Effective May 4, 2020, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), in various sections, to clarify standards related to the use of USPS-produced Flat Rate containers and to ensure that the clarified standards are consistent throughout the DMM.
Various DMM sections state that only USPS-produced Flat Rate Envelopes are eligible for the Flat Rate price. The Postal Service will clarify that customers must only use USPS-produced Flat Rate containers at the applicable Flat Rate container price. The Postal Service offers a wide range of other USPS-produced containers to meet customer shipping needs.
In addition, the Postal Service will update the applicable Quick Service Guides (QSG) to reflect these revisions.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until May 4, 2020, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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100 Retail Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
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110 Retail Mail Priority Mail Express
113 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
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1.4 Flat Rate Packaging
[Revise the text of 1.4 by adding a new second sentence to read as follows:]
***Customers must only use USPS-produced Flat Rate Envelopes at the applicable Flat Rate Envelope price.***
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120 Retail Mail Priority Mail
123 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
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1.4 Flat Rate Packaging
[Revise the text of 1.4 to read as follows:]
Only USPS-produced Flat Rate Envelopes or Flat Rate Boxes are eligible for the Flat Rate price and are charged a flat rate, regardless of the actual weight (up to 70 pounds) of the mailpiece or domestic destination. Customers must only use USPS-produced Flat Rate containers at the applicable Flat Rate price. USPS-produced packaging, including Flat Rate containers, is not eligible for shipping live animals.
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200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
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210 Commercial Mail Priority Mail Express
213 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
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1.6 Flat Rate Packaging
[Revise the text of 1.6 to read as follows:]
Only USPS-produced or approved Flat Rate Envelopes are eligible for the Flat Rate price and are charged a flat rate, regardless of the actual weight (up to 70 pounds) of the mailpiece or domestic destination. Customers must only use USPS-produced Flat Rate Envelopes at the applicable Flat Rate Envelope price. USPS-produced packaging, including Flat Rate containers, is not eligible for shipping live animals.
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220 Commercial Mail Priority Mail
223 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
* * * * *
1.6 Flat Rate Packaging
[Revise the text of 1.6 to read as follows:]
Only USPS-produced Flat Rate Envelopes or Flat Rate Boxes are eligible for the Flat Rate price and are charged a flat rate, regardless of the actual weight (up to 70 pounds) of the mailpiece or domestic destination. Customers must only use USPS-produced Flat Rate containers at the applicable Flat Rate price. USPS-produced packaging, including Flat Rate containers, is not eligible for shipping live animals.
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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, 4-9-20
