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DMM Revisions

Customized MarketMail — Addressing, Attachments, and Mail Preparation

Effective March 4, 2004, portions of DMM E610, E660, M072, and M660 have been revised to amend or clarify the standards for Customized MarketMail (CMM) service for the following:

• Addressing.
• Standard Mail attachments.
• Mail preparation including packaging, labeling, and containerization.

These revisions include adding two enhancements to CMM service: (1) using complete standard delivery addresses, and (2) affixing Standard Mail attachments. Both enhancements were requested by mailers and by direct marketing organizations not long after the launch of CMM service on August 10, 2003.

Addressing

Revised DMM E660.1.2 adds the option of using a standard addressing format under DMM A010 to the approved formats for addressing CMM pieces. The standard addressing format is a complete delivery address containing the name of the intended recipient (addressee).

This option is in addition to the two alternative addressing formats permitted for CMM pieces. CMM mailers may not, however, use the simplified address format under DMM A020.2.0. The two permitted alternative addressing formats are as follows:

• Occupant address format under DMM A020.3.0. That is, “Occupant,” “Resident,” “Householder,” or “Postal Customer” used in place of an addressee name.

• Exceptional address format under DMM A020.4.0. That is, “or Current Resident” or “or Current Occupant” used with the recipient’s name such as “Jane Doe or Current Resident.”

Including the optional use of complete standard delivery addresses on CMM pieces directly meets the needs of mailers, marketers, and advertisers who prefer preparing CMM pieces with complete standard delivery addresses for targeting specific market segments or who must use such addressing formats for observing certain requirements in fulfilling customer requests to offers and solicitations. The three addressing formats now available for CMM mailers are shown in the following chart.

Regardless of which of the three address formats is used, all CMM pieces must still include the endorsement “Carrier — Leave If No Response,” as specified in DMM D042. This endorsement ensures that a deliverable CMM piece is to be left in a safe location near the recipient’s mail receptacle if the piece cannot be placed inside the receptacle.

CMM pieces may not bear an ancillary service endorsement, either on the host CMM piece or on any attachment to the CMM piece (see the following section, “Standard Mail Attachments”). As with all Standard Mail pieces not bearing an ancillary service endorsement, CMM pieces that are undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) may not be forwarded or returned. All UAA CMM pieces not otherwise deliverable under DMM D042 must be disposed of by the Postal Service.

Standard Mail Attachments

Revised DMM E610.4.2 clarifies that incidental First- Class Mail attachments and enclosures are not permitted with CMM pieces, regardless of content of the CMM piece. This clarification also supports revised DMM E610.4.5, which now permits mailers to attach to CMM pieces Standard Mail matter up to 1/4 inch thick.

Permissible attachments could include business reply mail (BRM) cards or envelopes, individual coupons or coupon booklets, thin merchandise samples, advertising magnets, pockets containing inserts, and other types of marketing material. Before this revision, attachments of Standard Mail matter were permitted with Standard Mail service only if the host pieces were sorted to carrier routes.

The face of the attachment (that is, the visible side or part of the attachment) must not bear any rate marking or endorsement not permitted for the host piece. At the time of mailing, the CMM piece must show only one complete delivery address. If the attachment is a reply card, the address for returning the piece must not be visible. For example, the delivery address side of BRM card must be the side used for attaching the piece to the host piece in order to conceal the First-Class Mail marking and the BRM markings and return delivery address.

An attachment is considered part of the CMM piece for determining maximum mailing weight and dimensions. Any CMM piece bearing an attachment must not exceed the maximum weight of 3.3 ounces or the maximum thickness of 3/4 inch at the thickest point of the CMM piece. Folded or multipage attachments must be secured with tabs or similar devices to prevent their opening during handling.

Every piece in the CMM mailing using attachments must bear an identical-weight attachment but not necessarily the same attachment. Because many CMM mailings are national in preparation and distribution but often segmented by market for local delivery, a mailer may want to attach coupons with different addresses or designs representing different local stores or dealers.

No matter how designed or configured, CMM attachments must not interfere with the processing or delivery of the host CMM piece. CMM pieces with attachments must meet all physical requirements that are specific to CMM service, including size and flexibility.

For purposes of the definition of attachments, magnet strips that are bonded to the host piece are not considered attachments but an integral part of the construction of the CMM piece. Many mailers affix these strips to their pieces to allow customers to adhere the entire CMM piece to a metal surface such as a filing cabinet in the office or a refrigerator in the home.

Mail Preparation

These revised standards specify that CMM mailings may be prepared for distribution to destination delivery units using standard Postal Service letter trays, flat trays, or sacks as well as Postal Service-supplied mailing envelopes and boxes (e.g., Priority Mail boxes) and mailer-supplied containers. The standards for required and optional packaging and containerizing are also clarified to give mailers the greatest flexibility in preparing CMM pieces for mailing.

Priority Mail and Express Mail drop shipments may be prepared, as appropriate, in Postal Service Express Mail pouches and Priority Mail sacks, as well as in Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail boxes and envelopes. As an alternative to Postal Service Priority Mail sacks, boxes, and envelopes, Postal Service letter trays may be used for Priority Mail drop shipment if the mailer affixes Label 23, Priority Mail Drop Shipment. Mailer-supplied containers, such as cartons and envelopes, may also be used for Express Mail and Priority Mail drop shipments.

This clarification also provides that mailer-supplied Priority Mail and Express Mail drop shipment containers must show the appropriate instruction “Postmaster - Open and Distribute.”

Additionally, this revision requires the use of Tag 157, Express Mail Drop Shipment, for Express Mail drop shipments not prepared in Express Mail pouches and Tag 159, Priority Mail Drop Shipment Tag, for Priority Mail drop shipments not prepared in Priority Mail sacks. Mailer-produced facsimiles of Tags 157 and 159, including adhesive label designs or tags incorporated into the address labels used on the containers, may be approved by the local business mail entry office.

Because Express Mail and Priority Mail drop shipments do not require PS Form 8125, Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Verification and Clearance,, securing the tags to the drop shipment pouches or sacks or affixing the tags to the outside of the mailing containers remains critical for efficient distribution as well as revenue assurance.

At the time of verification of the drop shipments, Postal Service acceptance employees stamp and initial these tags to ensure proper verification of postage payment for the mailpieces inside the mailing containers. At the time of receipt of the drop shipments at the destination facility, Postal Service employees opening and distributing the contents of the drop shipments check the tag to determine that the mail had been properly accepted.

Reference Information

In support of CMM service, the Postal Service maintains a Web site dedicated to updated information on CMM service at www.usps.com/customizedmarketmail. This site includes frequently asked questions, testimonials, benefits, a list of commercial printers, and a special Quick Service Guide on CMM service, as well as links to related information on using the mail for selling products and services.

Express Mail Service — Guam and Other Pacific Islands

Effective March 1, 2004, Express Mail Two-Day service is no longer available for mail destined for ZIP Code areas 969 and 96799. These ZIP Codes include areas of Guam, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, and American Samoa. This change does not affect originating Express Mail two-day service from ZIP Code areas 969 and 96799.

Express Mail service to these ZIP Codes will still be available to customers through custom-designed service agreements. Priority Mail service is also available to these areas and offers a time-valued alternative.

Value Added Refund Mailings

Effective March 4, 2004, DMM P014.4.17 was revised to remove the requirement that mailers submit PS Form 3553, Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) Summary Report, with each mailing for which a value added refund (VAR) is requested. This change aligns the text in DMM P014.4.17 with that in DMM A950.5.2, which does not require that mailers submit PS Form 3553 for each mailing made at the automation rates or carrier route rates at the time of mailing. Mailers must retain PS Form 3553 for 1 year from the date of mailing and, if requested, make it available to the Postal Service within 24 hours.

Refunds for Undated Metered Mail

Effective March 4, 2004, DMM P014 was revised to allow refunds for unused, undated metered postage. This mailing standard will benefit any mailer who generates significant quantities of unused, undated metered postage and meets the refund criteria. In addition, this revision includes minor clarifications to the mailing standards for refunds of unused, dated meter indicia. Portions of P014 are reorganized to consolidate all of the information related to submitting a refund request for unused meter indicia. Also included is a clarification to specify that a contract postal unit (CPU) will handle refunds for unused meter indicia in accordance with the contract each CPU has executed with the Postal Service for the sale of metered postage.

Inclusion of a date in meter indicia is optional for Standard Mail and Package Services items. Mailers may choose to omit the date to increase their production flexibility and allow them to deposit the mailing at any time. The DMM is revised to allow the Postal Service to grant a refund for undated metered mail when the mailer can provide sufficient documentation with the refund request to support and validate the proper amount of the refund, the date the mailing was prepared, and the validity of the indicia on the mailpieces. The existing time restrictions for dated metered mail apply to undated metered mail. Additionally, refunds for unused, undated metered postage will be considered only when the customer submits at least 500 mailpieces from a single mailing or indicia worth at least $500 from a single mailing, along with the required supporting documentation. When more than one meter was used to prepare the mailing, a separate PS Form 3533, Application and Voucher for Refund of Postage, Fees, and Services, must be submitted for each meter used to print the unused indicia submitted for refund.

Mailers concerned about their inability to obtain a refund for unused, undated metered postage because they have less than the required mail volume or cannot provide the required documentation should use dated meter indicia or permit imprint for their Standard Mail and Package Services mailpieces, as permitted, in lieu of undated meter indicia.

Date Corrections on Metered Flats

Effective March 4, 2004, DMM P030.10.1 was revised to allow ink jet-applied date corrections on metered flats just above the barcode when an ink jet printer is used to apply the barcode under the placement requirements in C840.3.0.

For all postage evidencing systems except PC Postage systems, a date correction must show the actual date of deposit and zero postage value (“0.00”). On letter-size mail, the date correction is placed on the nonaddress side in the upper right corner or on the address side in the lower left corner. On flat-size mail or parcels, the date correction must be placed next to the original indicium, except applied by an ink jet printer on barcoded flats.

The mailer may use an ink jet printer to correct the date in the indicia on mailpieces in barcoded mailings if the text, preceded by two asterisks and showing the actual date of deposit, city, state, and 3-digit ZIP Code of the mailing office, is placed above the address block and below the indicia. Alternatively, on flat-size mailpieces in barcoded mailings only, the mailer may use an ink jet printer to apply the date correction just above the barcode when the barcode is applied by an ink jet printer in accordance with C840.3.0.

Alternative Addressing Formats

Effective April 1, 2004, DMM A020 was revised to specify when alternative addressing formats may be used and to clarify the differences between the various formats.

Three types of alternative addressing formats may be used in lieu of the typical addressing format (i.e., addressee name; delivery address; city, state, and ZIP Code).

The alternative addressing formats are as follows:

• A simplified address format (such as “Postal Customer”) with no actual delivery address.

• An occupant address format with a generic customer reference and a specific delivery address.

• An exceptional address format with traditional addressing elements and an “Or Current Resident” alternative to provide for delivery even if the specific addressee is no longer at the address.

In addition, postage payment options for mailpieces with simplified addresses are specified and prohibit the use of uncanceled stamps to enable efficient handling and processing of this mail. Corresponding sections of DMM E050 and F010 also are revised.

DMM Reminders

Media Mail

Items eligible for mailing at Media Mail rates are restricted to those listed in DMM E713.1. A recent DMM revision allows sound recordings to contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Note that video recordings are classified as a type of sound recording. Computer-readable CD-ROMs are eligible for Media Mail rates while game cartridges are not eligible.

Books sent as Media Mail may contain no advertising other than incidental announcements of other books. As a reminder, catalogs and publications authorized for Periodicals rates are not considered to be books and therefore are not eligible at Media Mail rates.

Mailers should note that the Postal Service may open and inspect Media Mail packages to ensure the contents qualify for Media Mail rates.

Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation Services — Use With First-Class Mail Parcels and Package Services Parcels

In July 2003, the DMM was revised to clarify when it is permissible to use Delivery Confirmation service or Signature Confirmation service with mailpieces entered at First-Class Mail or Package Services rates. This revision clarifies that, for those two classes of mail, Delivery Confirmation service or Signature Confirmation service may be used only for parcels and not for letter-size mail or flat-size mail.

As part of the DMM revision, the general term “box,” which was used in the original language of those mailing standards, is replaced with the specific definitions of a parcel as currently defined in DMM C050 for machinable parcels, irregular parcels, and outside parcels.

In the case of First-Class Mail parcels and Package Services parcels, these revised standards support both a customer need and an operational requirement to maintain high rates of scanning of Delivery Confirmation barcodes and Signature Confirmation barcodes by segregating Delivery Confirmation pieces and Signature Confirmation pieces from letter-size and flat-size mail. First-Class Mail or Package Services mailpieces prepared as parcels as specified in revised DMM S918.1.2c and S919.1.2c are eligible for either of those special services.

By using the existing standards for parcels and their readily known definitions to determine what constitutes a parcel, the Postal Service can clearly define a parcel for purposes of using Delivery Confirmation service or Signature Confirmation service. This should reduce the subjectivity of determining what distinguishes a “parcel” from a “flat” or a “letter.”

Service Restrictions

Customers and Postal Service employees are reminded of these class-specific uses of Delivery Confirmation service and Signature Confirmation service:

• Priority Mail: all Priority Mail pieces, regardless of mail processing category, are eligible for Delivery Confirmation service or Signature Confirmation service.

• First-Class Mail: only parcels are eligible for Delivery Confirmation service or Signature Confirmation service.

• Package Services: only parcels are eligible for Delivery Confirmation service or Signature Confirmation service.

• Standard Mail: only pieces subject to the residual shape surcharge are eligible for Delivery Confirmation service (and only for the electronic option). Standard Mail pieces, regardless of mail processing category or whether a residual shape surcharge is applied, are not eligible for any form of Signature Confirmation service.

DMM Notices

Barcoded Pressure-Sensitive Package Labels
Deadline for use extended from April 1 to September 1, 2004

In October the Postal Service revised and added barcodes to the five pressure-sensitive presort destination package labels (stickers). Barcodes on the new pressure-sensitive labels benefit the Postal Service by allowing presorted packages to be scanned and sorted efficiently by our Automated Package Processing System (APPS). The new label design does not change mail preparation or current mailing standards.

Mailers should begin using the new barcoded format immediately. This five-month extension from the original April 1, 2004, implementation date should ensure that Post Offices and mailers have the labels before the fall mailing season begins.

Extensive information on the new labels, along with the supporting changes to the DMM, appeared in the article “DMM Revision: Presort Destination Package Labels — New Barcoded Format” in the October 30, 2003, Postal Bulletin.

Business Reply Mail — Change of Address

When business reply mail (BRM) permit holders relocate, they should stop distribution of all BRM displaying their old address. However, if they have some BRM still in circulation that they want delivered to their new business address, the BRM permit holder can file a change-of-address order for the reply pieces.

BRM is forwarded in one of two ways:

(1) If a BRM account is still active at the Post Office serving the old address, the applicable First-Class Mail postage and BRM per piece fees are deducted from the account. The Post Office forwards the BRM pieces under postal cover directly to the BRM permit holder’s new address.

(2) If the permit holder has applied for a new BRM account and has paid the annual BRM fee at the Post Office serving the new address, the BRM pieces are forwarded — separately or in batches — to the postage due unit at the new Post Office. The applicable First-Class Mail postage and BRM per piece fees are deducted from their new account.

In either case, the permit holder is responsible for paying only the applicable First-Class Mail postage and BRM per piece fees for the forwarded pieces. Because BRM is First-Class Mail, it is forwarded at no additional cost for months 1 through 12, as indicated in DMM F010.5.1.