Effective November 4, 2024, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), sections 243 and 245, to clarify requirements for optional 5-digit tray preparation for automation-compatible carrier route letters.
Although these revisions will not be published in the DMM until November 4, 2024, these standards are effective immediately.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
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240 Commercial Mail 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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6.1 General Enhanced Carrier Route Standards
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6.1.2 Basic Eligibility Standards
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[Revise the text of item j. to read as follows:]
j. Meet the standards in 245.6.10 for High Density and High Density Plus automation letter mailings prepared using the optional 5-digit/scheme tray preparation.
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245 Mail Preparation
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6.0 Preparing Enhanced Carrier Route Letters
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6.7 Traying and Labeling for Automation-Compatible ECR Letters
[Revise the seventh sentence of the introductory text to read as follows:]
***(See 6.10 for optional 5-digit/scheme tray preparation.)***
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[Revise the title of 6.10 to read as follows:]
6.10 Optional 5-Digit/Scheme Tray Preparation for High Density and High Density Plus Automation-Compatible ECR Letters
6.10.1 Basic Standards
[Revise the introductory text of 6.10.1 to read as follows:]
An optional 5-digit/scheme tray preparation allows combining multiple mail owners’ High Density, High Density Plus, and 5-digit automation-compatible letters in a letter tray when meeting the following standards:
[Revise the text of item a. to read as follows:]
a. Each individual mail owner must meet the minimum quantities in 243.6.4.2 for High Density (HD) and High Density Plus to claim HD/HD Plus prices with a minimum combined 150 pieces of 5-digit, HD or HD Plus in a 5-digit/scheme tray.
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[Revise the text of item g. to read as follows:]
g. The optional tray preparation must be used for the entire mailing.
[Add new items h. through j. to read as follows:]
h. For each carrier route to which High Density (HD) or High Density Plus mail is addressed, the mailer must document within eDoc the total number of addressed pieces to the route.
i. Grouping the HD and HD Plus letters in the trays is not required.
j. Optional endorsement lines or carrier-route information lines are required for all carrier-route volume.
6.10.2 Traying and Labeling
[Revise the text of 6.10.2 to read as follows:]
Mailers must tray the HD and HD Plus qualified mail that meets the standards of 245.6.10.1 with 5-digit/scheme mail prepared under 245.7.5.a.
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next edition of the online DMM, which is available on Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 8-22-24
