Information Desk

Domestic Mail

Clarification of the Nonmachinable Surcharge for Shrubs, Trees, and Other Nursery Stock

Each spring, questions arise about whether to assess a nonmachinable surcharge for shrubs, trees, and other nursery stock placed in the mailstream. The following information is offered for clarification and to promote consistency.

The nonmachinable surcharge in Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 453 applies to Parcel Post® mailpieces that cannot be processed mechanically and require more costly manual sortation. The Postal Service™ assesses a nonmachinable surcharge for a Parcel Post item that does not meet the machinable criteria in DMM 401.1.5 or that meets the nonmachinable criteria in DMM 401.2.3.2.

Based on the requirements in DMM 401.1.5 and 401.2.3.2, use the following guidelines to determine whether to assess a nonmachinable surcharge for shrubs, trees, and other nursery stock items:

For more details see the DMM, available online at http://pe.usps.gov.

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