The US Postal Service has informed mailers that it will be announcing shortly a summer sale on postage for any increased Standard Mail volume for many Standard mailers, according to the Direct Marketing Association, which said it supports the plan.

Although details of the plan have not been finalized, the DMA said mailers would be offered 20% to 30% discounts, from June 15 to September 15, for mail volume over and above that mailer's past mailing. The Postal Service would establish a base mail volume for each mailer derived from that mailer's mailings from June 15 to September 15, 2008 adjusted downward by the current mail trends for that mailer during the first two quarters of Fiscal Year 2009. Any mail volume above that baseline would receive the "summer sale" price.

The proposal must go to the Postal Regulatory Commission for approval.