May 12,
2008
DMM
Advisory
Pricing
and Classification
— keeping you informed about the prices
and mailing standards of the United States Postal Service
May DMM
Update
Postal
Explorer (pe.usps.com) is your source
for up-to-date mailing standards. The
Domestic Mail Manual is fully searchable on
Postal Explorer and features fly-out menus, cross-reference
links, and an extensive subject index. Today we updated our mailing standards with the
following changes:
2008 Pricing Change
We revised
prices throughout the DMM to
support the May 12 pricing change
reviewed by the Postal Regulatory
Commission and approved by the
Governors of the United
States Postal Service.
We added
new chapters 413–416 and 423–426, and revised chapters 110 and 120, to support the
price change by creating commercial Express Mail and Priority Mail chapters separate from the retail prices and
standards.
We revised
chapters 453–456 to make Parcel Post a retail option, while implementing
Parcel Select as the commercial mailing option.
In 153 we removed the barcode
discount for Parcel Post, which is now a commercial option available for
Parcel Select.
Repositionable Notes a Permanent Classification
We moved
the standards for Repositionable Notes (RPNs) from
709.3.0 to 705.21.0 to make RPNs a
permanent option for commercial First-Class Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail cards, letters, and flats. The 3-inch by 3-inch removable paper notes are still
priced at 0.5˘ for First-Class Mail
and 1.5˘ for Standard Mail and Periodicals.
New Periodicals Limited-Circulation Price
We revised
707.1.0, 707.7.0, and 707.11.0 to provide
a new “Limited-Circulation” price for Periodicals publications mailed at In-County
prices. Eligible publications receive a
5-percent discount off the Outside-County postage (excluding postage for
advertising pounds)
when the
Outside-County circulation is less than 5,000 pieces.
Loose Enclosures in Periodicals Mail
We revised
707.3.3.4 to
include a “publisher’s printed letter, including facsimile signature” as a
permissible loose enclosure with a Periodicals publication.
Periodicals OMX Sacks on Pallets
We revised
705.8.10.1 to
allow Periodicals mailers to place
origin mixed area distribution center (OMX) sacks
on origin sectional center facility (SCF)
pallets.
Our next scheduled DMM update
is June
5.
New Mail Markings
for Parcel Select
An advance copy
of the Federal Register
notice proposing new marking requirements for Parcel
Select mail is now available on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.com (click
on "Federal Register
Notices" in the left
frame). The proposal supports our expanded Shipping Services product line
and the separation of Parcel Select from Parcel Post. We encourage shippers to
use the new markings as soon as possible, but no later than
September 30, 2008, when the "Parcel Post" marking can no longer appear on
Parcel Select packages.
The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) is available on
Postal Explorer (pe.usps.com). To subscribe to the DMM
Advisory, send an e-mail to dmmadvisory@usps.com. Simply
indicate "subscribe" in the subject line.