Quarterly Performance for Single-Piece First-Class Mail®
International
Mail Delivered Between 04/01/2009 and 06/30/2009

Overview

Service performance for inbound and outbound single-piece First-Class Mail® International domestic transit is measured through the International Mail Measurement System (IMMS) operated by an outside entity. IMMS utilizes only letter-shaped mail pieces, which is the predominant shape for both outbound and inbound single-piece First-Class Mail® International. IMMS uses a rigorous external sampling system modeled after and closely integrated with the External First-Class (EXFC) measurement system used for single-piece domestic First-Class Mail®. Transit time is compared against First-Class Mail® service standards.

The processing of single-piece First-Class Mail® International flats and parcels -- during either outbound transit from domestic origin to designated International Service Centers (ISC) or inbound transit from designated ISC to the domestic delivery address -- is the same as for domestic single-piece First-Class Mail® flats and parcels. The USPS service standards are also the same. Accordingly, the performance for domestic single-piece First-Class Mail® flats (using the data from EXFC) and performance for domestic single-piece parcels (as measured end-to-end on parcels for which customers have purchased Delivery Confirmation™), serve as proxies for the service performance of outbound and inbound single-piece First-Class Mail® International flats and parcels.

The following service performance results combine the results for letter performance from IMMS with the proxy data to measure service performance for all inbound and outbound single-piece First-Class Mail® International. Since not all postal administrative districts have sufficient international volumes for statistically representative reporting, the Postal Service reports international quarterly service performance at a postal administrative area level.