Effective October 7, 2019, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 505.1.0, to remove redundant text and to clarify how the Postal Service will respond to misuse of Business Reply Mail® (BRM) cards and envelopes, and improper use of labels.
DMM 505.1.3.1, “Description,” states that a permit holder guarantees payment of the applicable Retail First-Class Mail®, First-Class Package Service — Retail®, or Priority Mail® postage, plus a per piece fee on all returned BRM, which includes any incomplete, blank, or empty BRM cards and envelopes, and any mailable matter with a BRM label affixed. DMM 505.1.4.8, “Labels,” states that in cases when a BRM card or envelope is misused as a BRM label, USPS® treats the item as waste.
BRM cards and envelopes are designed to be mailed as a First-Class Mail card, letter, or flat only, and not as a BRM label to be attached to other items. However, in some instances, BRM cards and envelopes have been misused as labels on items that the permit holder did not anticipate being sent as a BRM piece.
The Postal Service is clarifying that when a BRM label is improperly used, or a BRM card or envelope is misused as a label to return an unsealed item, such as a brick, two-by-four, or similar item, the Postal Service may treat the item as waste to be disposed of at the discretion of the Post Office™.
However, the Postal Service does not guarantee that these items will be removed from the network. Moreover, when a BRM card or envelope is misused and affixed to a sealed item, the permit holder will be responsible for payment of the applicable Retail postage and per piece fee.
As a result of this clarification, the Postal Service will delete Customer Support Ruling PS-086, Business Reply Mail Cards, Envelopes, and Labels.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until October 7, 2019, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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500 Additional Mailing Services
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505 Return Services
1.0 Business Reply Mail (BRM)
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1.3 Basic Standards
1.3.1 Description
[Delete the last two sentences of 1.3.1.]
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[Add new section 1.3.8 to read as follows:]
1.3.8 Improper Use of Labels and Misuse of BRM Cards and Envelopes
Improper use of BRM labels and misuse of BRM cards or envelopes should be handled as follows:
a. When a BRM label is improperly used, or a BRM card or envelope is misused as a label to return an unsealed item, such as a brick, two-by-four, or similar item, the Postal Service may treat the item as waste to be disposed of at the discretion of the Post Office.
b. When a BRM card or envelope is misused and affixed to a sealed item, the permit holder will be responsible for payment of the applicable Retail postage and per piece fee.
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1.4 Mailpiece Characteristics
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1.4.8 Labels
[Revise the text of 1.4.8 (deleting the third sentence) to read as follows:]
For general use, the minimum size of a BRM label is 2 inches high and 3 inches long. BRM labels are not required to have a FIM or a ZIP+4 barcode, but all other format standards in 1.5 must be met. See 1.4.9 for labels on letter-size pieces.
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification, Marketing, 8-1-19
