USPS revised various sections to reflect price adjustments and mailing requirements changes associated with the October 2011 filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).
Domestic Shipping Services Pricing and Mailing Standards Changes
USPS revised various sections to reflect changes to prices and mailing standards for the following Shipping Services: Express Mail®, Priority Mail®, First-Class Package Service™, Parcel Select®, Parcel Return Service, Mailer Services, and Recipient Services. These changes are associated with the November 2011 filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).
Combined Mailings of Standard Mail and Periodicals Flats
USPS added a new section, 705.15.0, providing optional standards for combining Standard Mail® flats and Periodicals flats within the same bundle, when placed on pallets; and for combining bundles of Standard Mail flats and bundles of Periodicals flats on the same pallet.
Periodicals PS Form 3541-M - Discontinued
USPS revised 707.17.5.1 to revise the practice of submitting one Periodicals postage statement for all issues mailed in a calendar month.
Priority Mail Commercial Plus Cubic Packaging Alternatives
USPS revised 402.2.2, 423.1.4, and 425.2.3 to introduce two new Priority Mail Commercial Plus Cubic packaging alternatives—soft-pack envelopes and padded envelopes.
Intelligent Mail Package Barcode Implementation for Commercial Parcels
USPS revised various sections to provide new standards for the use of Intelligent Mail® package barcodes (IMpb).
Combined Mailings of Standard Mail and Periodicals Flats—Clarification
USPS revised 705.15.0 to reflect standards changes related to combined mailings of Standard Mail and Periodicals flats.
Copalletized, Combined, or Mixed-Price Level Palletized Mailings—Correction
USPS revised 705.8.7.4 to clarify that the presort level of Standard Mail letter-size pieces that are part of a copalletized or combined mailing must accurately reflect the postage and entry discount paid at the origin site.
Eligibility for Destination Entry Prices per NDC and ASF Labeling Lists
USPS revised various sections to delete destination network distribution center (DNDC) eligibility Exhibits 246.3.1, 346.3.1, 366.4.1, 446.3.1, 453.3.1.3, and 466.4.4.
Products Mailable at Nonprofit Standard Mail Prices
USPS revised 703.1.6.11 to indicate that products mailed at Nonprofit Standard Mail prices must meet at least one of three exceptions. A low-cost item is one of the exceptions referenced in the Internal Revenue Code.
Express Mail Domestic Postage Refund Policy and Waiver of Signature
USPS revised various sections to modify the policy for filing claims for domestic Express Mail postage refunds from 90 days to 30 days after the date of mailing.
Antique Firearms—Clarification
USPS revised 601.12.1.1a to clarify that antique firearms that meet the definition of a handgun according to USPS standards are also subject to the mailing requirements in 601.12.2 through 601.12.7.
The next scheduled DMM update is March 5.
]]>Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com) is your source for up-to-date mailing standards. The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) is fully searchable on Postal Explorer and features fly-out menus, cross-reference links, and an extensive subject index. Yesterday, USPS updated their mailing standards to include the following changes:
Listing of USPS-Approved Adult Fowl Mailing Containers
USPS revised 601.9.3.4 to add a reference for a new listing of USPS-approved container vendors for the mailing of adult fowl and other approved birds.
Centralization of Move Update and ZIP Code Accuracy Standards
USPS revised 233.3.0, 243.3.0, 333.3.0, 343.3.0, 363.4.0, 433.3.0, 443.3.0, and 463.4.0 to consolidate and centralize Move Update and ZIP Code accuracy standards into new sections 602.5.0 and 602.6.0.
Post Office (PO) Box Fee Groups for Merged Locations
USPS revised 508.4.0 to allow Post Office Box (PO Box) fee groups to be merged into a single location due to Post Office mergers and to have the ability to change a fee group more than one higher or lower level at a time in limited circumstances.
Suspension of Periodicals Privileges
USPS revised 707.8.3.4 to amend the authority for noncompliance from the postmaster to the Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC) when a publisher does not file PS Form 3526, Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, or publish the information provided on the form.
USPS Return Services
USPS revised 126.1.0, 136.1.0, 156.1.0 and 705.24.0 to introduce new options designed for the return of merchandise; and to add a new subchapter 505 to consolidate all other USPS return service standards.
Reassignment of ZIP Codes Between NDCs and ASFs: Revision to Destination Entry Exhibits
USPS revised 246, 346, 366, 446, 453, and 466 to change the exhibits for destination network distribution center (DNDC) eligibility to reflect the reassignment of certain 3-digit ZIP Code ranges.
Mailing Firearms—Clarification
USPS revised 601.12.1 through 601.12.3 to clarify the standards surrounding the mailability of firearms.
The next scheduled DMM update is January 22.
]]>Postal Bill Would Save 6-Day Delivery, Nonprofit Rates
11/02/2011
By Mark Hrywna
Another postal reform bill could have an easier passage than other attempts this year thanks to bipartisan support from members of a key Senate committee.
Four members of the Senate’s Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a press conference Thursday morning to back The 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2011 (P21): Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.).
Among the provisions in the legislation:
• Six-day delivery will remain for at least two more years while the United States Postal Service (USPS) continues to cut costs and develop remedies for customers who might be affected disproportionately by eliminating Saturday service. After two years, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) would review the Postal Service’s financial situation and projections to determine if five-day delivery would still be necessary.
• Approximately $7 billion would be refunded to USPS through the Office of Personnel Management, as overpayment to the Federal Employee Retirement Health System (FERS) for retiree health benefits. About a quarter of that money would be used as retirement incentive buyouts of up to $25,000 (or credit service years toward retirement annuity) to reduce staff by 100,000, and pay down USPS debt.
• Reform workers compensation benefits. The bill also would reform workers compensation practices. Some 2,000 beneficiaries who are retirement age still receive workers’ comp benefits even though they likely will never return to work, Collins said, citing one case of a 99-year-old employee. Compensation for new enrollees would be set under the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) at 66 2/3 percent of salary at the time of injury until they reach retirement age.
• Amortize over 40 years, instead of the original 10 years, the schedule for USPS to fund future retiree health benefits, and reduce the pre-fund goal to 80 percent. A $5.5-billion annual payment due Sept. 30 was extended by Congress until November. The Postal Service and its unions would have until September to negotiate a separate USPS health insurance plan.
• Arbitrators deciding a contract dispute between USPS and unions would take into consideration the financial condition of the Postal Service and the requirement in the law that USPS consider wages and benefits comparable to the private sector.
• Authorizes USPS by 2015 to deliver to curbside, sidewalk or centralized mailboxes, where feasible, rather than door delivery.
“Too many people still rely on the Postal Service for us to sit back and allow it to collapse,” said Lieberman, adding that USPS still delivered 167 billion pieces of mail last year and its 32,000 post offices means it has more domestic retail outlets than Walmart, Starbucks and McDonald’s combined.
“We’re not crying wolf, said Collins, ranking member of the committee, adding that the postal service will not be able to meet its payroll by next summer unless Congress takes action. USPS is projected to lose $10 million this fiscal year.
Carper likened the situation to the ailing auto industry, which government helped to “right-size” several years ago, and is now flourishing. U.S. auto companies faced similar challenges: they had more plants than they needed, more staff than they needed, and there was a mismatch of the wage structure for the big three automakers and their competition.
The reform bill also answers the question of whether Congress can still govern and tackle big problems, he said.
The senators emphasized that it’s not a bailout of the Postal Service but a refund of a $7-billion in payments to the FERS that originally came from ratepayers. Opposition in the House was largely based on whether $55 billion to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) was an overpayment, said Collins. Two independent actuarial studies commissioned by the Senate said that was an overpayment while the administration contended it was not, she said, adding that the administration agreed on the $7-billion overpayment from FERS, even inserting it into the budget. Even USPS has abandoned its request, Collins said.
“We support this bill. It’s in the right direction and has various components we think are good,” said Tony Conway, executive director of the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, adding that it also keeps the nonprofit postal discount alive. The discount had been the target of a bill that was amended by a House committee earlier this fall.
There already are at least three primary postal reform bills in the Senate this session, two sponsored by Carper and Collins, and another introduced this fall by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). “They wanted to move one of them, but in reality I think, they realized they couldn’t. They needed to find a bipartisan approach, some common ground amongst those bills,” said Conway.
With four key members of postal-related committee members supporting P21, Conway said, “portends quite positive things for its likely get through committee.” Since the four lead postal senators back the measure, he believes the likelihood of it moving forward is pretty good.
McCain’s bill (S. 1625) is a companion H.R. 2309, which would phase out the nonprofit postal discount over a decade and is sponsored by Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
“In 2006, we did put the Postal Service back on better financial footing for a while,” said Collins. “Unfortunately, what happened, the transition to electronic mail was far more rapid than the Postal Service anticipated, its costs were higher than anticipated, but the situation is so much more dire now than it was in 2006.”
]]>PostalOne!®Release 28.0 and FAST® Release 18.0: The deployment of PostalOne! ® Release 28.0 on Sunday, November 6, 2011, will require an extended maintenance window from 10 p.m. CDT on Saturday, November 5 through 8 a.m. CST Sunday, November 6, 2011. The PostalOne! application and Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST®) Web Services will be unavailable during this time. The FAST on-line application will be unavailable from 3 a.m. through 8 a.m. CST on Sunday, November 6, 2011.
PostalOne! Release 28.0 will require a new Mail.dat® client to be downloaded and installed.
PostalOne! Release 28.0 and FAST Release 18.0 will deploy to the Test Environment for Mailers (TEM) on Monday, November 7, 2011. During the deployment, the PostalOne! TEM will be unavailable from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST and the FAST TEM will be unavailable from 8 a.m. through 12 Noon CST.
Business Customer Gateway: The Business Customer Gateway production environment will be unavailable on Sunday, November 13, 2011, from 5 a.m. CST to 6 a.m. CST for scheduled maintenance.
During this time, all USPS services accessed through the Business Customer Gateway — including PostalOne!, FAST, Mailer ID, Program Registration and eDoc submission via Mail.XML® and Mail.dat — will be unavailable.
Electronic Mail Improvement Reporting (eMIR): There will be an eMIR outage during an extended maintenance window on Sunday, November 20, 2011. The eMIR application will be unavailable for internal and external users from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. CST during this outage.
]]>November 2, 2011
The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers is pleased that a bipartisan group of Senators today introduced legislation to address the financial crisis facing the Postal Service. The 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2011, introduced by Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Scott Brown (R-MA), will provide needed relief for the Postal Service and ensure the continuation of critically important mail delivery. We applaud the leadership of these four Senators and urge swift passage of this needed legislation.
]]>Today the Federal Register published two USPS notices on the proposed Mailing Services price change.
On October 18, USPS filed notices of a Market Dominant Price Adjustment for both domestic and international Mailing Services with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), to be effective on January 22, 2012.
New Standards for Domestic Mailing Services – This proposed rule contains revisions to the DMM® to accompany the price changes, including several mail classification changes, modifications to mailpiece characteristics, and changes in classification terminology.
International Mail: Proposed Product Rate and Fee Changes – This proposed rule contains revisions to the IMM®, including price changes to First-Class Mail International® and international extra services.
The proposed rules are now available on the Postal Explorer® website at pe.usps.com by clicking on “Federal Register Notices” in the left frame.
Customers are encouraged to comment on or before November 23, 2011. Final rules will be published shortly after the comment period ends.
]]>PostalOne!® Maintenance Outage: There will be a PostalOne!® outage during the scheduled maintenance window Sunday, October 16, 2011, from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. CDT. PostalOne! applications, including Mail.XML® web services, will be unavailable for internal and external users during this time.
PostalOne!® Release 28.0: The scheduled maintenance window of 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. CDT on Sunday, October 23 and Sunday, October 30, 2011 may be used to prepare for PostalOne! Release 28.0 deployment and may result in a PostalOne! outage. PostalOne! Release 28.0 deployment on Sunday, November 6, 2011, will require a longer maintenance window than the normally scheduled 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. CDT window. The exact time will be communicated no later than October 21, 2011.
Test Environment for Mailers (TEM): The new authorization process for mailers to submit electronic mailing information (eDoc) and participate in Full-Service will go into effect on October 25, 2011. Updated eDoc and Full-Service authorization guides for Mail.dat® and Mail.XML can be found on RIBBs® under Intelligent Mail Guides and Specs.
]]>The Federal Register advance notice of federal rule making, highlighted in an earlier communication from Susan LaChance, USPS® Vice President Consumer & Industry Affairs, would revise service standards, eliminating the expectation of overnight service for First-Class Mail and Periodicals, narrowing the two-day delivery range, and enlarging the three-day delivery range. A major effect of the proposal would be to facilitate a significant consolidation of the Postal Service’s processing and transportation networks.
The comment period closes on October 21. Please send any comments to the special email address created for the mailing industry: i.
Express Mail Domestic Postage Refund Policy and Waiver of Signature
The Federal Register has published the USPS proposed rule modifying the time for filing claims for domestic Express Mail® refunds from 90 days to 30 days after the date of mailing and changing the Express Mail “waiver of signature’’ standard for domestic items so that an addressee’s signature will be obtained only when the mailer selects the “signature required’’ option on the Express Mail label.
Customers are encouraged to comment on or before November 7, 2011.
The proposed rule Federal Register can be found on the Postal Explorer® website at pe.usps.com.
]]>