Effective with the price change on May 12, 2008, Express Mail® items will no longer be automatically redelivered the next day. If delivery cannot be made on the first attempt, PS Form 3849, Delivery Notice/Reminder/Receipt, will now be completed and left at the delivery address. The second notice will be sent on day three, and unclaimed mailpieces will be returned to the sender on day five. A second delivery attempt will only be made upon a customer’s request. On May 12, 2008, clerks are to cease providing Express Mail items to the carriers for automatic redelivery on the second day.
PS Form 3849 is currently being revised to reflect this change in Express Mail handling. In the meantime, the current PS Forms 3849 can be used until receipt of the revised PS Form 3849. The current PS Forms 3849 (November 1999) will need the wording “We will attempt to deliver on the next delivery day unless you instruct the post office to hold it” obliterated when leaving an attempted delivery notice for Express Mail items at the customer’s address. When the new PS Forms 3849 (May 2008) are received, the old PS Forms 3849 should be recycled.
Express Mail changes effective May 12, 2008:
Attempt Delivery Day 0
Second Notice Day 3
Return to Sender Day 5
Frequently asked questions and other instructions are on the City Delivery Web site at http://blue.usps.gov/delret/L3CityDelivery.htm under “References.”
Effective May 12, 2008, customers who ship domestic Express Mail® and Priority Mail® items through the approved methods indicated below will receive new “commercial base pricing.” The commercial base pricing mailpieces will be easily identified with the marking “Commercial Base Pricing” on the postage label.
Express Mail commercial base prices are 3 percent below retail prices for customers using any of the following:
a. Click-N-Ship® service.
b. An Express Mail Corporate Account (EMCA) or a Federal Agency Account.
c. A Postage Evidencing System that has been specifically authorized by the USPS® to offer commercial base prices and electronically provide the account number, service type code, origin and destination ZIP Codes, weight, postage, Sunday/Holiday delivery service indicator, and unique piece identifier. Weight is not required for flat-rate items. (Note: Approved Postage Evidencing Systems include Endicia, Stamps.com, Pitney-Bowes, and eBay.)
Priority Mail retail prices are increasing by 6 percent on average with no major structural changes. The price changes are not uniform by zone or weight and range from 0 to 10 percent. Due to increased transportation costs, the price increases tend to be greater for relatively heavy pieces and for pieces that are transported relatively long distances.
Commercial base pricing for Priority Mail service is available for customers who apply an electronic parcel barcode and use one of the following:
a. Click-N-Ship service.
b. A Postage Evidencing System that has been specifically authorized by the USPS to offer the commercial base prices and that electronically provides the account number, service type code, origin and destination ZIP™ Codes, weight, postage, and unique piece identifier. (Note: Approved Postage Evidencing Systems include Endicia, Stamps.com, Pitney-Bowes, and eBay.)
c. Permit imprint electronic manifests which provide the account number, service type code, origin and destination ZIP Codes, weight, postage, and unique piece identifier via Confirmation Services or Electronic Verification System (eVS). Weight is not required for flat-rate items.
When customers bring Express Mail or Priority Mail items paid through approved methods with the marking “Commercial Base Pricing” on the postage label to the Post Office, process this mail as being properly paid.
Effective May 12, 2008, domestic Express Mail® service will introduce Express Mail pricing by weight and zone. Additionally, a new “Hold For Pickup” option replaces Post Office™ to Post Office prices.
To compete in the marketplace, offer value to customers, and to align prices with transportation and operational costs, the Postal Service™ has restructured the pricing of Express Mail service. Express Mail service will be priced by weight and zone, which is consistent with standard industry practices. There will be prices based on weight for local and Zones 1 and 2. Zones 3 through 8 will have separate prices based on weight. Point of service (POS) and integrated retail terminal (IRT) offices will have their prices updated by the retail equipment, and manual offices will use the Express Mail directory and Notice 123 for determining the price.
An exception is material mailed in the USPS-provided Express Mail Flat-Rate Envelope, which will be charged $16.50 for retail customers, regardless of weight or domestic destination. Only USPS-produced flat-rate envelopes are eligible for the flat-rate envelope price.
The Postal Service eliminated the separate price schedules for Post Office-to-Post Office and Custom Designed Services and has renamed Post Office to Post Office as Hold For Pickup. Express Mail pieces mailed under this service will be available for pickup by the addressee at the destination facility by 10 a.m., 12 p.m., or 3 p.m. of the next day the destination office is open for retail business. The price for both Express Mail Post Office to Addressee and Express Mail Hold For Pickup service will be the same based on weight and zone. Retail associates will need to ensure that Label 11-A, Hold For Pickup, is filled out accurately including the contact phone number (if the sender wants automatic notification sent to the customer that the package has arrived at the Post Office).
Express Mail Hold For Pickup service will require clerks at the destination Post Office to scan each piece immediately when the package arrives in the unit as “Arrival at Pickup Point.” This scan event will automatically trigger a call to notify the customer at the contact phone number that was entered into the retail equipment when the Express Mail piece was mailed. Since a PS Form 3849, Delivery Notice/Reminder/Receipt, will not be sent to customers, they will need to provide their name, the last four digits of the article number, and photo identification. The Express Mail piece will need to be scanned as “Delivered” when picked up by customers.
1. Money-back guaranteed overnight services include tracking, proof of delivery, and insurance up to $100.
2. Additional insurance up to $5,000 may be purchased for merchandise.
3. All packages must use an Express Mail label.
4. The maximum weight remains 70 pounds.
Effective May 12, 2008, First-Class Mail International™ items will be subject to the same shape-based pricing criteria as domestic First-Class Mail® items. The new prices are based on differences in the relative costs, with separate prices for letters, large envelopes, and packages.
By introducing separate letter, large envelope, and package prices for First-Class Mail International, we continue our alignment of domestic and international products.
Notice 3-S, First-Class Mail Shape-Based Pricing Template (June 2007) can be used to determine if a mailpiece qualifies as a First-Class Mail International letter. However, the minimum length of First-Class Mail International postcards and letters is 5 1/2 inches — 1/2 inch longer than the domestic minimum length.
First-Class Mail International service provides a reliable and economical means of sending correspondence (e.g., letters and postcards), documents, and lightweight merchandise weighing up to 4 pounds. Extra services, such as Registered Mail® and Return Receipt, may be added on a country-specific basis.
Following are the new First-Class Mail International pricing by shape standards:
For shipments with one or more of the following characteristics:
