Effective November 2, 2009, the Postal Service™ is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), to implement new price marking requirements on Express Mail® and Priority Mail® pieces mailed at commercial base and commercial plus prices. A Federal Register final rule (74 FR 34251–34252) was published on July 15. The Postal Service has provided more than 90 days for mailers to implement the requirements. Mailers requiring additional time may submit a request for an exception to the manager, Pricing and Classification Service Center (see DMM 608.8.4.1). Requests will be evaluated based on the circumstances of the individual mailer’s progress towards transition.
These new markings are essential to fulfill our revenue assurance and reporting requirements. Such markings will help us validate that the pieces qualify for the claimed commercial base and/or commercial plus prices.
Price markings must appear on pieces paid by any means except permit imprint or Express Mail Corporate Account. The respective markings must be printed by the mailer — or produced as part of the meter imprint or PC Postage® indicia. For pieces paid at the commercial base prices, one of the following markings must be reflected: “Commercial Base Price,” “Commercial Base Pricing,” or “ComBasPrice.” For pieces paid at the commercial plus price, one of the following markings must be reflected: “Commercial Plus Price,” “Commercial Plus Pricing,” or “ComPlsPrice.” The appropriate marking must appear directly above, directly below, or to the left of the postage.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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400 Commercial Parcels
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402 Elements on the Face of a Mailpiece
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2.0 Placement and Content of Markings
[Renumber 2.1 through 2.5 as 2.2 through 2.6 and add new 2.1, Express Mail and Priority Mail Markings, as follows:]
2.1 Express Mail and Priority Mail Markings
Except for pieces paid using a permit imprint or an Express Mail Corporate Account, Express Mail and Priority Mail pieces claiming the commercial base or commercial plus price must bear the appropriate price marking, printed on the piece or produced as part of the meter imprint or PC Postage indicia. Place the marking directly above, directly below, or to the left of the postage. Markings are as follows:
a. “Commercial Base Price,” “Commercial Base Pricing,” or “ComBasPrice.”
b. “Commercial Plus Price,” “Commercial Plus Pricing,” or “ComPlsPrice.”
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410 Express Mail
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415 Mail Preparation
1.0 General Information for Mail Preparation
[Reorganize and revise section 1.0 by adding a new 1.2 as follows:]
1.1 Express Mail Packaging Provided by the USPS
Express Mail packaging provided by the USPS must be used only for Express Mail. Regardless of how the packaging is reconfigured or how markings may be obliterated, any material mailed in USPS-provided Express Mail packaging is charged the appropriate Express Mail price
1.2 Price Marking
Except for pieces paid using an Express Mail Corporate Account, Express Mail pieces claiming the commercial base or commercial plus price must bear the appropriate price marking, printed on the piece or produced as part of the meter imprint or PC Postage indicia. Place the marking directly above, directly below, or to the left of the postage. Markings are as follows:
a. “Commercial Base Price,” “Commercial Base Pricing,” or “ComBasPrice.”
b. “Commercial Plus Price,” “Commercial Plus Pricing,” or “ComPlsPrice.”
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420 Priority Mail
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425 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Marking
[Reorganize and revise section 2.0 to add new 2.1 and 2.2 as follows:]
2.1 Product Marking
The marking “Priority Mail” must be placed prominently on the address side of each piece of Priority Mail.
2.2 Price Marking
Except for pieces paid using permit imprint, Priority Mail pieces claiming the commercial base or commercial plus price must bear the appropriate price marking, printed on the piece or produced as part of the meter imprint or PC Postage indicia. Place the marking directly above, directly below, or to the left of the postage. Markings are as follows:
a. “Commercial Base Price,” “Commercial Base Pricing,” or “ComBasPrice.”
b. “Commercial Plus Price,” “Commercial Plus Pricing,” or “ComPlsPrice.”
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the DMM and into the monthly update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 10-8-09
