The following changes to the Domestic Mail Manual are incorporated into the online version available via Postal Explorer at http://pe.usps.gov.

DMM Revisions

Independent Audit Bureaus — Periodicals Mail

Effective October 1, 2003, DMM E214 and E216 were revised to allow an authorized independent audit bureau to perform, at the publisher’s request, any required verification of circulation for “general” or “requester” Periodicals publications. These verifications may include those required as part of an initial application for Periodicals privileges or reentry of an authorized Periodicals publication, or other required verification of circulation for general or requester publications.

Nonprofit Standard Mail — Cooperative Mail

Effective November 13, 2003, DMM E670.5.3 were revised to provide a limited exception to the cooperative mail rule for mailings that solicit donations to organizations authorized to mail at Nonprofit Standard Mail rates. Mail that includes advertising for the sale or lease of products or services is not eligible for the exception.

The exception states that the standards in E670.5.3 do not apply to mailings by an organization authorized to mail at Nonprofit Standard Mail rates soliciting monetary donations to the authorized mailer and not promoting or otherwise facilitating the sale or lease of any goods or services. This exception applies only where the organization authorized to mail at Nonprofit Standard Mail rates is given a list of each donor, contact information (e.g., address, telephone number) for each, and the amount of the donation or waives in writing the receipt of this list.

Move Update — Updating Period Extended Five Days

Effective November 13, 2003, DMM A030.1.1 were revised to extend the maximum permissible number of days from 180 to 185 days for updating delivery address records to meet the Move Update standard for Presorted and automation rate First-Class Mail pieces.

Many mailers and address list vendors have requested this change to increase their flexibility in meeting production schedules and to account for the difference in the number of days in any given cycle of consecutive months. Many mailers and list vendors prefer to incorporate only two or four processing cycles into their data processing operations to cover a complete 12-month period such as a calendar year or a fiscal year.

With this expansion in the number of permissible days for processing address records before the mailing date, mailers can effectively stay within an even number of processing cycles during any 12-month period. This arrangement allows mailers to avoid adding another processing cycle that spills into the next 12-month period, which leads to a “floating” start date.

Presort Destination Package Labels — New Barcoded Format

Effective October 30, 2003, the DMM were revised to implement the use of new barcoded pressure-sensitive presort destination package labels and to clarify and reorganize the mailing standards for package preparation.

Background. In recent years, numerous automated advances in mail processing developed by the Postal Service have led to faster, more efficient methods of sorting individual letter- size and flat-size pieces. A new system, to be designated as the Automated Package Processing System (APPS), would extend similar benefits of automated processing to small, lightweight parcels and to flat-size pieces, such as magazines and catalogs prepared in packages (several mailpieces presorted and secured together into a single unit). The APPS equipment represents the next generation of the small parcel and bundle sorter (SPBS) currently used by the Postal Service.

The use of barcoded pressure-sensitive package labels is one method to support the use of the APPS, which the Postal Service plans to deploy beginning in 2004 in major processing and distribution centers to improve operational efficiency and increase workhour productivity. The use of these new labels will not significantly affect mail preparation standards and processes or current mailer operations, especially for mailers who use optional endorsement lines (OELs) for designating the presort level of packages containing letter-size pieces or flat-size pieces. This change will not replace OELs. In fact, mailers currently using OELs should continue using these cost-effective, time-saving information lines rather than converting to the use of pressure-sensitive package labels.

Automated Package Processing. With its large processing capacity, the APPS will replace current labor-intensive methods with more efficient automated methods that improve the sortation of parcels, Priority Mail items, and presort destination packages of flat-size mailpieces. The APPS contains several advanced features, including an integrated optical character/barcode reader with four-sided image capture. With this feature, the APPS can read and interpret information from properly prepared parcels and presort destination packages and automatically direct the parcels and presort packages to the appropriate bins.

Applying a pressure-sensitive package label to the top mailpiece in a presort package of banded mailpieces is one method that mailers use to indicate the sortation level for certain letter-size mail, flat-size mail, and small parcels that are required to be packaged before being placed into a tray or sack or placed onto a pallet. The proposed design changes to could be scanned and sorted automatically on the APPS.

Label Format Changes. The changes affect the five pressure-sensitive package labels that mailers currently use. The size of the new rectangular labels is 3/4 inch wide by 1/2 inch high. Current scalloped-shaped pressure-sensitive package labels are 7/8 inch wide and 1/2 inch high. A width-modulated barcode appears on the right side of the new labels as a unique indicator of the sortation level. The bars of the barcode are 0.02 inch wide and 0.50 inch high. The rightmost bar ends 0.04 inch from the right edge of the label. Each new label also contains a human-readable single character to the left of the barcode, corresponding to the sortation level of the package.

Package Labels — Sortation Characters and Colors. The new label design allows the APPS equipment to find and read the necessary information quickly, and the redundant information on the redesigned labels ensures a higher read rate and lower false positive rate as well as accommodates incidental label damage. For letter-size mail, the label must be placed in the lower left corner of the address side of the top piece in the package. For flat-size mail, the label should be placed to the lower left of the address area on the address side of the top piece in the package to ensure optimal recognition. The label must not be obscured by banding or shrinkwrap.

The various pressure-sensitive package labels will be approximately of the same color as the current labels. Besides label shape, label size, and barcode, the only other changes will be the following:

• The alpha character “D” that appears on the current red labels for the 5-digit sortation level is replaced with the numeric “5.”

• The alpha characters “MXD” that appear on the current tan labels for the mixed ADC sortation level are replaced with the single alpha character “X.”

Label Availability and Use. Post Offices are not to dispose of current usable supplies of the older labels until the new labels are available for distribution to mailers. Managers of business mail entry, working with their staffs, must ensure that all Post Offices within the service area of their district have access to the new barcoded pressure-sensitive package labels as needed.

Mailers may use the new package labels as soon as they become available from their local Post Offices. Effective April 1, 2004, however, mailers not using OELs would be required to use only the barcoded pressure-sensitive package labels rather than the nonbarcoded labels. Mailers with any questions about the use or availability of the new labels should contact their district manager of business mail entry.

DMM Reminders

Customized MarketMail — Sample Mailpieces

Effective August 10, 2003, the Postal Service introduced Customized MarketMail (CMM), a new rate category for Regular Standard Mail and Nonprofit Standard Mail. CMM represents a significant innovation for advertisers, marketers, and organizations wanting to reach targeted market segments with highly individualized mailpieces that use nonrectangular shapes and multidimensional formats.

Postal Service employees — as well as mailers interested in using this new service — should review the standards on CMM, including the standards requiring the submission of sample CMM mailpieces at the time of mailing and the use of standardized documentation for mailings with more than three different types of containers. Questions about all CMM mailing standards should be directed to the appropriate manager of business mail entry.

Sample Mailpieces. As provided under DMM M660.1.3, each CMM mailing presented to the Postal Service must include not only a signed and completed postage statement but also an extra copy of the postage statement and a sample of the CMM mailpiece. If a consolidated postage statement is used for plant-verified drop shipment (PVDS) mailings, a copy of that consolidated postage statement with a single CMM mailpiece is sufficient. If available, documentation supporting the use of Priority Mail or Express Mail drop shipment should also be provided.

Sample mailpieces submitted with the extra copy of the postage statements, should be similar to the “live” mailpieces and show proper markings and addressing formats. The submission of CMM mailpiece samples applies to each CMM mailing, even if the same mailpiece design is used in subsequent mailings. If a CMM mailing includes more than one physical mailpiece design or contains nonidentical-weight pieces, a sample of each unique CMM mailpiece is required.

Mailing Standards. DMM E660 and M660 contain the specific standards for CMM eligibility and mail preparation, including postage payment methods, rate markings, packaging, labeling, and documentation.

In addition to the appropriate Standard Mail postage statement designated for mailpieces subject to the residual shape surcharge, standardized documentation meeting the standards in DMM P012 is required for CMM mailings containing nonidentical-weight pieces or mailings using more than three different types of containers.

Reference Information. To support this new service, the Postal Service has launched a website dedicated to updated information on CMM at www.usps.com/customizedmarketmail. This site includes frequently asked questions, testimonials, benefits, and a special Quick Service Guide on CMM, as well as links to related information on using the mail for selling products and services.

In addition to the special online site, extensive information about CMM appears in the following Postal Bulletin articles:

• “Customized MarketMail,” Postal Bulletin 22106 (7-10-03, pages 26–38). This comprehensive article describes the basic standards for CMM and provides guidance on mail preparation and proper entry. This article also presents the complete text of the mailing standards that support CMM.

• “Customized MarketMail — Nonmachinable Surcharge,” Postal Bulletin 22107 (7-24-03, pages 8–10). This article explains that CMM pieces are exempt from the nonmachinable surcharge that affects certain letter-size mailpieces claimed at Standard Mail rates.

• “Customized MarketMail — Revised Postage Statements,” Postal Bulletin 22107 (7-24-03, pages 13–22). This article contains information about the postage statements used for CMM, along with ordering instructions, and sample copies of the four affected postage statements.

• “Customized MarketMail Pieces — Attachments and Enclosures,” Postal Bulletin 22108 (8-7-03, page 19). This article clarifies when attachments and enclosures are permitted with CMM.

The Postal Bulletin can be found online at www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/pb.htm.