International Priority Airmail™ (IPA®) service is as fast as, or faster than, First–Class Mail International service. It is available for volume mailings of all First–Class Mail International postcards, letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages (small packets). The sender must prepare mailpieces in accordance with the shape-based requirements of First–Class Mail International service (see 240) and the requirements of this subchapter. Separate prices are provided for drop shipments, presorted mail (price groups 1–9), and nonpresorted mail (worldwide). Volume incentives available through customized agreements.
Any First–Class Mail International mailpiece as defined in 141.5 qualifies. Mailpieces do not have to be of the same size and weight to qualify.
The mailer must have a minimum of 11 pounds of mail in the total mailing. The minimum does not apply to each country destination.
The mailer must have a minimum of 11 pounds of presorted mail to a
single price group, including Canada, to qualify for the presort price for that price group.
Note: Mail that cannot be made up in direct country packages (292.442a), in direct country sacks (292.451), or in trays (292.455a) does not qualify for the presort prices and is subject to the worldwide nonpresort prices.
Dutiable items may be sent in accordance with the applicable rules in this subchapter for those classes of mail. Priority Mail International items, either ordinary or insured, may not be mailed as International Priority Airmail.
Mailings must be deposited and accepted at all Post Office facilities where bulk mail is accepted and the mailer holds an advance deposit account or postage meter license.
To qualify for the drop shipment prices, the mailer must tender the mail to one of the locations in 292.153. The mailer must pay postage at the drop shipment location either through an advance deposit account or postage meter license at the serving Post Office facility. As an alternative, mailers who are participating in the Plant–Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) program (see DMM 705) may have the mail verified, accepted, and paid for at the mailer’s plant or at the origin Post Office facility serving the mailer’s plant if authorized under DMM 705. Plant–verified drop shipment mail must be transported by the mailer to the drop shipment location and the mail accompanied by PS Form 8125, Plant–Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Verification and Clearance.
Drop shipment prices are available from the following offices:
New York:
JOHN F KENNEDY AIRPORT MAIL CTR
US POSTAL SERVICE
JOHN F KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BLDG 250
JAMAICA NY 11430–9998
Florida:
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CTR*
US POSTAL SERVICE
11698 NW 25TH ST
MIAMI FL 33112–9997
MIAMI PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION CTR
US POSTAL SERVICE
2200 NW 72ND AVE
MIAMI FL 33152–9997
Texas:
DALLAS AIRPORT MAIL CTR
US POSTAL SERVICE
2300 W 32ND ST
DALLAS TX 75261–9741
Illinois:
JT WEEKER INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CENTER
US POSTAL SERVICE
OHARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
514 EXPRESS CENTER DR
CHICAGO IL 60688–9998
California:
LOS ANGELES ISC
US POSTAL SERVICE
21750 ARNOLD CENTER RD
CARSON CA 90810–9998
SAN FRANCISCO ISC
US POSTAL SERVICE
2650 BAYSHORE BLVD
DALY CITY CA 94013–1631
*Only plant–verified mail is transported to these facilities by the mailer.
Items sent in this service may not be registered.
International Priority Airmail service has two price options: a presort price option with nine price groups, and a worldwide nonpresort price. For both options, there are full service prices for mail deposited at offices other than the drop shipment offices listed in 292.153, and drop shipment prices for mail deposited at one of the drop shipment offices. The per–piece prices and per–pound prices are shown in 292.211. The per–piece price applies to each piece regardless of its weight. The per–pound price applies to the net weight (gross weight minus tare weight of sack) of the mail for the specific price group. Fractions of a pound are rounded to the next whole pound for postage calculation.
Exhibit 292.211a
International Priority Airmail (IPA) Prices
Exhibit 292.211b
International Priority Airmail (IPA) M-Bag — Full Service
Exhibit 292.211c
International Priority Airmail (IPA) M-Bag — ISC Drop Shipment
IPA service is available to all foreign countries, as listed in Exhibit 292.442, which shows the price group assigned to each country.
To qualify for the presort prices (see 292.211), a mailing must consist of a minimum of 11 pounds to a specific price group. This minimum applies to each price group and not to the entire mailing. Within a price group, all mail addressed to an individual country must be sorted into direct country packages of 10 or more pieces (or 1 pound or more of mail) and/or sacked in direct country sacks of 11 pounds or more. Mail that cannot be made up into direct country packages or direct country sacks must be sent at the worldwide nonpresort prices.
Note: There are separate preparation requirements for mail to Canada. See 292.455.
The mailer must specify the price group on the back of PS Tag 115, International Priority Airmail, with 1 (Canada), 2 (Mexico), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or WW (worldwide), and must physically separate the sacks by price group at the time of mailing.
Postage is computed on PS Form 3700, Postage Statement — International Mail. Postage at the worldwide nonpresort price is calculated by multiplying the number of pieces in the mailing by the applicable per–piece price, multiplying the net weight (in whole pounds) of the entire mailing by the applicable per–pound price, and then adding the two totals together. Postage at the presorted price is calculated by multiplying the number of pieces in the mailing destined for countries in a specific price group by the appropriate per–piece price, multiplying the net weight (in whole pounds) of those pieces by the corresponding per–pound price, and then adding the two totals together. Volume pricing is calculated on the postage statement.
- Postage Meter, Permit Imprint, or Precanceled Stamps. Postage must be paid by postage meter, permit imprint, or mailer–precanceled stamps (see DMM 604) or a combination. Postage charges are computed on PS Form 3700.
- Piece Price Portion. The applicable per–piece postage as set forth in the ICM agreement when appliable must be affixed to each piece by meter unless postage is paid by permit imprint or mailer–precancelled stamps (see 292.223).
- Pound Price Portion. Postage for the pound price portion must be paid either by meter stamp(s) attached to the postage statement or from the mailer’s authorized permit imprint advance deposit account.
- Postage Endorsement. When postage is paid by meter or mailer–precanceled stamps, each piece must be legibly endorsed with the words “INTERNATIONAL PRIORITY AIRMAIL.”
- Specifications for Endorsement. The endorsement required in 292.222a must appear on the address side of each piece and must be applied by a printing press, hand stamp, or other similar printing device. It must be printed above the name of the addressee and to the left or below the postage, or it may be printed adjacent to the meter stamp in either the postal inscription slug area or ad plate area. If the postal endorsement appears in the ad plate area, no other information may be printed in the ad plate. The endorsement may not be typewritten or hand–drawn. The endorsement is not considered adequate if it is included as part of a decorative design or advertisement.
- Unmarked Pieces. Unmarked pieces lacking the postage endorsement required by 292.222a are subject to the First-Class Mail International single piece prices.
- Drop Shipment of Metered Mail. Mailers who want to enter metered IPA mail at a Post Office facility other than where the meter is licensed must obtain a drop shipment authorization. To obtain an authorization, the mailer must submit a written request to the postmaster at the office where the mail will be entered (see DMM 705).
Mailers may use a permit imprint for mailings that contain identical weight pieces. Any of the permit imprints shown in Exhibit 152.34 are acceptable. The postage charges are computed on PS Form 3700 and deducted from the advance deposit account. Permit imprints must not denote bulk mail, nonprofit, or other domestic or special price mail. Mailers may use permit imprint with nonidentical weight pieces only if authorized to use postage mailing systems under DMM 705.
Any item sent by IPA must conform to the weight and size limits for First–Class Mail International postcards, letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages (small packets) as described in 240.
International Priority Airmail is subject to the addressing requirements contained in 122.
- Exception: International Priority Airmail items destined for Canada must have the applicable alphanumeric postcode included in the delivery address. See 122.1k for the address formatting requirements that generally apply to mailpieces sent to Canada.
- Exception: International Priority Airmail in direct country sacks (see 292.451) is not subject to the interline addressing requirement that is specified in 122.1d. At the sender’s risk, the English translation of the destination post office or city name may be omitted from printed addresses that are in Russian, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Japanese, or Chinese characters. An English translation of the country name (e.g., Japan) is still required on the individual mailpieces.
The sender should mark “PAR AVION” or “AIR MAIL” on the address side of each piece. Use of bordered airmail envelopes is optional and may be used for items sent in this service if the envelope contains the “AIR MAIL” endorsement.
Items that might be mistaken for another class of mail because of their size, weight, or appearance should be marked “LETTER–POST” on the address side.
Mail that is sent via the IPA service may be sealed at the sender’s option. See 244.4 for the packaging methods that are applicable to all First-Class Mail International items.
Exception: For direct country sacks only, First-Class Mail International folded mailpieces, without envelopes, are admissible provided one of the following methods is used:
- All of the open sides are secured with tape, tabs, or wafer seals of sufficient quantity and strength to prevent the mailpieces from opening or being damaged during postal handling.
- The mailpieces meet the physical standards and tabbing requirements in DMM 201.3.
- Working Packages. IPA mail paid at the nonpresorted price must be made up into working packages. Letters and flats must be packaged separately, although nonidentical pieces may be commingled within each of these categories. Pieces that cannot be packaged because of their physical characteristics must be placed loose in the sack.
- Facing of Nonpresorted Mail Within Package. All pieces in the working packages must be faced the same way.
- Direct Country Packages. When there are 10 or more pieces or 1 pound or more of mail for the same country (except Great Britain), it must be made up into a country package. Great Britain requires a finer sortation. At the mailer’s option, a finer breakdown by city or postal code may be made based on sortation information provided by the postal administration of the destination country.
- Country Package Label.
- The label (facing slip) for country packages that contain 10 or more pieces to a specific country (except for Great Britain and Mexico) must be completed as follows:
Line 1: Foreign Exchange Office.
Line 2: Country of Destination.
Line 3: Mailer, Mailer Location.
Example:
- See 292.442 for Direct Country Package Label and PS Tag 178, CN 35 Par Avion, for information.
Country Packages to Great Britain. When there are 10 or more pieces or 1 pound or more per separation, International Priority Airmail to Great Britain must be sorted into packages in the following manner:
Example:
Facing of Pieces Within Country Package. All pieces in the country package must be faced in the same direction and a facing slip identifying the contents of the package must be placed on the address side of the top piece of each package in such a manner that it will not become separated from the package.
Note: The pressure–sensitive labels and optional endorsement lines used domestically for presort mail are prohibited for International Priority Airmail.
Exhibit 292.442
IPA Country Price Groups and Foreign Exchange Offices
