Customer Support Ruling

Insured Mail
Updated March 2001

PS-171 (503.4)

This Customer Support Ruling discusses insured mail and the payment of claims.

Customers using insured mail, unlike Registered Mail, are not required to declare the actual value at the time an article is being mailed.  They may purchase any amount of insurance up to $5,000 regardless of the value of what is being mailed.  However, insured mail claims are paid based on the actual value of the article at the time of mailing up to the amount of insurance purchased.  Evidence of actual value is submitted with the customer's claim.  If only one article in a package containing several articles is damaged, the claimant is paid for the actual value of that article.  For example, if the total value of the articles in a package insured for $400 is $1,000, and the value of the totally damaged article is $100, the Postal Service would pay the customer $100.  If the value of the damaged article was $500, we would pay the customer $400. 

(Signed)
Sherry Suggs
Manager
Mailing Standards
United States Postal Service
Washington DC 20260-3436