Effective July 14, 2024, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 201.8.4.2, to clarify the required dimensions and characteristics of USPS Marketing Mail®, Nonprofit machinable parcels, and Nonprofit irregular parcels.
Currently, the criteria in section 201.8.4.2 provides required dimensions and characteristics for USPS Marketing Mail parcels. The criteria does not clearly address the required dimensions and characteristics each for specific types of USPS Marketing Mail parcels, including Marketing parcels (regular and nonprofit), Nonprofit machinable parcels, and Nonprofit irregular parcels.
The Postal Service is revising the criteria in section 201.8.4.2 to clearly list the required dimensions and characteristics each for Marketing parcels, Nonprofit machinable parcels, and Nonprofit irregular parcels.
The Postal Service believes these standards will enable the Postal Service to provide customers with a more efficient mailing experience.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until July 14, 2024, 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
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8.0 Additional Physical Standards by Class of Mail
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8.4 USPS Marketing Mail Parcels
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8.4.2 Size
[Revise the text of 8.4.2 to read as follows:]
USPS Marketing Mail parcel dimensions and characteristics must be as follows:
a. Regular Marketing parcels and Nonprofit Marketing parcels do not meet flat-size physical standards and must have the following characteristics:
1. Length: Not more than 12 inches. Minimum length must be 5 inches if the parcel is 1/4 inch thick or less.
2. Height: Not more than 9 inches. Minimum height must be 3-1/2 inches if the parcel is 1/4 inch thick or less.
3. Thickness: At least 0.009 inches and not more than 2 inches.
4. An alternative addressing format, according to 602.3.0.
b. Dimensions of Nonprofit machinable parcels must be as follows:
1. Large enough to hold the required delivery address, return address, mailing labels, postage, barcode, endorsements, and other mail markings on the address side of the parcel.
2. Not exceed 108 inches in length and girth.
c. A Nonprofit irregular parcel is a parcel not meeting the dimensional criteria for machinable parcels in 7.5.1 (see 7.6).
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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, 4-18-24
