Effective November 1, 2021, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 201.1.2.1a, to clarify the thickness required for postcards. The Postal Service will also revise various sections of the DMM to clarify the size required for card-size mailpieces to be bundled, and to reflect changes in high-density carrier route mailpiece price eligibility and label content requirements.
More specifically, the Postal Service will revise section 201.1.2.1a to clarify that postcards that measure more than 4-1/4 inches high or 6 inches long, or both, must be at least .009 inch thick. The Postal Service will also revise sections 203.4.3, 203.4.4, 235.5.2.1, and 235.6.4 to state that card-size pieces being bundled must be less than 7 inches long. Additionally, the Postal Service will revise new section 243.6.5.3, added among revisions for the August 29, 2021, DMM edition, which will post in September. That section is being revised to specify that high-density carrier route mailpieces must meet the criteria for high-density mail.
Finally, the Postal Service will revise sections 705.8.10.3, 705.12.2.3, and 705.13.2.4 to delete “HD+” and “High Density plus,” added to required Line 2 content for labels among revisions for the August 29, 2021, DMM edition.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until November 1, 2021, 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
201 Physical Standards
1.0 Physical Standards for Machinable Letters and Cards
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1.2 Physical Standards for Cards Claimed at Card Prices
1.2.1 Dimensional Standards for Cards
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[Revise the text of item a. to read as follows:]
a. Not less than 3-1/2 inches high, 5 inches long, and 0.007 inch thick. Cards more than 4-1/4 inches high or 6 inches long, or both, must be a minimum of 0.009 inch thick.
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203 Basic Postage Statement, Documentation, and Preparation Standards
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4.0 Bundles
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4.3 Preparing Bundles of Letters
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[Revise the text of item b. and item d. to read as follows:]
b. Mailings consisting entirely of card-size pieces (only pieces less than 7 inches long) must be prepared in bundles.
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d. For mailings consisting entirely of card-size pieces, (only bundled cards that measure less than 7 inches long) and mail in less-than-full trays, mailers must secure bundles with rubber bands, elastic strapping, flat plastic strapping, or string. Elastic strapping must be approved by USPS Engineering.
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4.4 Exception to Bundle Preparation — Full Trays
[Revise the first sentence of 4.4 to read as follows:]
In mailings not entirely of card-size pieces less than 7 inches long, mailers are not required to prepare bundles when placing mail in a full tray (if applicable for the class and shape of mail) when none of the mail in that tray would have been more finely sorted, if bundled.***
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235 Mail Preparation
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5.0 Preparing Nonautomation Letters
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5.2 Machinable Preparation
5.2.1 Machinable Bundling
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[Revise the text of item a. to read as follows:]
a. Card-size pieces less than 7 inches long.
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6.4 General Preparation
[Revise the text of 6.4 to read as follows:]
Grouping, bundling, and labeling are not generally required or permitted. However, bundling is required in any mailing consisting entirely of card-size pieces less than 7 inches long, and for pieces in overflow and less-than-full trays. Grouping is required under 6.5.
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240 USPS Marketing Mail
243 Prices and Eligibility
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6.0 Additional Eligibility Standards for Enhanced Carrier Route USPS Marketing Mail Letters and Flats
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6.5 High Density and High Density Plus (Enhanced Carrier Route) Standards — Flats
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6.5.3 High Density Carrier Route Bundles on a 5-Digit Pallet (High Density-CR Bundles/Pallet Price Eligibility) — Flats
[Revise the text of 6.5.3 to read as follows:]
High Density-CR Bundles/Pallet prices apply to 125 or more High Density eligible pieces that are palletized under 705.8.0 on a 5-digit carrier route, 5-digit carrier routes, or 5-digit scheme carrier route pallet entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU entry, or palletized under 705.14.0 on a FSS scheme pallet (in a FSS scheme bundle).
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700 Special Standards
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705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
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8.0 Preparing Pallets
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8.6 Pallet Labels
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8.6.5 Line 2 (Content Line)
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[Revise the entry for “High Density/High Density Plus” to read as follows:]
High Density HD
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8.10 Pallet Presort and Labeling
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8.10.3 USPS Marketing Mail or Parcel Select Lightweight-Bundles, Sacks, or Trays
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[Revise the text of 8.10.3a(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD” followed by “FLTS”; followed by “HD” DIRECT.”
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[Revise the text of 8.10.3b(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD” followed by “FLTS”; followed by “HD” for High Density flats; followed by “CARRIER ROUTES” (or “CR-RTS”); followed by “SCHEME” (or “SCH”).
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[Revise the text of 8.10.3c(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: For flats and Marketing parcels (Product Samples only), “STD FLTS” or “STD MKTG,” as applicable; followed by “HD” for High Density flats pricing eligibility; followed by “CARRIER ROUTES” (or “CR-RTS”). For letters, “STD LTRS”; followed by “CARRIER ROUTES” (or “CR-RTS”); followed by “BC” if the pallet contains barcoded letters; followed by “MACH” if the pallet contains machinable letters; followed by “MAN” if the pallet contains nonmachinable letters.
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10.0 Merging Bundles of Flats Using the City State Product
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10.2 USPS Marketing Mail
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10.2.5 Pallet Preparation and Labeling
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[Revise the text of 10.2.5a(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR-RTS SCHEME” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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[Revise the text of 10.2.5b(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR/5D SCHEME” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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[Revise the text of 10.2.5c(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS”; followed by “CARRIER ROUTES” or “CR-RTS”; followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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[Revise the text of 10.2.5d(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR/5D” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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12.0 Merging Bundles of Flats on Pallets Using a 5 Percent Threshold
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12.2 USPS Marketing Mail
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12.2.3 Pallet Preparation and Labeling
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[Revise the text of 12.2.3a(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR-RTS SCHEME” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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[Revise the text of 12.2.3b(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR/5D SCHEME” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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[Revise the text of 12.2.3c(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS”; followed by “CARRIER ROUTES” or “CR-RTS” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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[Revise the text of 12.2.3d(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR/5D” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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13.0 Merging Bundles of Flats on Pallets Using the City State Product and a 5 Percent Threshold
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13.2 USPS Marketing Mail
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13.2.4 Pallmet Preparation and Labeling
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[Revise the text of 13.2.4a(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR-RTS SCHEME” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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[Revise the text of 13.2.4b(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR/5D SCHEME” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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[Revise the text of 13.2.4c(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS,” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats; followed by “CARRIER ROUTES‘‘ or “CR-RTS.”
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[Revise the text of 13.2.4d(2) to read as follows:]
2. Line 2: “STD FLTS CR/5D” followed by “HD” if the pallet contains High Density flats.
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the November 1, 2021, edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 9-9-21
