Policies, Procedures, and Forms Updates

Manuals

DMM Revision: Calculating Postage for Periodicals Pending Authorization

Effective January 9, 2022, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM^®), section 207.5.2, to reflect a change in the process for calculating the price of postage on a Periodicals publication pending authorization.

Currently, postage for Periodicals pending authorization is calculated by completing a PS Form 3541, Postage Statement — Periodicals, and then using that information to determine the price for the applicable class of mail based on the eligibility of the mailpiece. This process is labor intensive and does not provide exact pricing, based on the numerous pricing differences for Periodicals and other classes of mail.

Therefore, the Postal Service is simplifying the calculation process by assigning applicable class of mail prices based upon mailpiece common characteristics of shape and weight. Each applicable class of mail price will be expressed as a percentage from the corresponding Periodicals price.

This new process will be more efficient and easier for customers. It will also simplify the refund process when a Periodicals publication is approved. PS Form 3541 will be revised to reflect this new process.

This new standard will become effective January 9, 2022.

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

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200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels

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207 Periodicals

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5.0 Applying for Periodicals Authorization

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5.2 Mailing While Application Pending

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[Add new 5.2.3 to read as follows and renumber current 5.2.3 through 5.2.5 as 5.2.4 through 5.2.6:]

5.2.3 Pending Postage

The price of postage for a Periodicals publication pending authorization is calculated by applying the applicable percent in Exhibit 5.2.3 to PS Form 3541, Part P, Line P-1.

Exhibit 5.2.3 Pending Postage

 

PENDING CLASS OF MAIL	PCT.
USPS Marketing Mail Letters	0%*
USPS Marketing Mail Flats	63%
Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Letters	0%*
Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Flats	40%
Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Parcels	136%
Bound Printed Matter Flats	146%
Bound Printed Matter Parcels	0%*
Parcel Select Parcels	585%
First-Class Mail Letters	95%
First-Class Mail Flats	427%
First-Class Package Service-R	311%
Priority Mail	545%

*Use Periodicals prices.

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The Postal Service will incorporate this revision into the next edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer^® at pe.usps.com.

— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 12-30-21