Effective June 5, 2008, the Postal Service™ is revising 508.5 of the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to clarify standards that apply to the application for and payment of fees for caller service and for reserve caller numbers.
This clarification defines the application process and more accurately describes the payment of fees associated with the use of these services.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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500 Additional Mailing Services
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508 Recipient Services
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5.0 Caller Service
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5.2 Basic Information
5.2.1 Purpose
[Revise text in 5.2.1 as follows:]
Caller service is a premium service available for a fee to any customer who:
a. Requires more than free carrier service.
b. Receives more mail than can be delivered to the largest installed Post Office box at the postal facility to which the caller’s mail is addressed.
c. Is required to use caller service by standard.
[Renumber current 5.2.2. through 5.2.10 as new 5.2.3 through 5.2.11 and add new 5.2.2 as follows:]
5.2.2 Pickup
Caller service does not include general delivery service. Customers who use this service pick up their mail at the Post Office call window or loading dock during the time period designated by the postmaster. Customers who receive mail for clients may participate in caller service subject to 1.0, Recipient Options, and 2.0, Conditions of Delivery. Agreements between a postmaster and a caller that contravene the standards for caller service or its fees are not valid.
5.2.3 Caller
[Revise text of renumbered 5.2.3 as follows:]
A caller is an individual, or the organization represented by the individual, signing the application.
5.2.4 Service Types
[Revise text of renumbered 5.2.4 by adding a new first sentence as follows:]
Reservation of caller numbers makes it possible for the caller of record to hold caller numbers for future use. Destination caller service is caller service provided at the postal facility to which the caller’s mail is addressed. Origin caller service (accelerated reply mail) is described in 5.8.
5.2.5 Caller Service Number
[Revise text of renumbered 5.2.5 as follows:]
The Address Management Service (AMS) office assigns caller numbers. Customers may reserve caller numbers for future use or obtain caller services by paying the reserved caller number fee or caller service fee in 5.1. Subsequently, the postmaster or his designee will contact AMS, which will issue the number. Availability of this service may be restricted, and numbers are not issued immediately upon payment of the fee.
[Revise heading and text of renumbered 5.2.6 as follows:]
5.2.6 Caller Service Number — Address Element
Except under 5.2.7, Exemption, caller service customers must use their assigned caller service number in their mailing address as their “Post Office Box” (PO Box) number, which should be placed immediately above the city, state, and ZIP+4 code.
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5.3 Service
5.3.1 Application
[Revise text of 5.3.1 as follows:]
To reserve a caller number for future use or to apply for caller service, the applicant must complete all relevant spaces on Form 1093, Application for Post Office Box or Caller Service, and submit it to any postal facility that provides public window service. The facility need not be the one where destination caller service is desired. An incomplete or falsified application is sufficient reason to deny or discontinue service. An application is not considered approved until the USPS verifies the applicant’s identity.
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5.5 Basis of Fees and Payment
5.5.1 Caller Service Fee
[Revise text of 5.5.1 as follows:]
Customers must pay the caller service fee listed in 5.1. The fee must be paid for each caller number or separation used, with the following exceptions:
a. If a caller receives mail addressed to many caller numbers but receives a bulk delivery of mail not separated to those numbers, the caller service fee is charged for the number to which the separation of mail is made. Reserved caller number fees are charged for all the remaining caller numbers to which mail is addressed.
b. When a Post Office box service applicant is provided a single caller service separation because of a shortage of available Post Office boxes, then the fee charged is the fee for the largest installed Post Office box. In this instance, neither the caller service fee nor the reserved caller number fee is charged.
[Revise title and text of 5.5.2 as follows:]
5.5.2 Reserved Caller Number Fee
Customers must pay the annual reserved caller number fee in 5.1 once each calendar year for each number reserved, subject to the following:
a. Reserved caller number fees are not prorated. Customers who continue to reserve caller numbers for a new calendar year must make renewal payments before January 1st of the new calendar year.
b. If a caller has reserved a number and subsequently receives mail separated to that number or otherwise notifies the Post Office that he/she intends to begin receiving mail addressed and separated to that number, the appropriate semi-annual fee for caller service will be charged. No refund for the reserved caller number fee will be made. If the customer continues to receive mail addressed for separation to the caller number, no reserved caller number fee will be charged for the following year.
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[Revise the title of 5.5.6 to clarify that it applies only to caller service fee payments, as follows:]
5.5.6 Caller Service Fee Payment Period
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[Revise the title of 5.5.7 to clarify that it applies only to caller service fee payments, as follows:]
5.5.7 Change of Caller Service Fee Payment Period
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We will incorporate this revision into the next printed version of the DMM and into the next update of the online DMM available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 6-5-08
