Window Book Postal Concierge--The United States Postal Service® (USPS)® is offering new mail preparation options for pallets, trays and sacks of First-Class and Standard Mail. These new mail preparation standards are optional and became effective September 4, 2012. The USPS also provides some clarification regarding Destination Sectional Center Facility eligibility in the September 4, 2012 DMM changes.
Mail Preparation Changes
In recognition of the network realignment process currently underway within the postal processing network, the USPS, working along with members of the commercial mailing industry, is reviewing mail preparation requirements. Some recent mail preparation changes are geared toward increased efficiencies for both mailers and the Postal Service. The revised mail preparation standards allow mailers to place trays or sacks of residual single-piece First-Class letters and flats on the origin Sectional Center Facility (SCF) pallet, and to place trays or sacks of residual Standard Mail letters and flats, paid at the single-piece First-Class Mail prices, on the mixed Network Distribution Center (NDC) pallet. The new standards also provide for an additional human-readable text option for several existing Content Identifier Numbers (CIN) codes to accommodate these single-piece mailpieces. Mailers authorized to combine First-Class Mail or Standard Mail with different payment methods in a single mailing may also take advantage of this option by placing trays of single-piece mailpieces on a specified pallet after the USPS verification process is complete.
SCF Eligibility Clarification
The USPS clarified that Standard Mail letters in Area Distribution Center (ADC) or Automation Area Distribution Center (AADC) trays may be eligible for Destination SCF entry prices when the ADC or AADC service area is exactly the same as the corresponding DSCF. This clarification also applies to Standard Mail flats and Bound Printed Matter flats. Clarification is also provided to address redirections. In cases where the USPS redirects DSCF drop shipments to facilities other than the designated SCF for drop ship discounts, the DMM language is modified to clarify that the eligible pieces in a DSCF drop shipment must be addressed for delivery within the DSCF service area, and not necessarily within the service area of the redirection facility.
An example is an AADC tray for Westchester, NY containing mail for ZIP codes 105-109. The SCF service area for Westchester NY is also 105-109. As long as all other conditions for DSCF entry are met, a properly prepared and labeled tray for AADC Westchester NY would be eligible for the DSCF discounts.
Handling Change
Mailers should work with their presort and post-presort software vendors to be sure that they have incorporated these changes into their software. For detailed information on these changes, see the August 23, 2012 Postal Bulletin.
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Mail Preparation Changes
In recognition of the network realignment process currently underway within the postal processing network, the USPS, working along with members of the commercial mailing industry, is reviewing mail preparation requirements. Some recent mail preparation changes are geared toward increased efficiencies for both mailers and the Postal Service. The revised mail preparation standards allow mailers to place trays or sacks of residual single-piece First-Class letters and flats on the origin Sectional Center Facility (SCF) pallet, and to place trays or sacks of residual Standard Mail letters and flats, paid at the single-piece First-Class Mail prices, on the mixed Network Distribution Center (NDC) pallet. The new standards also provide for an additional human-readable text option for several existing Content Identifier Numbers (CIN) codes to accommodate these single-piece mailpieces. Mailers authorized to combine First-Class Mail or Standard Mail with different payment methods in a single mailing may also take advantage of this option by placing trays of single-piece mailpieces on a specified pallet after the USPS verification process is complete.
SCF Eligibility Clarification
The USPS clarified that Standard Mail letters in Area Distribution Center (ADC) or Automation Area Distribution Center (AADC) trays may be eligible for Destination SCF entry prices when the ADC or AADC service area is exactly the same as the corresponding DSCF. This clarification also applies to Standard Mail flats and Bound Printed Matter flats. Clarification is also provided to address redirections. In cases where the USPS redirects DSCF drop shipments to facilities other than the designated SCF for drop ship discounts, the DMM language is modified to clarify that the eligible pieces in a DSCF drop shipment must be addressed for delivery within the DSCF service area, and not necessarily within the service area of the redirection facility.
An example is an AADC tray for Westchester, NY containing mail for ZIP codes 105-109. The SCF service area for Westchester NY is also 105-109. As long as all other conditions for DSCF entry are met, a properly prepared and labeled tray for AADC Westchester NY would be eligible for the DSCF discounts.
Handling Change
Mailers should work with their presort and post-presort software vendors to be sure that they have incorporated these changes into their software. For detailed information on these changes, see the August 23, 2012 Postal Bulletin.
Don't miss out on our educational mailing webinars! Log on to our webinar registration site to sign up.
