On August 11, 2023, the United States Postal Service® (USPS®) filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a notice of market dominant price change creating two new incentives. As indicated in the filing, the Postal Service™ will offer two new year-long incentives designed to promote the growth of First-Class Mail® (the ‘‘First-Class Mail Growth Incentive’’) and USPS Marketing Mail® (the ‘‘Marketing Mail Growth Incentive’’).
The effective date of each incentive is January 1, 2024, and the incentive period runs through December 31, 2024. Qualifying Market Dominant products eligible for the incentive are:
n First-Class Mail Presort Letters.
n First-Class Mail Presort Cards.
n First-Class Mail Presort Flats.
n USPS Marketing Mail Letters and High Density/Saturation Letters.
n USPS Marketing Mail Flats and High Density/Saturation Flats.
n USPS Marketing Mail Carrier Route Letters and Flats.
n USPS Marketing Mail and Saturation Parcels.
Documents pertinent to this notice are available at prc.gov under docket number R2023–3 and on the daily docket for August 11, 2023.
Each Mail Growth Incentive will issue 30 percent postage credits on qualifying CY 2024 volumes that exceed the greater of:
n Corresponding FY 2023 volumes; and
n One million pieces in CY 2024.
Mail owners with fewer than one million pieces in FY 2023 but exceeding one million pieces in CY 2024 will have their incremental volume start at one million pieces, not their FY 2023 volume. Among the requirements to be eligible to claim the postage credits in each of these incentives, a mail owner must:
n Register for the incentive via steps to be announced;
n Mail at least one million qualifying pieces in CY 2024; and
n Mail more qualifying pieces in CY 2024 than they mailed in FY 2023.
Mail owners can participate in either or both Mail Growth Incentives, but the incentives cannot be combined for the purposes of reaching the million-piece minimums or for any other purpose.
USPS will begin registration November 2023, if approved. As part of the registration process, mailers must agree to their baseline volume and meet all eligibility requirements in order to receive postage credits.
Postage credits will be issued to qualified mail owners after 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months from the start of CY 2024. Credits can only be used for future Marketing Mail if earned in the Marketing Mail Growth Incentive and for First-Class Mail if earned in the First-Class Mail Growth Incentive. Credits can be used after they are issued and will expire at the end of CY 2025.
Current information on the requirements to participate in the First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail Growth Incentives, including FAQs, have been posted at postalpro.usps.com/growth-incentive-faqs and will be regularly updated.
— Mailing Services,
Product Solutions, 9-7-23
