Effective July 1, 2020, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), sections 705.22 and 705.23, to include the requirement that detached mail unit (DMU) mailers and mailers who enter full-service mailings at a business mail entry unit (BMEU) participate in the USPS® Seamless Parallel Program by June 1, 2020.
In addition, the Postal Service provides advance notice of its intent to:
1. Require all mailers with an authorized detached mail unit to enroll in the Seamless Acceptance Program by May 1, 2021.
2. Verify all BMEU entered full-service mailings using only automated sampling and verification processes beginning July 1, 2021.
The Postal Service published a notice of proposed rulemaking on January 8, 2020 (85 FR 856-859), requiring mailers with authorized DMUs and mailers who enter full-service mailings at a BMEU to participate in the USPS Seamless Parallel Program by March 1, 2020. In addition, the Postal Service provided advance notice of its intent to require DMU mailers to enroll in the Seamless Acceptance Program by February 1, 2021. Moreover, the Postal Service provided advance notices of its intent to verify all full-service mailings entered at a BMEU using automated sampling and verification processes, beginning July 1, 2021.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until July 1, 2020, 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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22.0 Seamless Acceptance Program
22.1 Description
[Revise the text of 22.1 to read as follows:]
Seamless Acceptance leverages electronic documentation (eDoc) and Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMbs) on containers, handling units, and mailpieces that full-service provides. Mailpiece scans collected from USPS mail processing equipment (MPE) and samples from hand-held scanning devices are reconciled to the mailer eDoc to confirm proper mail preparation for the discounts claimed and postage paid. Seamless Acceptance is available for First-Class Mail cards, letters, and flats, Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, and Bound Printed Matter flats.
[Revise the title and text of 22.2 to read as follows:]
22.2 Seamless Participation
Mailers may initiate participation in the Seamless Acceptance Program by contacting a local BMEU or the PostalOne! Helpdesk at 1-800-522-9085.
22.3 Basic Standards
[Add new title 22.3.1, “General,” and move text from current section 22.3 to 22.3.1:]
22.3.1 General
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[Revise the text of item c. to read as follows:]
c. Participate in the Seamless Parallel Program under 22.3.2.
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[Add new section 22.3.2 to read as follows:]
22.3.2 Seamless Parallel Program
Detached mail unit (DMU) mailers and mailers who enter full-service mailings at a business mail entry unit (BMEU) must participate in the Seamless Parallel Program. Additional information on the Seamless Parallel Program is available in Publication 685, Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats, at postalpro.usps.com/StreamlinedMailAcceptLettersFlatsPub685.
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23.0 Full-Service Automation Option
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23.3 Fees
23.3.1 Eligibility for Exception to Payment of Annual Fees and Waiver of Deposit of Permit Imprint Mail Restrictions
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[Revise the text of item c. to read as follows:]
c. If any mailing falls under the 90-percent and 75-percent full-service thresholds for qualified full-service mailings, the annual mailing fee will be due and the mailing verification date will become the renewal or anniversary date of the permit fees. The full-service percentage will automatically set to 0 percent on each subsequent anniversary date. The first mailing presented after the anniversary date begins the cumulative process for the full-service percentage calculation. If the first mailing presented after the anniversary date is below 90 percent, the annual fee must be paid before the mail is finalized. Once the annual fees are paid, the next validation date will be the next anniversary date.
[Remove the bullet number from 23.3.1c(1) and move the text after the last sentence of item c. above. Delete the second bullet, 23.3.1c(2), in its entirety.]
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the July 1, 2020, edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification, Marketing, 5-21-20
