MailPro
News for Mailing Professionals

FYI
On May 14, our retail and business rate calculators on usps.com received record hits totaling more that 548,000.

PRICING CHANGE RECAP

On May 14, we implemented our new pricing that reflects changes in our operations and the marketplace, introduces shape-based pricing, offers you more choices and creates a more efficient mail system that keeps overall costs as low as possible.

We provided detailed information of the new domestic and international pricing and product changes in the March/April issue of MailPro. Since publication of that issue, we accepted and implemented two of the three items sent back to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for reconsideration: lowering the price for the Priority Mail Flat Rate Box to $8.95 from the previously recommended $9.15, and extending the $0.17 nonmachinable surcharge to all nonmachinable single-piece and presorted First-Class Mail letters, regardless of weight. At the time we went to press with this issue, the Standard Mail flats reconsideration item was still pending before the PRC.

The Periodicals changes will be implemented July 15. The Federal Register final rule is posted on
usps.com/ratecase.

Here are some highlights of the May 14 changes:

Automation-Rate Flats
All First-Class Mail and Standard Mail automation-rate flats must meet the criteria for the Automated Flat Sorting Machine (AFSM-100) in Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 301.3.0. All flats must be flexible (cannot be rigid) and uniformly thick. Nonpaper (bulky) items placed in large envelopes cannot cause more than a 1/4-inch variance in thickness, to within 1 inch of the edges of the envelope. Also, such items must be secured within the mailpiece to prevent shifting of more than 2 inches. The outer edges of the mailpiece (up to 1 inch) are not considered when measuring variance in thickness. Flats must be rectangular in shape and the maximum thickness is 3/4-inch. The maximum weight remains 13 ounces for First-Class Mail and 15.999 ounces for Standard Mail.

First-Class Mail Letters
The maximum weights for all First-Class Mail letters are as follows:
• Retail (single-piece) rate— 3.5 ounces
• Nonautomation presort rate— 3.3 ounces
• Automation rate— 3.5 ounces

Standard Mail Letters
The maximum weights for all Standard Mail letters are as follows:
• Nonautomation presort rate— 3.3 ounces
• Automation rate— 3.5 ounces
• Enhanced Carrier Route (ECR)— 3.5 ounces

The minimum- and maximum-size standards for the First-Class Mail card rate, letters and flats have not changed. For sizes, see page 20 of Notice 123, RATEFOLD. The maximum letter size is 11-1/2 inches long (envelope width), 6-1/8 inches high and 1/4-inch thick. If an envelope (mailpiece) exceeds any of the physical dimensions, or 3.5 ounces in weight, it is classified and priced as a large envelope (flat).

Standard business/commercial envelopes, up to size 14, are within the letter-size parameters, and if weighing 3.5 ounces or less, qualify for letter rates. Customers should explore using other styles of envelopes, such as "booklet" envelopes. Booklet envelopes up to size 6-1/2 are within the letter-size dimensions and, when properly addressed, within aspect ratio. Using booklet envelopes requires only a single-fold of standard business documents, thus lessoning the impact of the 1/4-inch maximum thickness. The same criteria can be applied to Standard Mail letter-size piece rates.

Express Mail and Priority Mail
All Express Mail and Priority Mail packaging, both old and new versions, can be used for both domestic and international shipments.

All Priority Mail complimentary packaging (including the two flat-rate boxes) available in Post Office retail lobbies, as well as online at usps.com (old and new versions), are not subject to Priority Mail balloon-rate pricing (local and Zones 1-4), or Priority Mail dimensional-weight pricing (Zones 5-8).

Standard Mail Enhanced Carrier Route Letters
Enhanced Carrier Route (ECR) letters are not eligible for the destination delivery unit (DDU) rate. Mailers cannot pay ECR flats rates and claim the DDU rate for letter-size pieces. See DMM 246.4.0 and DMM 246.5.0 regarding ECR letters prepared with simplified addresses and eligible for the destination sectional center facility (DSCF) rate when entered at a DDU.

When mailers hold a mailing permit at the entry office (DDU) they can deposit one mailing (of fewer than 2,500 letters) per day, and claim the DSCF rate.

ECR basic rate (line-of-travel) letters now are priced lower than ECR basic rate flats. ECR basic letters (as with high-density and saturation rate letters) now are required to be automation compatible, and bear a delivery point barcode (or Intelligent Mail barcode). ECR basic rate letters remain higher than 5-digit automation-rate letters. Any ECR letters that are not automation-compatible, and don't bear an appropriate barcode, are subject to ECR rates for flats.

Mailers should explore the advantages of the lower 5-digit automation rates, coupled with the easier mail preparation with 5-digit automation letter scheme tray preparation and the new no-overflow tray option. See DMM 245.7.0.

Standard Mail Enhanced Carrier Route Flats
We increased the maximum size for ECR flats— now all Standard Mail and Bound Printed Matter (BPM) flats have the same maximum size: 15 inches long, 12 inches high and 3/4-inch thick.

Bound Printed Matter Nonpresorted Rate
BPM single-piece rate now is referred to as "BPM Nonpresorted rate." Customers still can mail eligible BPM items at the nonpresorted rate for flats and parcels when they affix their own postage using any of the current forms— adhesive stamps, meter strips or pc postage.

Desktop Resources
You can find price information online at usps.com/ratecase. This Website provides helpful information for mailers, including frequently asked questions revised since May 14 and MailPro articles related to the pricing change. Our Website is updated regularly— so add it to your list of "favorites." The March/April issue of MailPro can be viewed at usps.com/ratecase.