Effective April 6, 2026, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), in various sections, to clarify the standards for bundling Bound Printed Matter (BPM) carrier-route nonstandard parcels, and delete text containing standards for bundling BPM presorted nonstandard parcels.
Effective November 4, 2024 (Postal Bulletin 22658, 9–5–24), the Postal Service revised the standards in DMM section 265 to reflect the Postal Service eliminating the bundle preparation standards for Bound Printed Matter presorted nonstandard parcels.
Although the Postal Service will not publish this clarification in the DMM until April 6, 2026, 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
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260 Bound Printed Matter
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265 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
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2.4 Bundle Sizes for Nonstandard Parcels
[Revise the text of 2.4 to read as follows:]
Mailers must prepare unsacked, nonpalletized bundles of carrier-route nonstandard parcels for DDU or DS&DC entry according to 203.4.10 and 9.2 for parcels weighing less than 10 pounds and 9.3 for parcels weighing 10 pounds or more.
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8.0 Preparing Presorted Parcels
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8.3 Preparing Machinable Parcels
8.3.1 Required Sacking
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[Revise the text of item b. to read as follows:]
b. For nonidentical-weight pieces, mailers must use one of the following methods:
1. The minimum that applies to the average piece weight for the entire mailing (divide the net weight of the mailing by the number of pieces; the resulting average single-piece weight is used to determine whether the 10-piece or 20-pound minimum applies); or
2. Sack by the piece count or mail weight for each destination, provided that documentation can be provided with the mailing that shows (specifically for each sack) the number of pieces and their total weight.
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266 Enter and Deposit
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3.0 Destination Entry
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3.6 Mailings of Unsacked Bundles
[Revise the first sentence of 3.6 to read as follows:]
Mailers may present unsacked, nonpalletized bundles of BPM flats or carrier-route nonstandard parcels that are properly prepared for and entered at DDU prices and unloaded according to standards in 3.8.9.***
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5.0 Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) or Sorting and Delivery Center (DS&DC) Entry
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5.5 Presorted Nonstandard Parcels
[Revise the first sentence of 5.5 to read as follows:]
Customers mailing presorted nonstandard parcels in 5-digit scheme sacks and 5-digit sacks, on 5-digit scheme or 5-digit pallets may claim DDU prices.***
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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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8.9 Bundles on Pallets
8.9.1 Applicability
[Revise the first sentence of 8.9.1 to read as follows:]
Presort destination bundles of Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, and Bound Printed Matter flats and Bound Printed Matter carrier-route nonstandard parcels may be placed directly on pallets under 8.9.2 through 8.9.5 and 8.10.***
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8.9.2 Basic Bundling Standards
[Revise the first sentence of 8.9.2 to read as follows:]
Bundle preparation for Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, and Bound Printed Matter mailpieces must meet the applicable standards for each class or subclass of mail.***
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8.9.5 Bound Printed Matter
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[Revise the introductory text of item b. and the introductory text of item b(1), respectively, to read as follows:]
b. Presorted and Carrier-Route Bound Printed Matter:
1. Only individual pieces of flats or carrier-route nonstandard parcels that weigh less than 10 pounds each may be prepared as bundles on pallets. The following also apply:
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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, 2-5-26
