454 Postage Payment and Documentation

1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment

1.1 Postage Payment Options

[1-27-13] Mailing fees must be paid for the current 12-month period at the Postal Service facility where postage is paid for the mailing.

a. Permit imprint may be used for identical-weight pieces provided the mail can be separated at acceptance into groups that each contain pieces subject to the same zone and same combination of prices (e.g., all are zone 4, with an NDC presort discount).

b. Except for plant-verified drop shipments (see 705.17.0), Electronic Verification System (eVS) shipments (see 705.2.9), and metered mail drop shipments (see 705.20.0), the mailer must have a meter license or permit imprint authorization at the destination facility parent Post Office for mailings deposited for entry at a DNDC or ASF, at a DSCF, or at the parent Post Office of a DDU. Except for manifested mail using eVS under 705.2.9, postage and fees are paid to the Post Office that verifies the mailings. The mailer must ensure that Form 8125 accompanies plant-verified drop shipments along with mailing documentation.

1.2 NDC as Agent

The DNDC may verify and accept mail if authorized by PS Form 4410, Authorization for NDC Acceptance, to act as an agent for the parent Post Office where the mailer's account, or license is held (see Exhibit 1.2).

Exhibit 1.2 NDC/ASF Parent Post Office

Facility	Parent Post Office	Zone Chart
Albuquerque ASF	Albuquerque NM 87101-9998	870
Atlanta NDC	Atlanta GA 30304-9998	300
Billings ASF	Billings MT 59101-9998	590
Buffalo ASF	Buffalo NY 14240-9998	140
Chicago NDC	Chicago IL 60607-9998	600
Cincinnati NDC	Cincinnati OH 45234-9998	410
Dallas NDC	Dallas TX 75260-9998	750
Denver NDC	Denver CO 80202-9998	800
Des Moines NDC	Des Moines IA 50318-9998	500
Detroit NDC	Detroit MI 48233-9998	480
Fargo ASF	Fargo ND 58102-9998	580
Greensboro NDC	Greensboro NC 27420-9998	270
Jacksonville NDC	Jacksonville FL 32203-9998	320
Kansas City NDC	Kansas City KS 66106-9998	640
Los Angeles NDC	Los Angeles CA 90052-9998	900
Memphis NDC	Memphis TN 38101-9998	375
Minneapolis NDC	Minneapolis MN 55401-9998	540
New Jersey Int’l & NDC	Newark NJ 07102-9998	070
Oklahoma City ASF	Oklahoma City OK 73125-9998	730
Philadelphia NDC	Philadelphia PA 19104-9998	080
Phoenix ASF	Phoenix AZ 85026-9998	850
Pittsburgh NDC	Pittsburgh PA 15290-9998	150
St. Louis NDC	Saint Louis MO 63155-9998	620
Salt Lake City ASF	Salt Lake City UT 84199-9998	840
San Francisco NDC	Oakland CA 94615-9998	945
Seattle NDC	Seattle WA 98109-9998	980
Sioux Falls ASF	Sioux Falls SD 57101-9998	570
Springfield NDC	Springfield MA 01101-9998	010
Washington NDC	Southern MD 20790-9998	206

1.3 Completing Postage Statements

All metered and permit imprint mailings of 50 pieces or more, except manifested mail using eVS under 705.2.9, must be accompanied by a postage statement completed and signed by the mailer (in duplicate if the mailer wants a receipted copy). A change made to any postage statement requires the mailer (agent) to correct the postage statement and document the correction.

1.4 Documentation

Mailings must be documented as follows:

a. Postage Statement. A complete, signed postage statement, using the correct USPS form or an approved facsimile, must accompany each mailing.

b. Other Documentation. When presented for acceptance, documentation of postage by entry office and presort level (e.g., by DNDC, ONDC Presort and NDC Presort mail and by 5-digit ZIP Code for DSCF and DDU prices) is required under 705.2.0 through 705.4.0 in Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems. Except for DSCF, mail palletized under the alternate preparation option that requires separate documentation, other documentation is not required when the correct price is affixed to each piece, or when each piece is of identical weight and the pieces are separated by zone and within each zone are grouped by pieces subject to the same combination of prices. DSCF mail palletized under the alternate preparation option in 705.8.0 must submit the detailed documentation required in 705.8.20.2.

1.5 Basic Documentation Standards

Unless manifested using eVS under 705.2.9, mailings presented to the USPS generally require documentation. Supporting documentation of postage is required unless the correct price is affixed to each piece or each piece is of identical weight and the pieces are separated by postage when presented for acceptance. Documentation describes the preparation, price level, and content of the mailing; details the volume and postage data; and, by comparison with the actual mailing it describes, supports the claims contained on the postage statement accompanying the mailing and allows the USPS to verify its accuracy. Documentation must be submitted when specified for the price claimed or payment method used.

1.6 Preparing Documentation

As provided by standards, documentation may be presented in abbreviated form or on computer-readable media. Required documentation must be presented with every mailing unless, by standard, it may be provided to support multiple mailings or mailings that are part of the same job or cycle.

1.7 Multiple Standards

If multiple documentation standards apply to the same mailing, only one set of documentation is necessary if it provides enough information to meet all applicable standards. Redundant or duplicate documentation is not required simply to meet individual standards.

1.8 Providing Additional Information

The postmaster of the office of mailing may require additional information if the documentation submitted does not allow the corresponding mailing to be verified. Failure to provide information is sufficient reason for the USPS to refuse a mailing. The mailer may appeal any determination to the PCSC under 607.

1.9 Reporting Multiple Mailings on One Statement

Each group of pieces prepared as a separate mailing must be presented with a postage statement using the correct USPS form for the price and postage payment method. A mailer may report more than one mailing from a single job on the same postage statement if: the mailings are presented at the same time for verification; the pieces are in the same processing category; each mailing separately meets all applicable eligibility standards; and the number of pieces in each mailing is separately reported on the postage statement.

1.10 Facsimile Postage Statements

Facsimile postage statements must contain data and elements in locations as close as possible to where they appear on the USPS form. Data fields that do not pertain to information and prices claimed in the mailing, and other extraneous information that appears on the USPS form, do not have to be included. Facsimiles must include all other information pertaining to the mailing such as the postage payment method (e.g., permit imprint), and four-digit form number (hyphen and suffix optional). All parts, and line numbers within each part, must reflect those on the USPS form. In some cases, this can include fields from multiple USPS forms onto a single facsimile. Most importantly, the facsimile must fully and exactly reproduce the “Certification” and “USPS Use Only” fields that appear on the USPS form. A facsimile postage statement produced by software certified by the USPS Presort Accuracy Validation and Evaluation (PAVE) or Manifest Analysis and Certification (MAC) program is considered a USPS-approved form for these standards. Others may be approved by the entry office postmaster.

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