364 Postage Payment and Documentation

1.0 Basic Standards for Postage Payment

1.1 Postage Payment Options

The mailer is responsible for proper postage payment. Subject to the corresponding standards, postage and fees for Bound Printed Matter must be paid by permit imprint, as defined in 604.5.0. Mailings may contain nonidentical-weight pieces only when authorized by Business Mailer Support unless mailed under 2.3. Identical-weight pieces must be separated at acceptance into groups that contain pieces all subject to the same zone and same combination of prices (e.g., all are zone 4), unless mailed under 705.2.0 through 705.4.0 in Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems.

1.2 Minimum Volume Requirements

Bound Printed Matter mailings must meet the following minimum volume requirements:

a. Presorted and Carrier Route. Must have at least 300 pieces

b. Nonpresorted. No minimum volume required

c. Nonpresorted Barcoded. Must have 50 or more pieces

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2.0 Mailing Documentation

2.1 Completing Postage Statements

All mailings must be accompanied by a completed postage statement signed by the mailer (in duplicate if the mailer wants a receipted copy). A change made to any postage statement requires the mailer to correct the postage statement accordingly and document the correction.

2.2 Basic Documentation Standards

Generally, when a mailing is presented to the USPS, supporting documentation is required from the mailer. Documentation describes the preparation, price levels, content of the mailing, and it details the volume and postage data. By comparison with the actual mailing, it describes and supports the claims contained on the postage statement, which accompanies the mailing. It allows the USPS to validate the accuracy of the mailing. Documentation must be submitted when specified for the price claimed. Mailers may use a single postage statement and a single documentation report for all price levels in a mailing. Documentation of postage is not required if each piece is of identical weight and the pieces are separated by zone and price when presented for acceptance.

2.3 Documentation for Nonpresorted, Nonidentical-Weight Mailpieces

Nonpresorted, nonidentical-weight pieces may be separated by weight, reported on separate postage statements and documented under 2.2 or must be documented or authorized as follows:

a. A maximum of 299 nonpresorted, nonidentical-weight pieces may be individually numbered and listed by the mailer on PS Form 8042, Bound Printed Matter Documentation, and submitted with a properly completed postage statement.

b. Mailings of 300 or more nonpresorted, nonidentical-weight pieces must be authorized by Business Mailer Support and mailed under 705.2.0 through 705.4.0.

2.4 Documentation Submission—Full-Service Automation Option

Mailers entering BPM pieces under the full-service Intelligent Mail automation option must electronically submit postage statements and mailing documentation to the PostalOne! system as described in 705.23.4.4.

2.5 Preparing Documentation

As provided by standard, 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.

2.6 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.

2.7 Standard Format for Documentation

Documentation must be produced by software certified under the Presort Accuracy Validation and Evaluation (PAVE) program or the Manifest Analysis and Certification (MAC) program, appropriate for the accompanying class of mail and price claimed, or the documentation must be prepared as standardized documentation according to this section. Standardized documentation contains the elements described in 708.1.0, as applicable. Documentation produced by PAVE-certified or MAC-certified software is considered standardized documentation.

2.8 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 607.2.0.

2.9 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 particular class, 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.

2.10 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, including the class of mail (or subclass as appropriate), 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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