May 2, 2005

The Postal Service has issued a new Customer Support Ruling (CSR), PS 323, which is intended to provide guidance for Nonprofit mailers as to what may be mailed as Standard Mail and what must be mailed as First-Class Mail.  The attached CSR is written on the basis of the revised DMM® language that takes effect June 1, 2005.   After June 1, the CSRs will link to what will then be current postal standards. 

The Postal Service is again providing the “decision tree” based on the revised DMM® language as an aid in the evaluation of whether matter containing “personal information” may be eligible as Standard Mail or is required to be sent as First-Class Mail.  It has been annotated with references to CSRs that may be referred to for guidance when making decisions as to whether a mailpiece meets the test.

The Postal Service encourages mailers to apply the new CSR and the decision-tree flowchart on Standard Mail eligibility to make classification determinations and to contact their local Business Mail Entry Units for additional support.