Effective July 9, 2023, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), in various sections, to reflect changes regarding Postal Service domestic mailing services product price adjustments.
On May 31, 2023, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) found that the price adjustments proposed by the Postal Service may take effect as planned. The price adjustments and DMM revisions will become effective on July 9, 2023. Final prices are available under Docket No. R2023-2 (Order No. 6526) on the PRC website at prc.gov.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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200 Commercial Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
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240 Commercial Mail USPS Marketing Mail
243 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
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1.2 USPS Marketing Mail Prices
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[Add new item c. to read as follows and renumber current item c. as item d.:]
c. For USPS Marketing Mail flats that weigh more than 4 ounces, the pound price is applicable only to the weight that exceeds 4 ounces. For example, if the piece weighs 6 ounces, the pound price will apply only to the 2 ounces that exceed 4 ounces.
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1.5 Computing Postage for USPS Marketing Mail
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1.5.4 Per Piece and Per Pound Charges
[Add a new last sentence to the text of 1.5.4 to read as follows:]
***For USPS Marketing Mail flats that weigh more than 4 ounces, the pound price is applicable only to the weight that exceeds 4 ounces.
1.5.5 Computing Affixed Postage for Piece/Pound Price Mailpieces
[Revise the text of 1.5.5 to read as follows:]
To compute postage to be affixed to each piece/pound price piece, multiply the weight of the piece (in pounds) by the applicable price per pound (for USPS Marketing Mail flats, multiply the weight of the piece that exceeds 4 ounces by the applicable price per pound); add the applicable per piece charge and any surcharge; and round up the sum to the next tenth of a cent. See 244.2.0 for affixing postage.
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4.0 Price Eligibility for USPS Marketing Mail
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4.3 Piece/Pound Prices
[Revise the last sentence of the text of 4.3 to read as follows:]
***Flats that exceed 4 ounces are subject to a two-part piece/pound price that includes a fixed charge per piece and a variable pound charge based on the weight that exceeds 4 ounces.
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500 Additional Mailing Services
503 Extra Services
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1.0 Basic Standards for All Extra Services
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1.4 Eligibility for Extra Services
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1.4.1 Eligibility — Domestic Mail
[Revise the text of 1.4.1 to read as follows:]
Exhibit 1.4.1 provides the eligibility of each extra service for domestic mail. The exhibit also provides the additional extra services that may be combined with each extra service. The combined extra services are subject to the eligibility of the mail listed for each extra service. Certain eligible extra-service combinations may not be available for purchase. (Mailers may contact a USPS representative for details.) The following extra services or additional extra services may be added at the time of mailing, if available, when the standards for the services are met and the applicable fees are paid.
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Exhibit 1.4.1 Eligibility — Domestic Mail
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Insurance
Insurance Restricted Delivery
(If insurance > $500.00)
[Revise the “Note:” under “Insurance” to read as follows:]
Note: Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, and USPS Ground Advantage include $100.00 of insurance coverage; see 503.4.0.
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1.4.3 Eligibility — Domestic Returns
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Exhibit 1.4.3 Eligibility — Domestic Returns
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[Delete in its entirety the “ELIGIBLE EXTRA SERVICES (Paid by Sender)” section of the table, including both the “Insurance $500 or Less” and “Insurance More than $500” columns under it.]
[Delete footnote 4 in its entirety.]
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2.0 Registered Mail
2.1 Basic Standards
2.1.1 Description
[Revise the last sentence of the third paragraph of the text of 2.1.1 to read as follows:]
***The mailer of a registered mail article with contents valued at more than $50,000.00 is charged a flat fee that includes insurance coverage totaling no more than $50,000.00 (the maximum insurance limit) and the handling cost.***
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4.0 Insured Mail
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[Revise the title of 4.2 to read as follows:]
4.2 Insurance Coverage — Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage — Retail, and USPS Ground Advantage — Commercial
[Revise the introductory text of 4.2 to read as follows:]
Priority Mail pieces (including Priority Mail Return service), USPS Ground Advantage — Retail mail, and USPS Ground Advantage — Commercial pieces (including USPS Ground Advantage Return service) are insured against loss, damage, or missing contents, for no more than $100.00 in coverage, subject to the following:
[Revise the text of items a. through c. to read as follows:]
a. Insurance coverage is provided against loss, damage, or missing contents and is limited to a maximum liability of $100.00 when the pieces bear an Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) or USPS retail tracking barcode (see 4.3.4) and the mailer pays retail or commercial prices.
b. In addition to the insurance coverage under 4.2a, additional insurance may be purchased for no more than a maximum coverage of $5,000.00.
c. Pieces meeting the requirements under 4.2, but not supported by a Shipping Services file must have a full acceptance scan in order to qualify for automatic insurance coverage.
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[Revise the first sentence of item e. to read as follows:]
e. Customers may file claims online for insured domestic items at usps.com/domestic-claims.***
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505 Return Services
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3.0 USPS Returns Service
3.1 Basic Standards
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3.1.3 Postage and Prices
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[Revise the text of 3.1.3c(1) to read as follows:]
1. Insurance is available for USPS Returns service (see 503.4). Insurance is included with the postage for Priority Mail Return service and USPS Ground Advantage Return service (see 503.4.2). Additional insurance for Priority Mail Return service and USPS Ground Advantage Return service is available to the account holder for a fee on packages that have the applicable STC embedded into the IMpb on the label, and for which the account holder has provided electronic data that supports the value of the merchandise (see 503.4.3.1a). Only the account holder may file a claim (see 609). Mailers returning a USPS Returns service package may not obtain insurance at their own expense.
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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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8.10 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 introductory text of 8.10.3(c) to read as follows]
c. 5-digit carrier routes, required except for trays, permitted for bundles, sacks, trays, and cartons. Allowed with no weight minimum for bundles. The pallet must contain only carrier-route mail for the same 5-digit ZIP Code. The SCF pallet discount applies to 5-digit carrier routes USPS Marketing Mail letter trays on an SCF pallet entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, or DSCF entry. Labeling:***
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[Revise the text of 8.10.3(d) to read as follows]
d. 5-digit, required except for trays, permitted for bundles, trays, and sacks (irregular parcels only). The SCF pallet discount applies to 5-digit/5-digit scheme USPS Marketing Mail letter trays and flat-shaped bundles on an SCF pallet entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, or DSCF entry. The SCF pallet discount does not apply to USPS Marketing Mail parcels. Labeling:
1. Line 1: City, state, and 5-digit ZIP Code destination. (See 8.6.4c for overseas military mail.)
2. Line 2: For flats and irregular parcels, “STD” followed by “FLTS” or “IRREG,” as applicable; followed by “5D”; followed by “BARCODED” (or “BC”) if the pallet contains automation-price mail; followed by “NONBARCODED” (or “NBC”) if the pallet contains Presorted-price mail. For letters, “STD LTRS 5D”; 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.
[Revise the introductory text of 8.10.3(e) to read as follows]
e. 3-digit, optional, option not available for parcels other than Product Sample parcels or for bundles for 3-digit ZIP Code prefixes marked “N” in L002. The SCF pallet discount applies to 3-digit, AADC, ADC, 5-digit, 5-digit scheme, carrier-route, High-Density, High-Density Plus, and Saturation (including EDDM flats — Not Retail) USPS Marketing Mail letter trays and flat-shaped bundles on an SCF pallet entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, or DSCF entry. The SCF pallet discount does not apply to USPS Marketing Mail parcels. Labeling:
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[Revise the last two sentences of the introductory text of 8.10.3(f) to read as follows]
***The SCF pallet discount applies to 3-digit, AADC, ADC, 5-digit, 5-digit scheme, carrier-route, High-Density, High-Density Plus, and Saturation (including EDDM flats — Not Retail) USPS Marketing Mail letter trays and flat-shaped bundles on an SCF pallet entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, or DSCF entry. The SCF pallet discount does not apply to USPS Marketing Mail parcels. Labeling:
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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,
Product Solutions, 6-15-23
