Effective March 5, 2018, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 705.15.1, Basic Standards, to clarify the basic standards when combining USPS Marketing Mail® flats, Bound Printed Matter (BPM) flats, and Periodicals flats.
Although we will not publish these revisions in the DMM until March 5, 2018, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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700 Special Standards
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705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
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15.0 Combining USPS Marketing Mail Flats, Bound Printed Matter Flats, and Periodicals Flats
15.1 Basic Standards
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[Revise the text of item f. by adding a new second sentence to read as follows:]
f. ***The maximum weight of a bundle is 20 pounds.***
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[Revise the text of item h. to read as follows:]
h. Each comailing containing Bound Printed Matter flats must meet the following requirements:
1. Except under 15.1h2, BPM flat-sized pieces must not weigh more than 20 ounces when combined in applicable bundles, and must be entered at a destination sectional center facility (DSCF) on 5-digit or 3-digit/sectional center facility (SCF) level pallets or at a destination delivery unit (DDU).
2. BPM flat-sized pieces may weigh up to 24 ounces when combined in carrier route (CR) level bundles on a pallet included in no less than SCF/3D sortation entered at an SCF. BPM flat-sized pieces must not exceed 20 ounces if prepared in the CR level bundle with certain Periodicals pieces that may weigh more than 20 ounces. The maximum number of BPM pieces weighing more than 20 ounces up to the maximum of 24 ounces cannot exceed 50 percent of each mailing.
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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, 2-15-18
