Policies, Procedures, and Forms Updates

Manuals

DMM Revision: Clarification of Scans as Evidence of Mailing and the Placement of Collect on Delivery (COD) Forms

Effective September 14, 2015, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) sections 503.1 and 609.3 to clarify that USPS® physical scans can be treated by the Postal Service as evidence of mailing when postage and extra service fees are paid online for purposes of indemnity claim review.

Additionally, we will revise DMM 503.9 to clarify electronic funds transfer (EFT) contact information for enrollment and the placement of privately printed forms for COD.

Although these revisions will not be published in the DMM until September 14, 2015, these standards are effective immediately.

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Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

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500 Additional Mailing Services

503 Extra and Additional Services

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1.10 Receipts

[Revise the text to read as follows:]

The mailer receives a USPS sales receipt and the postmarked (round-dated) extra service form for services purchased at retail channels. The mailer must provide a mailing receipt when submitting an insurance claim or filing an inquiry (also see 609.0). Except for Registered Mail and COD items (under item b), the USPS keeps no mailing records for pieces bearing extra services. The USPS provides receipts for online or firm mailers purchasing extra services under the following conditions:

a. For three or more pieces with extra services presented for mailing at one time, the mailer may use PS Form 3877, Firm Mailing Book for Accountable Mail, or USPS-approved privately printed firm sheets in lieu of the receipt portion of the individual form. All entries made on firm sheets must be printed in ink or by ballpoint pen. Alterations must be initialed by the mailer and accepting employee. Obliterate all unused portions of the addressee column with a diagonal line. Privately printed or computer-generated firm sheets that contain the same information as PS Form 3877 may be approved by the local Postmaster or manager, Business Mail Entry. The mailer may omit columns from privately printed PS Form 3877 that are not applicable to extra service requested. If the mailer wants the firm sheets receipted by the USPS (postmarked on each firm sheet), the mailer must present the books with the articles to be mailed at a Post Office. The sheets of the books become the mailer’s receipts.

b. For Registered Mail and COD, the mailer submits the PS Form 3877 (under item a) in duplicate and receives one copy as a mailing receipt after the entries are verified by the Postal Service employee accepting the mailing.

c, For articles mailed via PC Postage or other online services (see 604.4.0), the mailer may access a computer printout online that identifies the applicable extra service number, total postage paid, insurance fee amount, declared value, declared mailing date, origin ZIP Code, and delivery ZIP Code. Additionally, either a postmarked (round-dated) original mailing receipt (PS Form 3877 firm sheet, under item a), or an electronic shipment acceptance scan (generated from PS Form 5630, Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice) followed by a valid acceptance scan event or a physical scan event must also be available as evidence of mailing, in addition to the online record.

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9.0 Collect on Delivery (COD)

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9.1 Basic Standards

9.1.1 Description

[Revise the sixth sentence to read as follows:]

***If payment is made by cash, a money order fee is included in the amount collected from the recipient (unless the mailer is authorized to participate in electronic funds transfer (EFT) for the remittance (contact the National Customer Support Center (NCSC) (See 608.8) for EFT enrollment information), in addition to the COD amount.***

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9.2 Forms

9.2.1 Form 3816

[Revise the second sentence to read as follows:]

***The form must be attached (or enclosed in an accessible clear envelope or pouch) either above the delivery address and to the right of the return address, or to the left of the delivery address on parcels.***

600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services

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609 Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage

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3.0 Providing Evidence of Insurance and Value

3.1 Evidence of Insurance

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[Revise item d. to read as follows:]

d. For insurance or COD, purchased online, a printed electronic online label record or a computer printout from the application used to print the label and purchase the insurance. The printout must identify the USPS Tracking number of the insured parcel, total postage paid, insurance fee paid, declared value, mailing date, origin ZIP Code, and delivery ZIP Code. Additionally, either a postmarked (round-dated) original mailing receipt (PS Form 3877 firm sheet), or an electronic shipment acceptance scan (generated from PS Form 5630) followed by a valid acceptance scan event or a physical scan event must also be available as evidence of mailing, in addition to the online record.

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We will incorporate these revisions into the September update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.