Effective April 17, 2011, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 240, 340, 360, 440, 450, 460, 705, and 707 to clarify that mail expedited by the proper use of Express Mail® Open and Distribute and Priority Mail® Open and Distribute services is eligible for destination entry prices, as applicable for the shape and class of mail. We also revise DMM 705 to add Area Distribution Center (ADC) and Auxiliary Service Facility (ASF) as destination entry sites for Express Mail Open and Distribute service.
In 2007, the Postal Service changed the name of Express Mail and Priority Mail Drop Shipment services to the current “Open and Distribute.” Recently, there has been an instance of confusion about whether these services qualify to meet destination entry eligibility. This article clarifies that the use of Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute services, when mail is prepared according to the relevant standards, do qualify the contents for destination entry prices. We encourage mailers to use these services in lieu of transporting the mail themselves to destination facilities.
In addition, we are clarifying that the option to use Shipping Assistant to create a label with a service barcode is only for Priority Mail Open and Distribute address labels, and removing the requirement to show the total number of Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute containers used for the mailing in addition to the number of sacks, trays, or other enclosed containers on the postage statement.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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200 Commercial Letters and Cards
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240 Standard Mail
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246 Enter and Deposit
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2.0 Destination Entry
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2.5 Verification
2.5.1 Mail Separation and Presentation
[Revise the first sentence of 2.5.1 as follows:]
Destination entry mail must be presented and verified under a PVDS system (705.16.0), presented for acceptance at a BMEU located at a destination postal facility, or presented for acceptance at an origin DMU or BMEU, and then prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards (705.17.0).***
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2.5.2 Form 8125
[Revise 2.52. as follows:]
When mailings are verified and paid for at a postal facility different from the one at which they are deposited as mail, the mailer must ensure that they are accompanied by a completed Form 8125 (or 8125-C or 8125-CD), except for mailings prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards in 705.17.0.
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300 Commercial Flats
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340 Standard Mail
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346 Enter and Deposit
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2.0 Destination Entry
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2.5 Verification
2.5.1 Mail Separation and Presentation
[Revise the first sentence of 2.5.1 as follows:]
Destination entry mail must be presented and verified under a PVDS system (705.16.0), presented for acceptance at a BMEU located at a destination postal facility, or presented for acceptance at an origin DMU or BMEU, and then prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards (705.17.0).***
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2.5.2 Form 8125
[Revise 2.5.2 as follows:]
When mailings are verified and paid for at a postal facility different from the one at which they are deposited as mail, the mailer must ensure that they are accompanied by a completed Form 8125 (or 8125-C or 8125-CD), except for mailings prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards in 705.17.0.
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360 Bound Printed Matter
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366 Enter and Deposit
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3.0 Destination Entry
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3.8 Verification
[Delete current 3.8.1 in its entirety and renumber current 3.8.2. through 3.8.7 as new 3.8.1 through 3.8.6.]
3.8.1 Mail Separation and Presentation
[Revise the first sentence of renumbered 3.8.1 as follows:]
Destination entry mail must be presented and verified under a PVDS system (705.16.0), presented for acceptance at a BMEU located at a destination postal facility, or presented for acceptance at an origin DMU or BMEU, and then prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards (705.17.0).***
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3.8.2 Form 8125
[Revise renumbered 3.8.2 as follows:]
When mailings are verified and paid for at a postal facility different from the one at which they are deposited as mail, the mailer must ensure that they are accompanied by a completed Form 8125 (or 8125-C or 8125-CD), except for mailings prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards in 705.17.0.
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400 Commercial Parcels
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440 Standard Mail
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446 Deposit and Entry
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2.0 Destination Entry
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2.5 Verification
2.5.1 Mail Separation and Presentation
[Revise the first sentence of 2.5.1 as follows:]
Destination entry mail must be presented and verified under a PVDS system (705.16.0), presented for acceptance at a BMEU located at a destination postal facility, or presented for acceptance at an origin DMU or BMEU, and then prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards (705.17.0).***
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2.5.2 Form 8125
[Revise 2.5.2 as follows:]
When mailings are verified and paid for at a postal facility different from the one at which they are deposited as mail, the mailer must ensure that they are accompanied by a completed Form 8125 (or 8125-C or 8125-CD), except for mailings prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards in 705.17.0.
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450 Parcel Select
453 Prices and Eligibility
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3.0 Price Eligibility for Parcel Select
3.1 Destination Entry Price Eligibility
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3.1.2 Basic Standards
For Parcel Select destination entry, pieces must meet the applicable standards in 455.4.0 and the following criteria:
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[Revise 3.1.2d as follows:]
d. Pieces must be deposited at, or expedited to, via Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute under 705.17.0, a destination NDC (or destination ASF), destination SCF, or destination delivery unit, as applicable for the price claimed.
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456 Deposit and Entry
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2.0 Deposit
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2.4 Mail Separation and Presentation
[Revise the first sentence of 2.4.1 as follows:]
Mailers must have Parcel Select destination entry mailings verified under an authorized PVDS or eVS system (see 705.16.0 or 705.2.9), present mailings for verification and acceptance at a BMEU located at a designated destination Postal Service facility, or present mailings for acceptance at an origin DMU or BMEU, and then expedite the mailings under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards (705.17.0).***
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460 Bound Printed Matter
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466 Enter and Deposit
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3.0 Destination Entry
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3.8 Verification
[Delete current 3.8.1 in its entirety and renumber current 3.8.2. through 3.8.7 as new 3.8.1 through 3.8.6.]
3.8.1 Mail Separation and Presentation
[Revise the first sentence of renumbered 3.8.1 as follows:]
Destination entry mail must be presented and verified under a PVDS or eVS system (see 705.16.0 or 705.2.9), presented for acceptance at a BMEU located at a destination postal facility, or presented for acceptance at an origin DMU or BMEU, and then prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards (705.17.0).***
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3.8.2 Form 8125
[Revise renumbered 3.8.2 as follows:]
When mailings are verified and paid for at a postal facility different from the one at which they are deposited as mail, the mailer must ensure that they are accompanied by a completed Form 8125 (or 8125-C or 8125-CD), except for mailings prepared under Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute standards in 705.17.0.
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700 Special Standards
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705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
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17.0 Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute
17.1 Prices and Fees
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17.1.6 Postage Statement for Enclosed Mail
[Revise 17.1.6 by deleting the second sentence referencing the requirement to show the number of Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute containers on the postage statement.]
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17.2 Basic Standards
17.2.1 Description of Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute
[Revise the first sentence of 17.2.1 as follows:]
Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute provide alternatives for mailers who want to expedite mailings of other classes of mail to destination postal facilities, including as a means of eligibility for destination entry prices for the applicable classes and shapes of mail.***
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17.5 Preparation
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17.5.2 Express Mail and Priority Mail Sack Labels
***Label sacks as follows:
a. Line 1 (destination line) provides information on the destination entry office where the enclosed mail is to be distributed.
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[Revise the text in 17.5.2a3 by deleting the parenthetical (Priority Mail Open and Distribute Only) at the end of the sentence.]
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[Revise the text in 17.5.2a5 as follows:]
5. For ASF distribution, use the destination in L602, Column B.
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17.5.3 Tags 257 and 267—Express Mail Open and Distribute
***Tag 257 or Tag 267 must be attached to each Express Mail sack, in addition to the Express Mail sack label, to identify it as an Express Mail Open and Distribute shipment as follows:
[Revise the text in 17.5.3a as follows:]
a. Attach Tag 267 to sacks used as Express Mail Open and Distribute containers destined to an NDC, ASF, ADC, or SCF facility.
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17.5.7 Address Label Service Barcode Requirement
***Mailers can use the following options available to create a label with a service barcode for Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute address labels:
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[Revise 17.5.7b as follows:]
b. Register and download the USPS Shipping Assistant desktop application for Priority Mail Open and Distribute, available at www.usps.com/shippingassistant/.
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707 Periodicals
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29.0 Destination Entry
29.1 Basic Standards
29.1.1 Price Application
[Revise the first sentence in 29.1.1 as follows:]
Mailings of Periodicals that are transported to destination facilities, or that are expedited directly to destination facilities via Express Mail Open and Distribute or Priority Mail Open and Distribute (705.17.0), may qualify for specific destination entry prices under 29.2 through 29.5.***
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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 available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 3-24-11
