Effective January 27, 2013, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 100, 300, and 602 to add new standards for saturation mailings of Standard Mail® mailpieces known as Every Door Direct Mail-Retail® (EDDM-R or EDDM-Retail).
Although Standard Mail® mailpieces have been allowed to bear simplified addresses for many years, the Postal Service is including simplified mailing procedures for EDDM-Retail, a type of Standard Mail saturation flats that bear simplified addresses and are entered in quantities of 5000 or less per 5-digit ZIP Code® at the delivery unit office. We are also adding a new alternative marketing term “EDDM” for Standard Mail flats with simplified addresses entered at Business Mail Entry Units (BMEUs).
When mailers mail under the new conditions for EDDM-Retail, the Postal Service does not charge the one-time permit imprint application fee nor the annual presort mailing fee otherwise associated with mailing Standard Mail. To help determine the best marketing area for their mailpieces, mailers access an online tool to find the number of deliveries for each route or Post Office Box™ section within their local Post Office’s™ delivery area. In addition, mailers do not maintain a trust account for postage payment; instead paying at the time of mailing and using a simplified postage statement.
Our current standards for use of simplified addresses for Standard Mail entered through Business Mail Entry Units and simplified addresses used on other classes of mail are not changing. We are adding an alternative marketing name of Every Door Direct Mail.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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100 Retail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
101 Physical Standards
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2.0 Physical Standards for Flats
2.1 General Definition of Flat-Size Mail
Flat-size mail is:
[Revise item 2.1a as follows:]
a. More than 11-1/2 inches long, or more than 6-1/8 inches high, or more than 1/4 inch thick, except as allowed for EDDM-Retail flats under 140. For general retail mailability, all pieces 1/4 inch thick or less must be a minimum of 5 inches long and 3-1/2 inches high and 0.007 inch thick.
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[Add new section, 140, as follows:]
140 Standard Mail Flats — Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)-Retail
143 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Description, Price, and Fees
1.1 General Description of EDDM-Retail Service
Standard Mail flats with simplified addresses (under 602.3.0) are also known as Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) and may be mailed as commercial mail under 340 or, under conditions in 140, as EDDM-Retail flats.
1.2 EDDM-Retail Flats Characteristics
EDDM-Retail flats must weigh a maximum of 3.3 ounces and must have a length greater than 10-1/2 inches long, a height greater than 6-1/8 inches high, or a thickness greater than 1/4 inch thick. See 101.2.1 for general minimum dimensions. EDDM-Retail flats have the following maximum dimensions:
a. The length (the longest dimension) must be a maximum of 15 inches.
b. The height must be a maximum of 12 inches.
c. The thickness must be a maximum of 0.75 inch.
1.3 Price
For price, see Notice 123—Price List. Nonprofit prices do not apply to flats mailed under EDDM-Retail.
1.4 Fees and Services
There are no annual presort or mailing fees to mail pieces as EDDM-Retail. No ancillary service endorsements are allowed on pieces mailed as EDDM-Retail flats.
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2.0 Content Standards for EDDM-Retail Flats
2.1 Definition and Weight
EDDM-Retail flats are Standard Mail, and are generally subject to Standard Mail eligibility standards, with differences as described in 2.0 due to the use of simplified addresses. EDDM-Retail mailpieces consist of mailable matter that is neither mailed nor required to be mailed as First-Class Mail and that is not authorized to be mailed as Periodicals. All EDDM-Retail flats in a mailing must be of identical content, size, and weight, and cannot weigh more than 3.3 ounces. Each piece must meet the physical standards for a flat under 101.2.0. See 101.2.1 for dimensions.
2.2 Personal Information
Personal information may not be included in an EDDM-Retail mailpiece.
2.3 Bills and Statements of Account
Mail containing bills or statements of account as defined in 333.2.2 may not be entered as EDDM-Retail mail.
2.4 Handwritten and Typewritten Matter
Mail containing handwritten or typewritten matter may not be entered as EDDM-Retail mail.
2.5 Attachments and Enclosures
EDDM-Retail mailpieces may not have First-Class Mail enclosures or attachments. An EDDM-Retail flat may bear a label, a sticker, or a release card eligible as Standard Mail matter, when affixed under 2.5 and 301.1.8.4. EDDM-Retail flats may bear repositionable notes under 705.23.0. EDDM-Retail flats also may bear other attachments eligible as Standard Mail matter if these additional conditions are met:
a. The host piece must be at least .009 inch thick.
b. The attachment is not larger than the host piece, is securely attached, and does not extend beyond the host piece.
c. Each piece in the mailing bears the attachment, and the attachment is of identical size, weight, and positioning on the host piece.
d. The attachment does not interfere with processing or delivery. Folded or multipage attachments must be secured and sealed to prevent opening during handling.
2.6 Inspection of Contents
EDDM-Retail flats are not sealed against postal inspection.
3.0 Basic Standards for EDDM-Retail Flats
3.1 Basic Standards
EDDM-Retail flats must be part of a saturation flats mailing with all pieces bearing simplified addresses meeting the saturation and addressing standards in 602.3.0. Each mailing must consist of 200 or more pieces, or 50 or more pounds of mail up to a maximum of 5000 pieces per day, per 5-digit ZIP Code. As an exception to the minimum quantity, a mailing to all addresses in a 5-digit ZIP Code area may contain fewer than 200 pieces when there are fewer than 200 deliverable addresses in the entire ZIP Code service area to which the pieces are mailed. All pieces in a mailing must be entered at the designated Post Office servicing the routes and Post Office Box sections to which delivery is intended.
3.2 Forwarding and Return Service
No forwarding or return service is available for pieces mailed as EDDM-Retail.
3.3 Extra Services
No extra services are available with EDDM-Retail mailpieces.
3.4 Additional Standards for EDDM-Retail Flats
Each EDDM-Retail mailing is subject to postage payment standards in 144, preparation standards in 145, and deposit and entry standards in 146.
EDDM-Retail flats are not subject to the ZIP Code accuracy or Move Update standards. Additional basic standards for Standard Mail flats in 343.3.0 apply to EDDM-Retail flats, unless stated otherwise in 140.
144 Postage Payment and Documentation
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
1.1 Postage Payment Options
The mailer is responsible for proper postage payment. Postage for EDDM-Retail flats must be paid with a postage evidencing system indicia (604.4.0) of the correct amount of postage affixed to each piece or at the time of mailing by cash, check, debit card, or credit card.
1.2 Customer Registration
Mailers must obtain a Customer Registration ID (CRID), available online at https://gateway.usps.com/bcg/login.htm.
1.3 Postage Indicia
A postage indicia must be on each piece mailed as EDDM-Retail, printed above and to the right of the simplified address. See Exhibit 1.3 for the required wording of the indicia.
Exhibit 1.3 EDDM-Retail Indicia
2.0 Mailing Documentation
2.1 Completing Postage Statements
Each mailing of EDDM-Retail flats must be accompanied by a postage statement (PS Form 3587) completed and signed by the mailer.
2.2 Basic Documentation Standards
Documentation for mailings of EDDM-Retail flats includes the postage statement (see 2.1), a sample mailpiece, and (if applicable) a list of “do not deliver” addresses.
145 Mail Preparation
1.0 Preparation of EDDM-Retail
1.1 General Information
All pieces mailed as EDDM-Retail mailings must be bundled under 1.3 and presented directly to the correct delivery Post Office or destination delivery unit (DDU), or mailed to the DDU via Priority Mail under 146.
1.2 Quantity per Mailing
EDDM-Retail flats must be part of one mailing of at least 200 pieces (or 50 pounds) of mail except under 143.3.1, but no more than 5000 pieces per mailing per day at any one Post Office. If a Post Office serves multiple ZIP Codes, the maximum number of EDDM-Retail pieces per day is 5000 per ZIP Code.
1.3 Delivery Statistics, Sortation, and Bundling
EDDM-Retail flats must be separated by delivery route (or Post Office Box section) under 145, using delivery statistics obtained from the EDDM web tool at the website http://eddm.usps.com/eddm. EDDM-Retail flats must be in bundles of 50–100. Place a facing slip on the top of each bundle, under the straps, with the number of pieces in the bundle written on the facing slip. See 602.2.0 and 602.3.2 for more information.
146 Enter and Deposit
1.0 Basic Options
1.1 Entry at the Delivery Post Office
All EDDM-Retail mailings must be entered directly at the Post Office (or DDU) responsible for the Post Office Box or carrier route delivery for which the mailing is prepared, or shipped to that Post Office by Priority Mail under 1.2.
1.2 Alternate Entry via Priority Mail
1.2.1 Preparation
Place prepared EDDM-Retail mail, in bundles with facing slips, in Priority Mail boxes, including Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes.
1.2.2 Documentation
Box # 1 (see 1.2.3) for the EDDM-Retail mailing must contain an envelope with the following:
a. Sample mailpiece.
b. Check or money order made out to “Postmaster” or “Postal Service” for the amount of postage for the EDDM-Retail pieces (not for the Priority Mail shipment). Include your telephone number on the front of the check.
c. Completed EDDM-Retail postage statement (PS Form 3587).
d. The Postmaster Instruction letter; see
https://www.usps.com/business/pdf/eddm-postmaster-letter.pdf for a copy.
1.2.3 Labeling the Boxes
On each box, write “Every Door Direct Mail — Retail” and “Open Immediately.” For multiple boxes, number the boxes, starting with 1 of X, (with “X” being the total number of boxes in the shipment). Include the payment and documentation in box #1.
1.2.4 Shipping
Address the boxes to “Postmaster” at the Post Office that will deliver the mailpieces. To ship them, either bring the boxes to your local Post Office or use Click-N-Ship. Each box must have a Delivery Confirmation label affixed by the mailer.
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300 Commercial Flats
301 Physical Standards
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2.0 Physical Standards for Nonautomation Flats
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2.2 Standard Mail
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[Revise the title and introductory text of 2.2.2 as follows:]
2.2.2 Dimensions for Standard Mail and EDDM-Retail Flats with Simplified Addresses
Standard Mail flats with simplified addresses for which saturation flats prices are paid and EDDM-Retail flats (see 140) must have at least one dimension that is greater than a letter-size maximum dimension as noted in 1.1a. The minimum thickness must be at least 0.007 inch up to a maximum 0.75 inch. As an exception to the minimum length, flats with simplified addresses may have a length shorter than a letter-size maximum length, under all of the following conditions:***
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302 Elements on the Face of a Mailpiece
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3.0 Placement and Content of Mail Markings
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3.2 First-Class Mail and Standard Mail Markings
3.2.1 Placement
Mailpieces must be marked under the corresponding standards to show the class of service and/or price paid:
a. Basic Marking. The basic required marking that indicates the class or subclass which must be printed or produced as part of, directly below, or to the left of the permit imprint, meter imprint, or stamp as follows:
[Revise items 1 through 4 as follows:]
1. “First-Class Mail”
2. “Standard,” “STD,” “Presorted Standard,” or “PRSRT STD”
3. “Nonprofit Organization,” “Nonprofit Org.,” or “Nonprofit”
4. For Standard Mail flats mailed at saturation flats prices under EDDM-Retail standards in 140 and 602.3.0, add “EDDM-Retail” as the last line in the permit imprint indicia. See Exhibit 144.1.3 for an example.
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600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
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602 Addressing
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3.0 Use of Alternative Addressing
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3.2 Simplified Address
3.2.1 Conditions for General Use
The following conditions must be met when using a simplified address on commercial mailpieces:
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[Revise item 3.2.1c as follows:]
c. Standard Mail flats with simplified addresses (also known as “Every Door Direct Mail” or “EDDM”) must have one dimension larger than a letter-size maximum dimension, except under 301.2.2.2. Standard Mail pieces, when mailed under conditions in 301.2.2.2 and delivered by city route delivery or Post Office Box delivery in offices with city route delivery, are considered to be flats and are charged postage for Standard Mail saturation flats. Letter-size pieces that meet the size standards in 301.2.2.2 and that are delivered by rural or HCR routes may be mailed (when entered at a BMEU) as letters or flats with simplified addresses at the mailer’s option. See 140 for more information about entering EDDM pieces (EDDM-Retail) at Retail locations.
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3.2.4 Postage
[Add a new last sentence in 3.2.4 as follows:]
***Postage for pieces mailed as EDDM-Retail flats must be as described in 144.
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4.0 Detached Address Labels (DALs) and Detached Marketing Labels (DMLs)
4.1 DAL and DML Use
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4.1.2 Periodicals or Standard Mail Flats Saturation Mailings
[Revise the first sentence of 4.1.2 as follows:]
Saturation mailings of unaddressed Periodicals or Standard Mail flats, except for EDDM-Retail flats, may be mailed with detached address labels (DALs).***
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We will incorporate this revision into the next update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Pricing, 12-27-12
