April 25, 2011

April DMM^® Update

Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com) is your source for up-to-date mailing standards. The Domestic Mail Manual is fully searchable on Postal Explorer and features fly-out menus, cross-reference links, and an extensive subject index. On April 17, 2011, we updated our mailing standards to capture the following changes:

New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services

We revised Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 401, 433, and 434 to revise pricing and eligibility standards for commercial First-Class Mail. We additionally revised DMM 604 to eliminate the sale of Standard Mail stamped envelopes, and DMM 360, 370, and 380 to extend changes to weight computations for Package Services flats to mirror changes made previously for Package Services parcels. We also made a minor change to DMM 201 to clarify new terminology regarding Standard Mail nonmachinable letters.

New Mailing Options for Flats and Irregular Parcels Bearing a Simplified Address

We revised Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 602.3.2 to extend the option to use a simplified address format to Periodicals flats and irregular parcels and Bound Printed Matter flats, intended for distribution to city delivery routes and to Post Office (PO) box sections in Post Office locations with city delivery service.

Carrier Release Endorsements

We revised Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 202.4.0, 302.4.3, 402.3.3 and 508.1.2 to clarify that uninsured parcels and parcels not requiring a signature may bear the endorsement, “CARRIER—LEAVE IF NO RESPONSE.”

Express Mail and Priority Mail Open and Distribute — Clarification of Destination Entry

We revised Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 240, 340, 360, 440, 450, 460, 705, and 707 to clarify that mail expedited by the proper use of Express Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute is eligible for destination entry prices, as applicable for the shape and class of mail. We also revised DMM 705.17.0 to add Area Distribution Center (ADC) and Auxiliary Service Facility (ASF) as destination entry sites for Express Mail Open and Distribute.

Introduction of Priority Mail Forever Prepaid Flat Rate Packaging and Shipping Services Revisions

We revised Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 123, 124.1.0, 125.1.0, 213.1.0, 223.1.0, 313.1.0, 323.1.0, 423.1.0, and 604.9.0, to introduce Priority Mail Forever Prepaid Flat Rate packaging and to clarify Shipping Services DMM revisions from January 2011.

Domestic Shipping Services Product Launch of Parcel Select Regional Ground and Shipping Services Clarifications

We revised Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual

(DMM ) 401.1.0, 401.2.0, 453.1.0, 453.3.0, 454.1.0, 455.7.0, 456.1.0, 456.2.0, 503.4.0, 503.9.0, 503.10.0, 508.7.0, 602.1.0, 602.3.0, 705.2.0, 705.6.0, 705.7.0, 705.8.0, 705.16.0, 705.21.0, 708.6.0, and labeling list, to introduce a new competitive shipping option, Parcel Select Regional Ground service and clarify mailing standards from the January 2011 Shipping Services price change.

Labeling List Changes

We revised Labeling List(s) L001, L002, L004, L005, L006, L007, L009, L010, L011, L201, and L606 to reflect changes in mail processing operations.

Our next scheduled DMM update is June 6.