle presort level. Firm bundles and carrier route pieces pay separate piece rates that do not vary based on these criteria.***
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2.1.9 Applying Outside-County Container Rates
[Revise the second sentence for clarity as follows:]
***The container level is determined by the least-finely presorted bundle that container could contain according to standards (for example, a “5-digit metro pallet” may contain 3-digit and/or 5-digit bundles and would always pay the 3-digit/SCF pallet rate).* * *
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22.0 Preparing Nonbarcoded Periodicals
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22.3 Firm Bundles
[Add a new last sentence to 22.3 to emphasize that firm bundles must not be placed in 5-digit scheme sacks as follows:]
***Firm bundles must not be placed in 5-digit scheme sacks.
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29.0 Destination Entry Rate Eligibility
[Update the destination entry rate eligibility standards in 29.0 to reflect the new rate structure as follows:]
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29.3 Destination Area Distribution Center
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29.3.2 Rate Eligibility
Determine rate eligibility as follows:
a. Pound Rates. Outside-County pieces are eligible for DADC pound rates when placed on an ADC or more finely presorted container, deposited at an ADC (or USPS-designated facility), and addressed for delivery to one of the 3-digit ZIP Codes served by the facility where deposited.
b. Container Rates. Mailers may claim a DADC container rate for ADC and more finely presorted containers that are entered at and destined within the service area of the ADC at which the container is deposited.
[Delete renumbered 29.3.3, Rates.]
29.4 Destination Sectional Center Facility
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29.4.2 Rate Eligibility
Determine rate eligibility as follows:
a. Pound Rates. Outside-County pieces are eligible for DSCF pound rates when placed on an SCF or more finely presorted container, deposited at an SCF (or USPS-designated facility), and addressed for delivery to one of the 3-digit ZIP Codes served by the facility where deposited. Nonletter-size pieces are also eligible when the mailer deposits 5-digit bundles at the destination delivery unit (DDU) (the facility where the carrier cases mail for delivery to the addresses on the pieces) and the 5-digit bundles are in or on the following types of containers:
1. A merged 5-digit scheme or merged 5-digit sack.
2. A merged 5-digit scheme, merged 5-digit, or 5–digit scheme pallet.
b. Container Rates. Mailers may claim a DSCF container rate for SCF and more finely presorted containers that are entered at and destined within the service area of the SCF at which the container is deposited.
[Delete renumbered 29.4.3, Rates.]
29.5 Destination Delivery Unit
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29.5.2 Rate Eligibility
In-County and Outside-County pieces are eligible for DDU pound rates when deposited at the facility where the carrier serving the delivery address on the mail is located. In-County pieces are also eligible for a per piece discount off the addressed piece rate. Outside-County mailers may claim a DDU container rate for 5-digit scheme and more finely presorted containers that are entered at and destined within the service area of the DDU at which the container is deposited.
[Delete renumbered 29.5.3, Rates.]
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708 Technical Specifications
1.0 Standardized Documentation for First-Class Mail, Periodicals, Standard Mail, and Flat-Size Bound Printed Matter
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1.2 Format and Content
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[Add a new fourth sentence to item c4 as follows:]
4. ***Pieces prepared as firm bundles (Periodicals) may be listed in a separate firm bundle column or in the appropriate column based on container level.***
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[Revise new item c9 to make the container charge and bundle charge columns optional as follows:]
9. For Periodicals mailings that contain both In-County and Outside-County pieces, the body of the listing may include a separate "Container Charge" and “Bundle Charge” column. Indicate which trays, sacks and bundles are subject to the container or bundle charges and a total or, optionally, a running total.
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[Add a new second sentence to item d4 as follows:]
4. ***Pieces prepared as firm bundles (Periodicals) may be listed in a separate firm bundle column or in the appropriate column based on container level.***
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[Revise new item d7 to make the container charge and bundle charge columns optional as follows:]
7. For Periodicals mailings that contain both In-County and Outside-County pieces, the body of the listing may include a separate "Container Charge" and “Bundle Charge” column. Indicate which pallets and bundles are subject to the container or bundle charges and a total or, optionally, a running total.
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1.3 Rate Level Column Headings
[Add a new rate level column heading to the end of the table in items a, b, and c as follows:]
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a. Automation First-Class Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail:
b. Presorted First-Class Mail, nonautomation presorted Periodicals, and machinable and nonmachinable Standard Mail:
c. Periodicals Outside-County firm bundles, Carrier Route Periodicals, and Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail:
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1.8 Bundle and Container Reports for Outside-County Periodicals Mail
[Revise new 1.8 to clarify that a mailer must present documentation as follows:]
A mailer must present documentation to support the actual number of bundles and containers of each edition of an issue as explained in 1.8.1 and 1.8.2 below.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the printed version of the DMM and into the July 15, 2007, update of the online DMM available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 6-21-07
