Effective December 13, 2012, the Postal Service™ is revising Handbook F-101, Field Accounting Procedures, to include the refund process for unused postage meter labels and misprints of postage meters at Contract Access Retail System. The Host Administrative Officer at the host Post Office™ will follow the process and authorize the refund.
Handbook F-101, Field Accounting Procedures
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21 Refunds and Exchanges
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21-4 Postage Validation Imprinter Labels and Post Office Meter Strips
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[Add new 21.4.3 to read as follows:]
21-4.3 Contract Access Retail System (CARS) Postage Meter Strips
Refunds for unused CARS postage meter strips are authorized only by the Host Administrative Officer (HAO) at the host Post Office. The CARS contractor must do the following:
a. Complete PS Form 3533, Application for Refund of Fees, Products and Withdrawal of Customer Accounts, with name, address, date, and signature of the CARS contractor.
b. Complete the Unused Postage Reimbursement and Reconciliation Form for CARS System CPUs.
The HAOs will mail the updated Unused Postage Reimbursement and Reconciliation Form immediately to each CARS contractor. For HAOs, this form is available on the Accounting website under PS Form 3533 under Forms at: http://blue.usps.gov/wps/portal/accounting/library/forms.
Unused printed postage labels must be:
n Unused and readable.
n Within 30 days of the date printed on the labels.
n Attached to the completed and signed Unused Postage Reimbursement and Reconciliation Form for CARS System CPUs.
n Submitted with Unused Postage Reimbursement and Reconciliation Form for CARS System CPUs along with completed and signed PS Form 3533 to HAO.
For meter postage misprints that did not print or that jammed:
n Print the Misprint Label Report from the CARS system.
n Attach the Misprint Label Report to the completed and signed PS Form 3533.
n Submit Misprint Label Report attached to the completed PS Form 3533 to HAO.
For transactions that were cancelled:
n Print the Cancellation Receipt from the CARS system.
n Attach the Cancellation receipt to the completed and signed PS Form 3533.
n Submit the Cancellation receipt attached to the completed PS Form 3533 to HAO.
The following criteria are required for reimbursement:
a. Unused postage must total at least $100.00 before submitting to the HAO or within 30 days of the date printed on the labels or meter postage misprint.
b. For meter postage misprints or cancelled transactions, the Misprint Label Report or the Cancellation receipt must be attached to the PS Form 3533 to receive a 100-percent reimbursement.
The HAO must:
1. Certify the unused postage is valid and/or the Misprint Label Report.
2. Ensure the calculation is correct.
2. Mark “VOID” on the unused postage labels.
3. Issue the CPU a no-fee money order for the authorized amount of refund (use AIC 526 and offset to no-fee money order on the unit 1412).
4. File locally the PS Form 3533, Reconciliation Form, or Misprint Label Report.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next online edition of Handbook F-101 on the Postal Service intranet:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n In the left-hand column, under “Essential Links,” click PolicyNet.
n Click HBKs.
(The direct URL for Handbook F-101 is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim/ftp/hand/f101.pdf.)
— Revenue and Field Accounting,
Controller, 12-13-12
