Effective August 2, 2010, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) sections 223.222 and 233.22 to better define and clarify the postage payment methods available for Express Mail International® and Priority Mail International® services.
With the May 12, 2008, price change, we announced new price incentives for mailers using a permit imprint to pay for Express Mail International items when using Global Shipping Software (GSS). The corresponding standards (IMM 223.222) incorporated with this change provide that mailers may use a permit imprint to pay postage through an advance deposit account or an Express Mail corporate account (EMCA). We are clarifying IMM 223.222 to distinguish between the two options when using a permit imprint as a postage payment method for Express Mail International items:
n A permit imprint paid through a PostalOne!® advance deposit account combined with the use of GSS.
n A permit imprint paid through an EMCA without using GSS.
Also with the May 12, 2008, price change, we announced a new price incentive for mailers using a permit imprint as a postage payment method for Priority Mail International items, provided that they also use GSS. Now we are revising 233.22 in its entirety to clarify that there are two price tiers for Priority Mail International items paid with a permit imprint through an advance deposit account:
n A commercial base price when the mailer uses GSS.
n A retail price when the mailer does not use GSS.
Consequently, we are revising the IMM as follows:
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM)
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2 Conditions for Mailing
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220 Express Mail International
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223 Prices and Postage Payment Methods
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223.2 Postage Payment Methods
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223.22 Permit Imprint
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223.222 Permit Imprint — Commercial Base Prices
[Revise 223.222 as follows:]
Express Mail International commercial base postage prices are 8 percent below retail prices for all postage paid with a permit imprint. The commercial base price incentive applies only to the postage portion of Express Mail International prices. It does not apply to any other charges or fees, such as Pickup on Demand service, additional merchandise insurance coverage, or shipments made under a customized agreement.
To receive the commercial base price incentive for items using a permit imprint as a postage payment option, customers must meet the manifesting and permit imprint requirements under 223.221, in addition to one of the following permit imprint postage payment options:
a. Customers may use permit imprint as a postage payment option paid through a PostalOne! advance deposit account. Under this option, customers must use USPS-produced Global Shipping Software (GSS). (To request information about GSS, send an e-mail to GSSHelp@usps.gov.)
b. Customers may use permit imprint as a postage payment option paid through an Express Mail Corporate Account (see 223.23).
Customers who are capable, on an annualized basis, of using Express Mail International service to tender at least 2,500 pieces or pay at least $50,000 in international postage should contact the Postal Service to discuss customized agreements (see 297).
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230 Priority Mail International
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233 Prices and Postage Payment Methods
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233.2 Postage Payment Methods
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233.22 Permit Imprint
[Revise 233.22 in its entirety to read as follows:]
233.221 Permit Imprint — General
Priority Mail International items paid with permit imprint through an advance deposit account are eligible for either the commercial base price under 233.222 or the retail price under 233.223.
233.222 Permit Imprint — Commercial Base Prices
Priority Mail International commercial base postage prices are 5 percent below retail prices for items bearing a permit imprint and using USPS-produced Global Shipping Software (GSS). In addition, customers must meet the permit imprint requirements under IMM 152.4 and DMM 604 and the manifesting requirements under DMM 705.
233.223 Permit Imprint — Retail Price
Priority Mail International items paid with a permit imprint through an advance deposit account but not using GSS under 233.222 are charged the applicable retail price. In addition, customers must meet the permit imprint requirements under IMM 152.4 and DMM 604. Mailers sending nonidentical pieces must also meet the manifesting requirements under DMM 705.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the IMM and into the monthly update of the online IMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 7-1-10
