A ride-along piece is Standard Mail matter (subject to specific eligibility requirements) included in a Periodicals publication that would not otherwise qualify for the Periodicals rates.

Effective June 30 the experimental Periodicals ride-along rate became a permanent rate. The new $0.124 rate is still a great bargain when compared to the cost for mailing a letter weighing 3.3 ounces or less at the Standard Mail basic Presort or automation rate of $0.268 or $0.219.

The eligibility standards for Periodicals and for the ride-along rate did not change on June 30. Any material that was eligible for the Periodicals rates of postage prior to June 30 is still eligible for these rates. Materials such as supplements and permissible loose enclosures (DMM C200.1) are still eligible to be mailed at the Periodicals Outside-County or In-County rates of postage as long as all other eligibility standards for Periodicals are met.

One frequently asked question is, “When should a loose enclosure in an unbound publication be paid at the ride-along rate?”

Remember, standards related to loose enclosures and inserts in unbound publications differ from those of bound publications. Unbound publications, such as newspapers, can include any loose printed material as a supplement regardless of the advertising content as long as the material does not contain any of the impermissible components described in DMM C200.2.2.

Examples of impermissible components include material that contains:

a. A separate price or subscription instructions different from those of the host publication.
b. A component referred to as a “catalog.”
c. A component bearing a First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, or Package Services permit imprint.
d. An ISBN, ISSN, or USPS number different from that of the host publication.

Periodicals publications containing components with any of the above characteristics must be charged at the applicable Standard Mail or ride-along rates of postage (this applies whether the publication is bound or unbound).

Advertising supplements and other permissible loose supplements in unbound publications may contain 100% advertising and still qualify for the applicable Periodicals rates. Although this type of advertising material could be mailed as Standard Mail (which is one of the requirements of ride-along mailpieces), if included in an unbound publication, it is still eligible for Periodicals rates. The eligibility standards for ride-along mailpieces are published in DMM E260.