Customer Support Ruling

Double Postcards
Updated October 1996

PS-005 (201.1.2.8)

This Customer Support Ruling discusses the standards for mailing a double postcard at the card rate.

This ruling pertains to mailings of double cards.  A double postcard, as described in Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 201.1.2*, consists of two attached postcards, one of which is for the transmission of information from the addressee back to the sender.  Each card is subject to the card rate; however, postage need not be paid for the reply portion until it is detached and mailed as a reply piece.

The lower First-Class rate for postal and postcards was established essentially to accommodate mailers that desire to send a single visible message without an envelope in a form that is easily handled by postal equipment.  This is clarified by the fact that under DMM* 201.1.2.8, the second portion of a double postcard may not be used to convey a separate or unrelated message to the addressee.  It may only be designed for reply purposes.  Postage at the First-Class letter rate is properly chargeable on a double card when the sender uses the second or reply half to convey a separate message to the original addressee.

An examination of the double postcard forwarded to this office, which is similar to those that were mailed at the Presorted First-Class rate, has disclosed that the reply card contains printed information on both sides of it pertaining to membership in a particular organization and magazine subscriptions.  All of the information relates to the completion of the blocks provided for requesting membership, selecting a prize, choosing a magazine subscription and selecting a free gift.

It appears that the reply card was designed specifically for reply purposes and that the aforementioned information relates directly to the blocks to be completed by the addressee.  No extraneous messages unrelated to reply purposes are printed on the reply card.  Thus, it has been concluded that such cards were properly accepted in the mails at the Presorted First-Class card rate.

*See also DMM 101.6.3.

(Signed)
Anita J. Bizzotto
Manager
Mailing Standards
United States Postal Service
Washington DC 20260-3436