Effective October 1, 2012, the Postal Service™ will revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 433.1.3, 505.3.2.1, and 705.25.1 to provide Commercial Base™ pricing eligibility for First-Class Package Service™ mailpieces returned using Merchandise Return Service (MRS), and to expand the eligibility for participation in the scan-based payment (SBP) program.
Priority Mail® return parcels received through an MRS account are eligible for Priority Mail Commercial Base prices. With this revision, the Postal Service is aligning the eligibility standards for First-Class Package Service with those for Priority Mail service by providing Commercial Base eligibility for MRS parcels received under both products.
The SBP program provides a streamlined postage payment option for participants who receive a large number of parcel returns. Under the SBP program, postage payment is based on sampling, combined with barcode scanning records, rather than weighing and rating each individual piece. Because eligible mailpieces are able to bypass the rating process, participants in the SBP program receive their returns in a more expeditious fashion. Priority Mail Return Service, First-Class Package Service Return Service, and Ground Return Service mailpieces are all eligible for postage payment under the SBP program.
Under current standards, mailers are required to receive a minimum of 10,000 combined returns per year to a single destination. With this revision, mailers may be authorized to participate in the program with 10,000 combined qualifying return mailpieces per year to multiple locations, with approval by the manager, New Business Opportunities.
Mailers interested in the SBP program may apply online, through the Business Customer Gateway, via the USPS.com® website.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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400 Commercial Parcels
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430 First-Class Package Service
433 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees for First-Class Package Service
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1.3 Commercial Base Prices
***Nonpresorted First-Class Package Service parcels no more than 13 ounces in weight mailed under the following conditions are eligible for single-piece Commercial Base parcel prices:
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b. Nonpresorted mailings may be paid by:
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[Add a new item b4 as follows:]
4. Permit holders using Merchandise Return Service (MRS) for First-Class Package Service mailpieces when all MRS requirements are met (505.3.0).
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500 Additional Mailing Services
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505 Return Services
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3.0 Merchandise Return Service
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3.2 Basic Standards
3.2.1 Description
[Revise 3.2.1 as follows:]
Merchandise Return Service allows an authorized permit holder to pay the postage and extra service fees on single-piece price First-Class Mail, First-Class Package Service, Priority Mail, and Package Services parcels that are returned to the permit holder by the permit holder’s customers via a special label produced by the permit holder.
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700 Special Standards
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705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
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25.0 Scan Based Payment
25.1 Basic Information
25.1.1 Description
[Revise the second sentence of 25.1.1 as follows:]
***Participation in this program, subject to application and authorization, is available for customers who receive a minimum of 10,000 combined SBP parcel returns to one or more locations, when approved by the manager, New Business Opportunities.***
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25.1.2 Eligibility
[Revise the first sentence of 25.1.2 as follows:]
SBP participation may be authorized for applicants who receive a minimum of 10,000 combined qualifying returns per year to one or more locations, when approved by the manager, New Business Opportunities.***
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next monthly update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Pricing, 9-20-12
