DMM Revision - Making Postage Evidencing Systems More Secure

Effective January 1, 2002, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) P030 was revised to include policies and regulations pertaining to more secure postage evidencing systems, such as digitally printing meters, that use a postal security device (PSD), digitally printing meters that generate information-based indicia (IBI), and PC Postage systems. The revision replaces the current P030. The term "postage evidencing system" is the collective term used in policies that affect postage meters and other postage metering systems such as those that use PSD, those that generate IBI, and PC Postage systems. For consistency, the process used to apply postage with any postage evidencing system can still be called "metering"; such mail can still be called "metered mail"; indicia printed by a postage evidencing system ("indicia") can still be referred to as "meter stamps" or "meter impressions"; and postage value in a postage evidencing system can still be referred to as "meter units."

Significant changes to DMM P030 include:

• Added a section to define the basic characteristics of all secure postage evidencing systems and to identify the distinguishing features of the different system types.
• Added regulations that pertain to the new forms of postage evidencing systems, including PC Postage systems.
• Manually reset meters are retired.
• Alternative meter resetting locations for manually reset meters are no longer allowed.
• The check in and check out of remote reset meters is limited to the licensing post office, unless the on-site meter program is used.
• The standards throughout are revised to reflect the reduced role of the licensing post office in license applications, postage evidencing system check in and check out, and postage evidencing system resetting. These customer transactions shift from the licensing post office to the provider.
• The section on meter setting is replaced with four separate sections, one for each distinct set of financial transactions and procedures, depending on system type.
• Added regulations stating that a license to use a postage evidencing system may be cancelled when the user does not abide by the terms of the lease or rental contract with the provider, or if there is no postage evidencing system applied to the license for 60 days or more.
• Postage evidencing systems returned to the provider are allowed to be shipped via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation.
• The term "fraud warning" will now be used for the cautionary labels on postage evidencing systems that contain basic reminders on use of the system, warn against system tampering or misuse, and note penalties.
• The inspections and examination schedule for postage evidencing systems is now the same for both domestic systems and those used outside the country. Any system may be inspected on a more frequent basis under special circumstances.
• Included procedures for each type of system for refunding unused postage value remaining in a postage evidencing system when it is checked out of service.
• Added a new restriction that different forms of postage may not be mixed on a First-Class letter-size mailpiece since stamps, indicia printed with fluorescent ink or on labels with fluorescence, and indicia that include a facing identification mark (FIM) are each treated differently in facing and cancellation.
• Simplified the requirements for labels to be used with postage evidencing systems by requiring only that the fluorescent tagging on the label be sufficient to face and process the mail. Also added a requirement to use only Postal Service-approved fluorescent ink and to use only those labels approved by the Postal Service for the given postage evidencing system.
• Added an option to identify the licensing post office in the indicia using only the 5-digit ZIP Code.
• Added a requirement that other matter printed by postage evidencing systems must not emulate valid indicia. This requirement applies to both letterpress and digital indicia.
• Revised the regulations for date accuracy, allowing customers the same options whether the metered mail is submitted at the retail window or deposited in a collection box.
• Revised the regulation on deposit of mail to clarify the requirements. The deposit of single-piece rate mail outside the area served by the licensing post office is no longer limited to a "handful" of mail. All single-piece rate metered mail may be deposited in any collection box, unless specially marked boxes are available adjacent to the collection box. All metered Express Mail items and metered Priority Mail items (including zone-rated mail) can now be deposited in any collection box, unless specially marked boxes are available adjacent to the collection box.

This revision 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.

— Postage Technology Management,

— Retail, Consumers and Small Business