MailPro
News for Mailing Professionals

The Business Customer Gateway is located at usps.com. Look for the link at the bottom of the website.

mailing services price change recap

On May 11, the Postal Service implemented new mailing services prices. The March/April 2009 issue of MailPro provided detailed information on this price change. Complete domestic and international pricing information is available at usps.com/prices. Customers can view the prices of the products they use as well as download and print the price tables. In addition, all the prices are in one source — just scroll down to the Price List, Notice 123, available in PDF and HTML formats.

First-Class Mail and Standard Mail Letters

For both First-Class Mail letters and Standard Mail letters, USPS aligned the standards for machinable and automation letters so that machinable letters have the same physical characteristics as automation letters. The only difference is that machinable letters do not have a qualifying barcode.

First-Class Mail and Standard Mail customers now have the option of simplified preparation for automation letters. Automation letter 5-digit/scheme, 3-digit/scheme and AADC preparation is now optional. Customers pay for the level of sortation they choose. Mixed AADC is the only required sort. This optional preparation also is available for Standard Mail machinable letters. This gives customers the ability to choose the level of sortation that works best for them.

Standard Mail Parcels

Irregular Parcels and Not Flat-Machinable (NFM) Pieces Less Than 6 Ounces

Price categories changed for irregular parcels and NFMs weighing less than 6 ounces. New SCF prices replace the 3-digit prices, and ADC and mixed ADC prices are replaced with BMC and mixed BMC prices.

For mailings entered at an origin postal facility, only mailings prepared on BMC pallets are eligible for the BMC prices. Pallets must contain at least 200 pounds of mail. Mailers cannot combine irregular and machinable parcels for BMC prices but may combine their irregular parcels and NFMs less than 6 ounces. Other mailings prepared for origin entry are eligible only for the mixed BMC prices.

For mailings prepared in sacks, the 5-digit, SCF and BMC prices are limited to mailings prepared for and claimed at DBMC, DSCF and DDU entry prices.

Machinable Parcels and Not Flat-Machinable Pieces 6 Ounces and Over

These price categories did not change. Just like irregular parcels and NFMs less than 6 ounces entered at an origin facility, only mailings prepared on BMC pallets are eligible for the BMC prices, and pallets must contain at least 200 pounds of mail. Mailers cannot combine irregular and machinable parcels for BMC prices but may combine their machinable parcels and NFMs 6 ounces and over. Other mailings prepared for origin entry are eligible only for the mixed BMC prices.

For mailings prepared in sacks, the 5-digit and BMC prices are limited to mailings prepared for and claimed at DBMC, DSCF and DDU entry prices.

Mailers may combine irregular parcels and NFMs less than 6 ounces with machinable parcels and NFMs 6 ounces or more only on destination 5-digit pallets.

Refer to pages 3 and 4 in the March/April MailPro on usps.com/mailpro for detailed information on Standard Mail parcel preparation.

Parcel Post and Parcel Select

The pricing structure for retail Parcel Post was simplified by replacing the separate price categories for Inter-BMC/ASF and Intra-BMC/ASF with a single Parcel Post category based on weight and zone.