Customer Support Ruling

"Bellybands" – Periodicals
Updated October 1996

PS-274 (707.3)

This Customer Support Ruling discusses the use of "bellybands" on Periodicals mail.

Bellybands are less than full size wrappers which are normally positioned around the center of a mailpiece.  Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 707.3 contains the mailing standards governing the use of envelopes and wrappers with Periodicals mail.

At issue in this matter are the postal regulations governing wrappers as well as those which apply to enclosures and supplements.  It was ruled that a bellyband, once enclosed in a polybag, cannot be considered as a wrapper, and therefore, should be treated as a nonpermissible enclosure (subject to the Standard Mail rates) unless prepared to meet the requirements for a supplement to a bound Periodicals publication.  That is, the bellyband would have to be endorsed "Supplement to" followed by the name of the publication and would be required to carry at least 25% nonadvertising matter.  This ruling was proper.

As explained by the mailer "advertisers utilizing the bellyband usually do so for a reason - they get a better response than the same advertisement inside the book.  They consciously elect to advertise on the bellyband, it is not an afterthought."

These comments demonstrate that the intent of the enclosed bellyband was to provide an opportunity to advertisers to advertise outside of the host publication.  That is essentially the purpose achieved by the inclusion of loose supplements to a bound Periodicals publication.  However, as mentioned above, supplements must meet stringent requirements.  A bellyband cannot be used as an alternative to meeting these standards.

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