Effective October 5, 2009, the Postal Service™ revised Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), to allow Express Mail® postage payment via permit imprint for commercial manifest mailers participating in the Electronic Verification System (eVS®) program.
Mailers choosing to use this new alternative solution must meet the general requirements and system requirements for eVS and submit an eVS application and supporting documentation as specified in Publication 205, Electronic Verification System Business and Technical Guide, to the Business Mailer Support manager, USPS Headquarters (see DMM 608.8.0 for address). Mailers must meet all requirements outlined in DMM 705.2.9.
General requirements for participation include the following:
n Permit Imprint Account Number.
n Postage Payment Account (PostalOne!).
n Mailer Identification (MID) Number.
n Application.
n File Transfer (submit PS Form 1357-S, Request for Computer Access).
n File and Label Certification.
n Quality Assurance.
n Mailing Test.
n Mailing Authorization.
A mailer using eVS must have or contract with a service provider that has an automated system that produces mail according to USPS® standards and calculates postage and extra services fees accurately. All eVS mailings must be paid with a permit imprint and meet the standards in DMM 604.5.0.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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400 Commercial Parcels
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410 Express Mail
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414 Postage Payment and Documentation
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment Options
[Revise the last sentence of item 1.0, as follows:]
***Customers may pay postage with a permit imprint via the electronic verification system (eVS) program to manifest Express Mail items. Request authorization to use eVS according to the procedures in 705.2.9.9.
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600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
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604 Postage Payment Methods
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5.0 Permit Imprint (Indicia)
5.1 General Standards
5.1.1 Definition
[Revise paragraph 5.1.1, as follows:]
A mailer may be authorized to mail material without affixing postage when payment is made at the time of mailing from a permit imprint advance deposit account established with the USPS for that purpose. This payment method may be used for postage and extra service fees for Express Mail (electronic verification system “eVS” only), Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Package Services. This method is not available for Periodicals and must not be used to pay postage on any mailpiece that is designed for reply purposes (except for permit reply mail under 507.10.0).
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5.3 Indicia Design, Placement, and Content
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[Revise title and the first three sentences of 5.3.6, as follows:]
5.3.6 Express Mail, First-Class Mail, and Priority Mail Format
A permit imprint indicia on Express Mail, First-Class Mail, or Priority Mail must show “Express Mail,” “First-Class Mail,” or “Priority Mail” (or “Priority”), as applicable; “U.S. Postage Paid”; city and state; and permit number. If the Electronic Verification System (eVS) is used under 705.2.9, the marking “eVS” (or the alternative “e-VS” or “E-VS”) must appear directly below the permit number. The “Express Mail” and “Priority Mail” (or “Priority”) marking may be omitted when using USPS-provided Express Mail and Priority Mail envelopes and containers.***
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5.3.10 Indicia Formats
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Exhibit 5.3.10 Indicia Formats for Official Mail and Other Classes
[Revise Exhibit 5.3.10 by adding a new Express Mail indicia and note for official mail formats above First-Class Mail Official Mail formats and above ordinary First-Class Mail formats, as follows:]
Express Mail Official Mail:
EXPRESS MAIL
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
AGENCY NAME
PERMIT NO. G-999
eVS
|
Note: For this example, when not in indicia, mail class or price must be marked on mailpiece, directly below or to the left of the indicia. The “Express Mail” marking may be omitted when using USPS-provided Express Mail envelopes.
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Express Mail:
Note: For this example, when not in indicia, mail class or price must be marked on mailpiece, directly below or to the left of the indicia. The “Express Mail” marking may be omitted when using USPS-provided Express Mail envelopes.
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700 Special Standards
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705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
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2.0 Manifest Mailing System
2.1 Description
2.1.1 Using an MMS
[Revise the second sentence of 2.1.1 by adding Express Mail, as follows:]
***The MMS is an automated system that allows a mailer to document postage and fees for all pieces in Express Mail (electronic verification system “eVS” only under 2.9), First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Parcel Select, Package Services, and international permit imprint mailings.***
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2.9 Electronic Verification System
2.9.1 Description
[Revise the introductory paragraph of 2.9.1 by deleting “parcel” prior to the word mailers, as follows:]
The Electronic Verification System (eVS) is an electronic manifest mailing system that allows mailers to document and pay postage and extra services fees by transmitting electronic files to the Postal Service without generating paper manifests, postage statements, or clearance documents, with the following principal features:
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2.9.2 Availability
[Revise introductory paragraph of 2.9.2 and reorganize items by relettering old items a through i as new items b through j, adding new item a, and revising new item c by removing the word “parcel”, as follows:]
eVS may be used only for mail paid with a permit imprint and the following classes and subclasses of mail, price categories, and mail processing categories, except for those prices or processing categories as noted:
a. Express Mail. Commercial prices; all processing categories. Field testing for Express Mail prices available October 5, 2009. Not available for retail.
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c. Priority Mail. Single-piece price, flat-rate envelope, and flat-rate box; all processing categories. Field testing for Priority Mail prices available July 1, 2007.
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2.9.4 Use
[Revise first sentence of 2.9.4 by deleting “parcels” and replacing with “mailpieces”, as follows:]
Mailers depositing permit imprint mailpieces for those classes of mail and price categories specified in 2.9.2 may document and pay postage using eVS.***
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2.9.8 Verification and Postage Adjustments
[Revise first sentence of 2.9.8 by deleting “parcels” and replace with “mailpieces” and revise items a through c, as follows:]
USPS randomly samples mailpieces and considers verification samples to be representative of the entire mailing period. ***
a. Postage Adjustment Factor (PAF) Payment. USPS applies postage adjustment calculations, based on verification samples, to all pieces mailed during the mailing period. A mailing period is defined as a calendar month for purposes of calculating adjustments in eVS. USPS adjusts the total postage for the mailing period if the total postage of the pieces sampled during the mailing period results in an underpayment greater than 1.5%. The mailer must pay postage for any underpayments identified by USPS verification. The mailer must maintain sufficient funds in the mailer’s postage account to cover any underpayments discovered after acceptance of the mail.
b. Unmanifested Mailpiece Payment. The mailer is responsible for postage payment of unmanifested mailpieces. Unmanifested mailpieces are those pieces for which the Postal Service has obtained information from scanning operations but has not received or successfully processed manifest files and records corresponding to the pieces. The mailer must pay postage for unmanifested pieces identified by USPS. The mailer must maintain sufficient funds in the mailer’s postage account to cover postage due discovered after acceptance of the mail.
c. Mis-shipped DDU Mailpiece Payment. The mailer is responsible for postage payment of destination delivery unit (DDU) mis-shipped mailpieces. DDU Mis-shipped mailpieces are DDU price pieces delivered to the incorrect Postal Service facility by the mailer and transported by the Postal Service to the correct facility. The mailer must pay postage for DDU mis-shipped mailpieces identified by USPS. The mailer must maintain sufficient funds in the mailer’s postage account to cover postage due discovered after acceptance of the mail.
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These revisions were incorporated into the October 2009 online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 10-8-09
