The following announcements, reminders, and revisions to the Domestic Mail Manual will be incorporated into the printed version of DMM 57 and into the monthly update of the online DMM available via Postal Explorer at http://pe.usps.gov.

DMM Revision - Markings for Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail

Effective January 1, 2002, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) M012 is revised to discontinue the use of old markings on Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail:

• The required marking on Presorted Bound Printed Matter is "Presorted" or "PRSRT" and "Bound Printed Matter" or "BPM." Mailers can no longer use "Presorted Standard" or "PRSRT STD."
• The required marking on Media Mail is "Media Mail." Mailers can no longer use "Special Standard Mail" or "SPEC STD."
• The required marking on Library Mail is "Library Mail." Mailers can no longer use "Library Rate."

These markings were changed on January 7, 2001, in conjunction with the R2000-1 Omnibus Rate Case. Mailers were given until January 1, 2002, to change over to the new markings and use any preprinted stationery and packaging.

Employees and customers with questions about these changes should contact their district manager of Business Mail Entry.

— Mail Preparation and Standards

DMM Revision - Co-Packaging of Automation Rate and Presorted Rate Flats

Effective March 31, 2002, portions of Module M of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) are revised and new section M950 is added to provide a new preparation option that allows mailers to combine flat-size automation rate pieces and flat-size Presorted rate pieces of the same mail class within the same package. This new preparation option is called "co-packaging" and will be available for First-Class Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail. The co-packaging option is an outgrowth of the co-traying and co-sacking requirements detailed in DMM M910.

This change is being implemented because the Postal Service’s prior need for segregating barcoded and nonbarcoded pieces no longer exists due to advances that include an optical character reader (OCR) on the flat sorting machine (FSM) 881 and the OCR/image lift capabilities of the new automated flat sorting machine (AFSM) 100. During 2002, the Postal Service plans to retrofit FSM 1000s with OCR capabilities. Therefore, continuing to require the separate preparation of automation rate and Presorted rate pieces results in more packages which reduces the average depth of sort. This causes additional workhours for the Postal Service associated with sorting, opening, and prepping flats for processing. It can also be noted that most of the same operational justifications for allowing packages of automation rate and Presorted rate flats to be combined in the same container (co-sacking and co-traying) also support allowing the combining of flats within the same package (co-packaging). Another justification is that automation rate flats and Presorted rate flats are usually processed by the Postal Service within the same operation.

Under current mailing rules, flats prepared as an automation rate mailing are required to bear a ZIP+4 or delivery point barcode, while flats prepared as a Presorted rate mailing are not required to bear a barcode. The new co-packaging preparation option requires that all Presorted rate pieces must bear a 5-digit barcode.

When mailers produce both automation rate and Presorted rate pieces, a vast majority of the pieces usually fall within the automation rate category for a mailing job. Pieces falling into the Presorted rate category are often the result of an unsuccessful address match. This generally results from either an incomplete address (e.g., no directional) or a new address that has yet to appear in the address database used by the mailer.

Requiring a 5-digit barcode on co-packaged Presorted rate pieces will serve two purposes. First, it will allow the Postal Service to differentiate between those Presorted rate pieces that a mailer attempted unsuccessfully to barcode to the ZIP+4 or delivery point level and those Presorted rate pieces on which an attempt was never made. The latter are much more likely to be matched by the Postal Service’s address database; consequently, the 5-digit barcode would be useful from a quality control perspective. Second, the 5-digit barcode can be used by the Postal Service to sort the pieces in primary processing operations (5-digit sort). Postal statistics show that barcoded flats sort at a higher rate than nonbarcoded flats in primary processing operations, even when the sorting equipment has barcode reader and OCR capabilities, because the barcode can help the FSM locate the address block. As information, pieces without a 5-digit barcode must continue to be prepared as separate mailings, but they could be co-trayed or co-sacked under M910.

Under the co-packaging preparation option, the current minimum volume requirements for automation rate and Presorted rate mailings would continue to apply separately for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail (e.g., a minimum volume of 500 automation rate and 500 Presorted rate pieces is required for First-Class Mail). The total of all automation rate and Presorted rate pieces could be used to jointly meet package and container minimums (i.e., a minimum of 10 pieces per package is required for First-Class Mail or Standard Mail, and a minimum of six pieces per package is required for Periodicals). Postage for Presorted rate and automation rate pieces will continue to be determined under DMM E130 and E140 for First-Class Mail; under E220 and E240 for Periodicals; and under E620 and E640 for Standard Mail.

As part of this new option, mailers may combine Presorted rate pieces and automation rate pieces in no more than one physical package per "logical" presort destination. A "logical" presort destination represents the total number of pieces that are eligible for a specific presort level based on the required sortation, but which might not necessarily be contained in a single container, such as a package, sack, or pallet, due to the applicable preparation requirements. As an example, if nine Presorted rate Periodicals pieces (each containing a 5-digit barcode) are sorted to the same 3-digit ZIP Code destination as 19 automation rate pieces (each containing a ZIP+4 barcode), the following physical packages might be prepared: one package containing eight Presorted rate pieces; one package containing one Presorted rate piece and seven automation rate pieces; and one package containing 12 automation rate pieces.

It is necessary for the Postal Service to limit the co-packaging of automation rate and Presorted rate pieces to one physical package for each "logical" presort destination in order to assist mail verification and acceptance processes.

For Periodicals, if a Presorted rate mailing includes firm packages, these packages must be accompanied by (but must be physically separate from) the automation rate and/or other Presorted rate pieces to the same presort destination to satisfy a six-piece package requirement when applicable for rate eligibility, regardless of the number of copies in the firm package. Periodicals firm packages claimed as a single piece will continue to be subject to the applicable Presorted rate based on the presort level of the logical package with which they are associated and the sack level, if sacked.

For Periodicals or Standard Mail mailings that are co-packaged and prepared under the optional preparation methods for merged pallets in DMM M930 or M940, new standards are proposed to allow a portion of a logical package to be placed on a merged pallet under the 5-percent limit.

Mailers who elect to use this new co-packaging option must prepare their mail using Presort Accuracy, Validation, and Evaluation (PAVE)-certified software or standardized documentation (DMM P012). The documentation must indicate the total number of automation rate and Presorted rate pieces contained in each package. Mailers may begin to use this preparation option on March 31, 2002. This date is chosen to allow presort software vendors enough time to update, test, and distribute software to their clients. It also affords the Postal Service sufficient time to develop PAVE certification criteria and conduct PAVE certification testing for the co-packaging option.

The complete DMM text was published in Postal Bulletin 22064 (11-29-01), available online at www.usps.com.

— Mail Preparation and Standards

DMM Reminder - Upcoming Mail Preparation Changes

The table below summarizes upcoming mail preparation changes to the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). As a reminder, the DMM is updated online once a month and is available via the Postal Explorer Web site (http://pe.usps.gov).

Effective Date: January 1, 2002

Type of Mail: Media Mail

Mail Preparation Change: Discontinue the use of "Special Standard Mail" (or "SPEC STD") marking. After January 1, 2002, all mailers must use "Media Mail."

DMM Reference: M012.3.1

Effective Date: January 1, 2002

Type of Mail: Library Mail

Mail Preparation Change: Discontinue the use of "Library Rate" marking. After January 1, 2002, all mailers must use "Library Mail."

DMM Reference: M012.3.1

Effective Date: January 1, 2002

Type of Mail: Presorted Bound Printed Matter

Mail Preparation Change: Discontinue the use of "Presorted Standard" (or "PRSRT STD") marking. After January 1, 2002, all mailers must use "Presorted" (or "PRSRT").

DMM Reference: M012.3.3

Effective Date: March 31, 2002

Type of Mail: First-Class Mail flats, Periodicals flats, Standard Mail flats

Mail Preparation Change: Mailers will have the option to combine automation-rate pieces and Presorted-rate pieces into the same package.

DMM Reference: New M950. See article published in Postal Bulletin 22064 (11-29-01).

Effective Date: January 10, 2004

Type of Mail: Standard Mail and Package Services machinable parcels

Mail Preparation Change: Discontinue use of USS Code 128, USS Code I 2/5, and USS Code 39 barcode symbologies. After January 10, 2004, only the UCC/EAN Code 128 barcode symbology may be used.

DMM Reference: C850.1.2

— Mail Preparation and Standards