Effective September 11, 2017, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 503.1.4, Exhibit 1.4.1, to clarify the prerequisites for when a mailer requests to use return receipt service.
In the May 4, 2015, Federal Register (80 FR 25527-25569), the Postal Service introduced the USPS Signature® service umbrella which encompassed various extra services that provided electronic signature data. The Federal Register article expanded the return receipt service prerequisites; however, this change was not reflected in the DMM. We wish to clarify that Signature Confirmation™ Restricted Delivery, Adult Signature Required, and Adult Signature Restricted Delivery services qualify as prerequisites when adding a hard copy return receipt to certain eligible mail. These services will now align with the available service type codes used with Intelligent Mail® package barcodes.
Although we will not publish these revisions in the DMM until September 11, 2017, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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500 Additional Services
503 Extra and Additional Services
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1.0 Basic Standards for All Extra Services
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1.4 Eligibility for Extra Services
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1.4.1 Eligibility — Domestic Mail
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Exhibit 1.4.1 Eligibility — Domestic Mail
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Return Receipt
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[Revise the “ELIGIBLE MAIL” column for “Return Receipt” to read as follows:]
Priority Mail Express
(Form 3811 only)
Priority Mail 3
First-Class Mail 3
First-Class Package Service 1, 3
USPS Marketing Mail 1, 4, 7
Parcel Select 1, 8
Parcel Select Lightweight 1, 9
USPS Retail Ground 5
Bound Printed Matter 1, 5
Library Mail 5
Media Mail 5
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[Revise the “ADDITIONAL COMBINED EXTRA SERVICES” column for “Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery” by deleting footnote #6 following “Return Receipt.”]
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[Revise the footnotes under Exhibit 1.4.1 to read as follows:]
1. Not at retail.
2. Parcels only.
3. If also purchased with Adult Signature services, Certified Mail services, COD services, insurance over $500.00, Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery, or Registered Mail services.
4. If also purchased with bulk insurance over $500.00.
5. If also purchased with COD services, insurance over $500.00, or Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery.
6. If also purchased with insurance over $500.00, COD services, or Registered Mail services.
7. USPS Marketing Mail Nonprofit, USPS Marketing Mail Parcels (Machinable, Irregular) only.
8. If also purchased with Adult Signature services, COD services, insurance over $500.00, or Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery.
9. If also purchased with Adult Signature services, bulk insurance over $500.00, or Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next online update of the DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Marketing, 8-3-17
