Summary
M210 describes the basic standards for Periodicals Presorted rate mailings including package and tray preparation for letters, and package and sack preparation for flats and irregular parcels. Additional requirements for preparing mail on pallets are in M041 and M045, or M041 and M920, M930, or M940. For standards on automation rate Periodicals mailings see E240 and M810 (letters) or M820 (flats), as applicable. For standards on carrier route mailings see E230 and M220.
For all letter-size mailings, for sacked mailing jobs of nonletter-size mail that do not contain an automation rate mailing or a carrier route mailing, and for all palletized mailing jobs the following standards must be met for the Presorted rate mailing:
a. All pieces in each Presorted rate Periodicals mailing must be in the same processing category.
b. Letter-size pieces must be packaged under 2.0 and prepared in trays under 3.0. Trays prepared under this section may subsequently be palletized under M041 and M045.
c. Nonletter-size pieces must be packaged under 2.0. Packages placed on pallets must meet additional packaging criteria under M045.
d. Packages of nonletter-size pieces must be sacked or palletized under one of the following:
(1) Sacked under 4.0, except that a Presorted rate mailing that is part of a mailing job that also contains an automation flats mailing must be sacked under M910 or M920 as described in 1.2.
(2) Palletized under M041 and M045, M920, M930, or M940.
e. Sacks prepared under 4.0 may subsequently be prepared on pallets under M041 and M045.
f. All pieces must be sorted together to the finest extent required under the applicable sortation standards described above.
The following standards apply:
a. Mailings prepared in sacks that are part of a mailing job that includes a carrier route mailing, an automation rate mailing, and a presorted rate mailing must be prepared under one of the options listed below. Presorted rate pieces may be co-packaged with automation rate pieces under the standards in M950.
(1) The carrier route mailing must be prepared under E230 and M220, and the automation rate and Presorted rate mailing must be prepared under M910.
(2) All three mailings in the mailing job must be prepared under M920.
b. Mailings prepared in sacks that are part of a mailing job that includes an automation rate mailing under E240 and a Presorted rate mailing under E220 must be prepared under the co-sacking standards in M910. Presorted rate pieces may be co-packaged with automation rate pieces under the standards in M950.
c. Sacked mailing jobs that contain only a carrier route mailing and a Presorted rate mailing may be separately sacked under M210 and M220, or may be prepared using the merged sacking option under M920.
d. Sacked mailing jobs that contain only a carrier route mailing and an automation rate mailing may be separately sacked under M220 and M820, or may be prepared using the merged sacking option under M920.
A complete, signed postage statement, using the correct USPS form or an approved facsimile, must accompany each mailing, supported by documentation meeting the basic standards in P012. Postage statements must be supported by documentation produced by PAVE-certified software or standardized documentation under P012. Documentation of postage is not required if each piece is of identical weight and the pieces are separated by rate and zone when presented for acceptance.
A firm package is two or more copies for the same address placed in one package. If each copy has a delivery address, each may be claimed as a separate piece for presort and on the postage statement, or the firm package may be claimed as one piece. A firm package sorted and claimed as one piece must be accompanied by (but must be physically separate from) five other pieces packaged to the same destination to satisfy a six-piece package requirement when applicable, regardless of the number of copies in the firm package.
As a general exception to 2.2a through 2.2c and 4.0a through 4.0d, nonletter-size Periodicals may be prepared in 5-digit and 3-digit packages containing fewer than six pieces when the publisher determines that such preparation improves service, provided those packages are placed in 5-digit, 3-digit, and SCF sacks. These low-volume packages may be placed on 5-digit scheme, 5-digit, 3-digit, and SCF pallets under M045, or on merged 5-digit scheme, 5-digit scheme, merged 5-digit, 5-digit, 3-digit, or SCF pallets under M920, M930, and M940.
Under the optional preparation in M920, Presorted rate firm and 5-digit packages prepared under 1.0 and under 2.2a and 2.2b are co-sacked with firm and carrier route packages prepared under M220 and with automation rate 5-digit packages prepared under M820 in merged 5-digit sacks and in merged 5-digit scheme sacks. Under the optional preparation in M920, M930, or M940, Presorted rate firm and 5-digit packages prepared under 1.0, 2.2a, and 2.2b are copalletized with firm and carrier route packages prepared under M220 and with automation rate 5-digit packages prepared under M820 on merged 5-digit pallets and on merged 5-digit scheme pallets. See 1.2a for information on when preparation under M920 may be required. Presorted rate pieces may be co-packaged with automation rate pieces under M950.
Packaging preparation is subject to M020 and the specific standards below.
Package size, preparation sequence, and labeling:
a. Firm: optional (two-piece minimum); blue Label F or optional endorsement line (OEL).
b. 5-digit: required (six-piece minimum, fewer permitted under 1.5); red Label D or OEL; labeling optional for mail placed in full 5-digit trays.
c. 3-digit: required (six-piece minimum, fewer permitted under 1.5); green Label 3 or OEL.
d. ADC: required (six-piece minimum); pink Label A or OEL.
e. Mixed ADC: required (no minimum); tan Label MXD or OEL.
Tray size, preparation sequence, and Line 1 and 2 labeling:
a. 5-digit: required at 24 pieces, optional with one six-piece package minimum.
(1) Line 1: use city, state, and 5-digit ZIP Code destination of packages, preceded for military mail by the prefixes under M031.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by LTRS 5D NON BC.
b. 3-digit: required at 24 pieces (no minimum for required origin/optional entry 3-digit(s)), optional with one six-piece package minimum.
(1) Line 1: use L002, Column A.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by LTRS 3D NON BC.
c. ADC: required at 24 pieces, optional with one six-piece package minimum.
(1) Line 1: use L004.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by LTRS ADC NON BC.
d. Mixed ADC: required (no minimum).
(1) Line 1: use MXD followed by the city, state, and ZIP of the ADC serving the 3-digit ZIP Code of the entry post office, as shown in L004.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by LTRS NON BC WKG.
For mailing jobs that also contain an automation rate mailing, see 1.2 and M910 or M920. For other mailing jobs, the following are the sack size, preparation sequence, and Line 1 and 2 labeling:
a. 5-digit: required at 24 pieces, optional with one six-piece package minimum except under 1.5.
(1) Line 1: use city, state, and 5-digit ZIP Code destination of packages, preceded for military mail by the prefixes under M031.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by FLTS or IRREG as applicable; followed by 5D NON BC.
b. 3-digit: required at 24 pieces, optional with one six-piece package minimum except under 1.5.
(1) Line 1: use L002, Column A.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by FLTS or IRREG as applicable; followed by 3D NON BC.
c. SCF: required at 24 pieces, optional with one six-piece package minimum except under 1.5.
(1) Line 1: use L002, Column C.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by FLTS or IRREG as applicable; followed by SCF NON BC.
d. Origin/entry SCF: required for the SCF of the origin (verification) office, optional for the SCF of an entry office other than the origin office, (no minimum); for Line 1 use L002, Column C.
(1) Line 1: use L002, Column C.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by FLTS or IRREG as applicable; followed by SCF NON BC.
e. ADC: required at 24 pieces, optional with one six-piece package minimum.
(1) Line 1: use L004.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by FLTS or IRREG as applicable; followed by ADC NON BC.
f. Mixed ADC: required (no minimum).
(1) Line 1: use MXD followed by the city, state, and ZIP of the ADC serving the 3-digit ZIP Code of the entry post office, as shown in L004.
(2) Line 2: PER or NEWS as applicable; followed by FLTS or IRREG as applicable; followed by NON BC WKG.
DMM Issue 58 (8-10-03)