May 11, 2006

 

Proposed Prices Available Online

 

Finding the proposed Price Tables online is easy. Open www.usps.com, then click “About USPS & News” (upper right) then click the “Proposed Price Adjustments for Spring 2007” button (lower left), and you are there.

 

May DMM Update

 

We update the DMM on Postal Explorer (pe.usps.com) at least once a month, so Postal Explorer is always your best source for mailing information. The electronic DMM is fully searchable and features fly-out menus for easy navigation. Today we made the following changes to mailing standards:

 

Sack Labels

We revised standards throughout the DMM to clarify that mailers may use 2-inch labels with sacks that have 2-inch label holders. The use of 2-inch labels is important to ensure that labels do not fall out during transportation and processing. We also deleted 708.6.2.3 to eliminate the requirement to use “zebra codes” on barcoded labels.

 

Sacks for Periodicals Mail

We revised Exhibit 707.20.1.1 to allow mailers to use either brown sacks or the new plastic sacks for Periodicals mail prepared as flats or irregular parcels. Mailers may continue to use brown sacks until inventories are depleted.

 

New Preparation for Periodicals Mail

We adopted new mailing standards for Periodicals mail prepared in sacks. The standards include two new types of sacks — a 3-digit carrier routes sack and a merged 3-digit sack — and a new minimum of 24 pieces for most other sacks. The new standards encourage more efficient mail preparation. We revised the following sections: 705.9.0 through 11.0, 707.13.0, 707.22.0, 707.23.0, 707.25.0, and Exhibit 708.6.1.4. Two related Quick Service Guides are also available for Periodicals mailers (see article below).

 

Periodicals, Standard Mail, and Package Services Mail on Pallets

We revised the preparation requirements in 705.8.5.2 for bundles of Periodicals, Standard Mail, and Package Services flat-size mail and irregular parcels on pallets. We also removed text about labeling pallets and optional bundle reallocation, because we cover these topics elsewhere in the DMM.

 

Periodicals Mail on Pallets

We revised 705.8.0 and 708.1.0 to provide Periodicals mailers the option to reallocate bundles of flats and irregular parcels on pallets to protect an ADC pallet. These new standards will increase the volume of mail on pallets.

 

Address Change Service

We revised the Address Change Service standards in 507.3.2 to better identify where mailers may place the Address Change Service participant code and mailer keyline on mailpieces and to better articulate the Address Change Service standards overall.

 

Check the Summary of Changes for a complete listing of updates. You will find revisions listed by effective date and also by chapter, with clickable links to revised sections.

 

Our next update is scheduled for June 8.

 

Updated Quick Service Guides for Periodicals Mail

 

We revised two Quick Service Guides to illustrate the new Periodicals sack preparation standards (see “May DMM Update,” above). They are QSG 707e, Periodicals — Nonautomation Flats, and QSG 707g, Periodicals — Automation Flats. Both Quick Service Guides are available on Postal Explorer in PDF and HTML formats, with links to the new DMM standards.

 

We published complete information about the new Periodicals sacking standards in the January 19 Postal Bulletin and the January-February issue of Mailers Companion.