March 14, 2013

Postage Statements and 2013 Promotions and Incentive Programs

On February 22, 2013, the Federal Register published our Domestic Mail Manual (DMM^®) final rule that revises mailing standards to include new promotions and incentive programs that will be offered in 2013 for Presorted and automation First-Class Mail^® cards, letters, and flats and Standard Mail^® letters, flats, or parcels.

We’ve received some questions about separate postage statements for pieces claiming an upfront postage discount. Incentive discounts are applied at the postage statement line item level. Therefore, all mailpieces for each eligible line item must meet promotion requirements. Several of the possible scenarios are:

Commingled, combined or co-mailing

• In a commingled, combined or co-mailing, separate postage statements must be used for mailpieces not meeting promotion requirements.

First-Class Mail residual pieces paying single piece prices (when these pieces are not eligible for the promotion discount)

• If residual, single piece First-Class Mail pieces are included on the postage statement of presort and automation mailings, the mailing will not be disqualified from the promotion, but the residual pieces will not receive the discount.