Making Periodicals Mail More Efficient

Sack Preparation Changes

Effective May 11, the Postal Service adopts new mailing standards for Periodicals flats and irregular parcels prepared in sacks. They include two new (additional) 3-digit sacks, a merged 3-digit sack, and a 3-digit carrier routes sack. At the same time, a new (hard) minimum of 24 pieces for most other sacks is established. Unless otherwise noted, mailers will no longer be able to prepare sacks of fewer than 24 pieces (often times referred to in the industry as “skin sacks”). These standards encourage more efficient mail preparation, helping the Postal Service reduce the costs of transporting and processing mail in sacks and, helping to keep Periodicals rates reasonable. These new standards will be incorporated into the May 11, update of the online DMM on Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.

Whenever practical, sacking of Periodicals mailings should be performed when pallet preparation is not an option. Mailers are reminded that there are now lower minimums for certain pallets levels and that pallet preparation (and entry) will likely result in additional discounts which may not be available to mailings prepared in sacks.

Merged 3-Digit Sack

This sack may consist of any combination of carrier route-rate, automation-rate, and presorted-rate pieces prepared in carrier route, 5-digit scheme (L007), 5-digit, 3-digit scheme (L008), and 3-digit presort destination bundles to a single 3-digit ZIP code area (L002). This sack consolidates carrier route and 5-digit bundles (formerly placed into merged 5-digit sacks) with 5-digit scheme, 3-digit scheme, and 3-digit bundles within a 3-digit ZIP code area. Until May 11, merged 5-digit sacks could contain fewer than 24 pieces per sack.

Under DMM 708.10.0, mailers must prepare this sack whenever there are one or more carrier route bundles for the same 3-digit area, following preparation of all carrier route sacks, and merged 5-digit sacks containing 24 or more pieces per sack. If there is not at least one carrier route bundle remaining for the single 3-digit area after all previous sacks are prepared, the merged 3-digit sack must contain a minimum of 24 pieces (in other words, the merged 3-digit sacks can contain fewer than 24 pieces only if it contains at least one carrier route bundle).

NOTE: Unlike the limitations for noncarrier route pieces placed in merged 5-digit sacks (i.e., only those nonautomation 5-digit Codes that have an “A” or “C” indicator in the City State Product), mail in merged 3-digit sacks may consist of pieces to any 5-digit ZIP code.

Three-Digit Carrier Routes Sack

This sack (which is similar to the 3-digit carrier routes tray for letter-size pieces), consolidates carrier route bundles formerly placed into single 5-digit carrier routes sacks which until May 11, could contain fewer than 24 pieces per sack. Three-digit carrier routes sacks must contain a minimum of one six-piece bundle, and may contain additional carrier route bundles of fewer than six pieces each. Remember, pieces placed in carrier route bundles of fewer than six pieces each, are subject to the basic presort rate.

New 24-Piece Sack Minimum

Beginning May 11, when prepared, the following sacks must contain a minimum of 24 pieces, no exceptions:

• Carrier route sacks
• 5-digit carrier routes sacks
• 5-digit scheme (L001) carrier routes sacks
• 5-digit sacks
• 5-digit scheme (L007) sacks
• Merged 5-digit sacks
• Merged 5-digit scheme (L001) sacks
• 3-digit (L002) sacks
• SCF (L002) sacks
• ADC (L004) sacks

Mailers with questions should contact the post office where they enter their mailings.