The Postal Service™ will revise a future edition of Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), sections 204 and 507, to reflect that the Postal Service will no longer offer the option that mailers request PS Forms 3547, Notice to Mailer of Correction in Address, and PS Form 3579, Notice of Undeliverable Periodical, for packages with an Intelligent Mail® package barcode (IMpb®) to get address-correction information.
The Postal Service is requiring IMpb mailers requesting address-correction information for undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail to receive address-correction notices electronically via Address Change Service (ACS). IMpb mailers will be required to sign up for IMpb ACS or Traditional ACS.
Although these revisions will be incorporated into a future DMM edition, the Postal Service is implementing these standards effective March 5, 2025. However, mailers may begin to request ACS immediately.
The Postal Service believes these new standards will allow the Postal Service to more efficiently provide customers with address-correction notices and at less cost.
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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204 Barcode Standards
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2.0 Standards for Package and Extra Service Barcodes
2.1 Intelligent Mail Package Barcode
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[Add new 2.1.10 to read as follows:]
2.1.10 IMpb with Ancillary Services
When certain ancillary services are used to receive separate address corrections for forwarded parcels, shippers who apply an IMpb to their parcels must request ACS under 507.4.1.5.
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500 Additional Mailing Services
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507 Mailer Services
1.0 Treatment of Mail
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1.5 Treatment for Ancillary Services by Class of Mail
1.5.1 First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail, USPS Ground Advantage – Commercial, and Priority Mail
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[Revise the introductory text of item f. to read as follows:]
f. Address Change Service (ACS) under 4.0 is available for First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage —Retail, USPS Ground Advantage — Commercial, and Priority Mail pieces with the ACS participant code for an authorized ACS participant and a valid ancillary service endorsement. Mailers participating in OneCode ACS under 4.2.6 who print an Intelligent Mail barcode on First-Class Mail automation letters may omit the participant code and endorsement. Parcel shippers must use either IMpb ACS or apply an ACS participant code to receive separate address corrections. The only endorsements permitted on First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage – Retail, USPS Ground Advantage – Commercial and Priority Mail valid ACS pieces are “Address Service Requested,” “Change Service Requested,” or “Electronic Service Requested” subject to the following:
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1.5.2 Periodicals
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[Add a new last sentence to item a. to read as follows:]
***Parcel shippers must use either IMpb ACS or apply an ACS participant code to receive separate address corrections.
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1.5.3 USPS Marketing Mail
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[Add a new last sentence to item f. to read as follows:]
f. ***Parcel shippers must use either IMpb ACS or apply an ACS participant code when requesting separate address corrections.
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1.5.4 Package Services, and Parcel Select
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[Add a new last sentence to item a. to read as follows:]
a. ***Parcel shippers must use either IMpb ACS or apply an ACS participant code when requesting separate address corrections.
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4.0 Address Correction Services
4.1 Address Correction Service
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4.1.5 Other Classes
[Revise the text of 4.1.5 to read as follows:]
The following apply:
a. When possible, “on-piece” address correction is provided for the following mailpieces:
1. Priority Mail Express;
2. Priority Mail;
3. First-Class Mail;
4. USPS Ground Advantage – Retail;
5. USPS Ground Advantage – Commercial;
6. USPS Marketing Mail;
7. Package Services; and
8. Parcel Select.
b. If the piece cannot be forwarded, it is returned with new address information or reason for nondelivery attached.
c. Except for Full-Service and Seamless acceptance mailings, when separate corrections are necessary for First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail, PS Form 3547 is mailed to the sender with the total of the address-correction fee charged, and the mail is forwarded.
d. When separate address corrections are necessary for forwarded parcels, shippers who apply the IMpb to their parcels must request ACS, and an electronic address-correction notice via ACS is provided to the participant, and the electronic address-correction fee will be charged.
e. There are two versions of ACS available to parcel shippers:
1. IMpb ACS; or
2. Traditional ACS.
f. This service is not available for mailpieces to be delivered by military personnel at any military installation, including APOs and FPOs.
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The Postal Service will publish these revisions in a future edition of the online DMM, which is available on Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification, Product Solutions, 10-3-24
