Effective March 4, 2019, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), in various sections to clarify the standards when a mailer is affixing postage to a mailpiece.
According to DMM section 604.4.0, Postage Meters and PC Products (“Postage Evidencing Systems”), the numerical value of postage displayed (in dollars and cents) on each mailpiece must be equal to or greater than the amount due for the applicable price and any extra service fees, or another amount permitted by mailing standards. Certain mailing standards allow a mailer to affix postage at less than the full price.
This DMM revision will clarify the standards when a mailer is affixing postage to commercial First-Class Mail® and USPS Marketing Mail®. This revision will also remove redundant text and provide consistency in the standards.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until March 4, 2019, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
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230 Commercial Mail First-Class Mail
233 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
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1.2 Price Computation for First-Class Mail Letters and Flats
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1.2.2 Flats
[Revise the first sentence of 1.2.2 to read as follows:]
First-Class Mail flats prices are charged per ounce up to the maximum of 13 ounces. Any fraction of an ounce is considered a whole ounce.***
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234 Postage Payment and Documentation
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
[Revise the text of 1.0 to read as follows:]
First-Class Mail presorted and automation postage must be paid with precanceled stamps, postage evidencing system indicia, or permit imprints. All pieces in a mailing must be paid with the same method unless otherwise permitted by standard or Business Mailer Support authorization. Permit imprints may be used for mailings of nonidentical-weight pieces only if authorized by Business Mailer Support.
[Revise the title of 2.0 to read as follows:]
2.0 Affixing Postage to Presorted and Automation Letters and Flats
[Delete 2.1 in its entirety and renumber current 2.2 and 2.3 as new 2.1 and 2.2. Revise the text in renumbered 2.1 to read as follows:]
2.1 Affixing Postage for Presorted and Automation First-Class Mail
Except as permitted under 2.2 or authorized by Business Mailer Support, each piece must bear the numerical value of postage under one of these conditions:
a. Each letter-size or flat-size piece bearing a postage evidencing system indicium must bear the correct numerical value of postage for which the piece qualifies.
b. Each letter-size or flat-size piece may bear a USPS precanceled stamp (or stamps precanceled with a mailer’s precancel postmark), under 604.3.0; postage documentation under 3.0 is required. Additional postage must be paid at the time of mailing with an advance deposit account or with a postage evidencing system indicium affixed to the postage statement.
[Revise the title and text of renumbered 2.2 to read as follows:]
2.2 Affixing Postage at Less Than Full Price to All Pieces
2.2.1 Lowest Price
A mailer may affix postage evidencing postage at the lowest price as follows:
a. Letter-size or flat-size pieces: A mailer may affix postage at the lowest eligible presort level and weight increment price in the mailing.
b. Additional postage: Additional postage is computed based on the difference between the lowest price affixed to any piece in the mailing and the price for each price level in the mailing. The total additional postage must be paid either by advance deposit account or by a meter stamp affixed to the back of the accompanying postage statement.
c. Documentation: The computation must be documented to meet the basic standards in 3.0.
2.2.2 Mixed Price Alternative
Where it is not practicable for the mailer to affix the exact postage to each piece or to affix the lowest postage price to all pieces in the mailing, the mailer may compute postage for the mailing as if the lowest price affixed to any piece in the mailing were affixed to all pieces. Additional postage is computed based on the difference between the lowest price affixed to any piece in the mailing and the price for each price level in the mailing. This computation must be documented to meet the basic standards in 3.0.
No refund is paid for any piece where postage is affixed at a price higher than the lowest price claimed for or affixed to any piece. The total additional postage must be paid either by advance deposit account or by a meter stamp affixed to the back of the accompanying postage statement.
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240 USPS Marketing Mail
243 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
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1.5 Computing Postage for USPS Marketing Mail
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[Revise the title and text of 1.5.5 to read as follows:]
1.5.5 Computing Affixed Postage for Piece/Pound Price Mailpieces
To compute postage to be affixed to each piece/pound price piece, multiply the weight of the piece (in pounds) by the applicable price per pound; add the applicable per piece charge and any surcharge; and round the sum up to the next tenth of a cent. See 244.2.0 for affixing postage.
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244 Postage Payment and Documentation
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
[Delete the title of 1.1, Postage Payment Options, and move the text under 1.0. Revise the text of 1.0 to read as follows:]
Postage for USPS Marketing Mail, including Customized Market Mail, must be paid with precanceled stamps, postage evidencing systems, or permit imprint as specified in 2.0. Unless authorized by the USPS under 705.2.0 through 705.5.0, or 705.16.0, when precanceled postage or postage evidencing systems are used, only one payment method may be used in a mailing. Mail manifested using the Electronic Verification System (eVS) under 705.2.9 must be paid with a permit imprint. Permit imprint may be used for mailings of nonidentical-weight pieces only if authorized by Business Mailer Support at USPS Headquarters.
2.0 Additional Postage Payment Standards
2.1 Identical-Weight Pieces
[Revise the first sentence of 2.1 to read as follows:]
Mailings of identical-weight pieces may have, affixed to each piece, the exact numerical value of postage for which the piece qualifies, or postage at the lowest price applicable to pieces in the mailing, as stipulated under 3.0.***
2.2 Nonidentical-Weight Pieces
[Delete the first sentence of 2.2.]
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[Revise the title of 3.0 to read as follows:]
3.0 Affixing Postage at Less than Full Price
[Revise the titles and text of 3.1 and 3.2 to read as follows:]
3.1 General
Except as permitted under 3.2 or 3.3 or authorized by Business Mailer Support, postage-affixed pieces must bear the correct numerical value of postage.
3.2 Lowest Price
A mailer may affix postage evidencing postage at the lowest price on identical-weight pieces as follows:
a. Pieces weighing 3.5 ounces or less for letters, 4 ounces or less for flats, or 3.3 ounces or less for parcels: A mailer may affix postage at the lowest eligible presort level in the mailing.
b. Pieces weighing more than 4 ounces for flats or more than 3.3 ounces for parcels: A mailer may affix the computed piece/pound postage (see 243.1.5.5) at the lowest eligible presort level in the mailing.
c. Additional postage: Additional postage is computed based on the difference between the lowest price affixed to any piece in the mailing and the price for each price level in the mailing. The total additional postage must be paid either by advance deposit account or by a meter stamp affixed to the back of the accompanying postage statement.
d. Documentation: The computation must be documented to meet the basic standards in 4.0.
[Revise the title of 3.3 to read as follows:]
3.3 Mixed Price Alternative for Letters and Flats
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next update of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification, Marketing, 2-14-19
