Effective January 24, 2021, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) in various sections to clarify postage payment methods referring to postage evidencing systems.
Postage meters and PC Postage® products are collectively identified as “postage evidencing systems” under section 604.4.0. The Postal Service will revise various sections in the DMM to clarify whether the postage payment is one specific product (i.e., postage meter or PC Postage) or both products: postage evidencing systems. This clarification will also provide consistency within postage payment method standards.
In addition, the Postal Service will update the applicable Quick Service Guides to reflect these revisions.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until January 24, 2021, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
* * * * *
100 Retail Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
* * * * *
110 Priority Mail Express
* * * * *
114 Postage Payment Methods
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
1.1 Payment Method
[Revise the first sentence of 1.1 to read as follows:]
Retail Priority Mail Express postage may be paid with adhesive stamps (see 604.1.0), postage evidencing systems (see 604.4.0), or USPS Click-N-Ship.***
1.2 Prepaid Reply Postage
[Revise the text of 1.2 to read as follows:]
Any postage evidencing system may be used to prepay reply postage on Priority Mail Express shipments under 604.4.5.2.
* * * * *
120 Priority Mail
* * * * *
124 Postage Payment Methods
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
1.1 Payment Method
[Revise the text of 1.1 to read as follows:]
Priority Mail postage may be paid with postage stamps (see 604.1.0), postage evidencing systems (see 604.4.0), or USPS Click-N-Ship.
* * * * *
140 Every Door Direct Mail-Retail (EDDM-Retail)
* * * * *
144 Postage Payment and Documentation
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
1.1 Postage Payment Options
[Revise the last sentence of 1.1 to read as follows:]
***Postage for EDDM-Retail flats must be paid with metered postage (see 604.4.0) of the correct amount of postage affixed to each piece or, at the time of mailing, by cash, check, debit card, or credit card.
* * * * *
200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
* * * * *
230 First-Class Mail
* * * * *
234 Postage Payment and Documentation
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
[Revise the first sentence of 1.0 to read as follows:]
First-Class Mail presorted and automation postage must be paid with precanceled stamps, metered postage, or permit imprints.***
2.0 Affixing Postage to Presorted and Automation Letters and Flats
2.1 Affixing Postage for Presorted and Automation First-Class Mail
* * * * *
[Revise the text of item a. to read as follows:]
a. Each letter-size or flat-size piece bearing metered postage must bear the correct numerical value of postage for which the piece qualifies.
* * * * *
240 USPS Marketing Mail
* * * * *
244 Postage Payment and Documentation
1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment
[Revise the first and second sentence of 1.0 to read as follows:]
Postage for USPS Marketing Mail, including Customized Market Mail, must be paid with precanceled stamps, metered postage, or permit imprint as specified in 2.0. Unless authorized by USPS under 705.2.0 through 705.5.0, when precanceled postage or metered postage are used, only one payment method may be used in a mailing.***
2.0 Additional Postage Payment Standards
2.1 Identical-Weight Pieces
[Revise the third sentence of 2.1 to read as follows:]
***If exact postage is not affixed, all additional postage and surcharges must be paid at the time of mailing with an advance deposit account or with a meter stamp bearing the correct numerical value of postage affixed to the postage statement.***
2.2 Nonidentical-Weight Pieces
[Revise the second sentence of 2.2 to read as follows:]
***Permit imprint (if authorized by the director, Business Acceptance Solutions) or metered postage (if each piece has the full numerical value of postage affixed) may be used to pay postage to mail nonidentical-weight pieces subject to piece/pound prices.***
2.3 Combined Price
[Revise the first sentence of 2.3 to read as follows:]
Metered postage may be used for combined price mailings containing both pieces subject to pound prices and pieces subject to minimum per piece charges.***
3.0 Affixing Postage at Less than Full Price
* * * * *
3.2 Lowest Price
[Revise the introductory text of 3.2 to read as follows:]
A mailer may affix metered postage at the lowest price on identical-weight pieces as follows:
* * * * *
3.3 Mixed Price Alternative for Letters and Flats
[Revise the last sentence of 3.3 to read as follows:]
***The total additional postage must be paid either by advance deposit account or by meter stamp affixed to the postage statement.
* * * * *
600 Basic Standards For All Mailing Services
* * * * *
604 Postage Payment Methods and Refunds
* * * * *
4.0 Postage Meters and PC Postage Products (“Postage Evidencing Systems”)
4.1 Basic Information
* * * * *
4.1.5 Authorized Classes of Mail
[Revise the text of 4.1.5 to read as follows:]
Mailers may use postage evidencing systems, as provided by standard, to affix or apply indicia on any class of mail except Periodicals and Bound Printed Matter.
* * * * *
700 Special Standards
* * * * *
705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
* * * * *
19.0 Metered Mail Drop Shipment
19.1 Basic Information
19.1.1 General
[Revise the first sentence in the introductory text of 19.1.1 to read as follows:]
A customer may affix postage using a postage meter (see 604.4.0) licensed at one Post Office (licensing Post Office) and deposit that mail at another Post Office (entry Post Office) only if prior authorization is obtained from USPS under one of the procedures described below.***
* * * * *
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, 10-22-20
