Getting It Right! Charging the Correct Postage for First-Class Mail Letter-Size Mailpieces
The May 14, 2007, changes to First-Class Mail® items emphasize the impact of mailpiece shape on postage. Please be aware of the minimums and maximums for First-Class Mail letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages to ensure that the correct postage is charged. Pay close attention to envelopes such as greeting cards marked “Extra Postage Required.”
In most cases, a letter-size mailpiece is classified and priced as a large envelope (flat) if it exceeds 3.5 ounces or 6-1/8" by 11-1/2" by 1/4" thick.
The $0.17 nonmachinable surcharge applies only to First-Class Mail letters (up to 3.5 ounces). It does not apply to postcards eligible for the card rate, large envelopes, or packages.
The following are some common nonmachinable characteristics of First-Class Mail letters (up to 3.5 ounces):
For a complete list of nonmachinable characteristics, see Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 101.1.0.
Example 1: A customer presents for mailing a uniformly thick, slightly flexible musical greeting card that measures 6–1/2" long x 6-1/2" high x 1/4" thick and weighs 1.5 ounces. It exceeds the maximum letter height of 6-1/8", but it meets the rectangular, uniform thickness, and flexibility criteria for a large envelope, so the mailpiece is classified as a large envelope and pays the 2-ounce rate — $0.97.
Example 2: A customer presents for mailing a uniformly thick, slightly flexible greeting card that measures 5-1/2" long x 5-1/2" high x 1/4" thick and weighs 2 ounces. Although it falls within letter-size standards, it does not meet the aspect ratio criterion (it is square and therefore has an aspect ratio of less than 1.3), so the mailpiece is classified as a nonmachinable letter and pays the 2-ounce rate — $0.58 plus the $0.17 nonmachinable surcharge, for a total of $0.75.
Example 3: A customer presents for mailing a uniformly thick, slightly flexible mailpiece (greeting card/invitation) that measures 6-5/8" long x 5" high x 1/8" thick and weighs 2 ounces. It falls within letter-size standards and meets the aspect ratio criterion, so the mailpiece is classified as a letter and pays the 2-ounce rate — $0.58.
Example 4: A customer presents for mailing an item that measures 11-1/2" long x 6" high, weighs 3 ounces, and contains an odd-shaped item that gives it a nonuniform thickness but does not exceed 1/4" at its thickest point. Although it falls within letter-size standards, it is not uniformly thick, so the mailpiece is classified as a nonmachinable letter and pays the 3-ounce rate — $0.75 plus the $0.17 nonmachinable surcharge, for a total of $0.92.
Example 5: A customer presents for mailing an item that measures 10-3/4" long x 5-3/8" high, weighs 2 ounces, and contains an odd-shaped item that gives it a nonuniform thickness that exceeds 1/4" at its thickest point. It exceeds letter-size thickness standards and does not meet the uniform thickness standards for large envelopes, so the mailpiece is classified as a package and pays the 2-ounce rate — $1.30.
Example 6: A customer presents for mailing a rigid, uniformly thick box that measures 7-5/8" long x 6" high x 1/8" thick and weighs 2 ounces. Although it falls within letter-size standards, it is rigid, so the mailpiece is classified as a nonmachinable letter and pays the 2-ounce rate — $0.58 plus the $0.17 nonmachinable surcharge, for a total of $0.75.
Example 7: A customer presents for mailing an item that is almost the same as the one described in Example 6 — it is a rigid, uniformly thick box that measures 7-5/8" long x 6" high and weighs 2 ounces, but is 1/2" thick. Although its thickness exceeds letter-size standards, it still falls within the standards for large envelopes, but because the mailpiece does not meet the flexibility criteria for a large envelope, it is classified as a package and pays the 2–ounce rate — $1.30.
— Pricing Implementation,
Pricing and Classification, 8-2-07
