Quick Service Guide 707g

Special Standards

Periodicals Machinable Flats

July 2007
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Related QSGs

707a, Periodicals General Information and Eligibility

301a, Designing Flats for Automated Processing

Physical Standards (301.3.0, 707.3.0)

Maximum weight:

For an overview of designing machinable flats, see Quick Service Guide 301a.

Rates and Fees (707.1.0)

Rates include piece charges, pound rates (advertising and nonadvertising), and applicable discounts.

5-digit, 3-digit/SCF, and ADC and Mixed ADC rates are bundle based; Outside-County rates apply; In-County rates apply to all eligible In-County copies.

In-County Rates:

In-County rates include piece rates, pound rates (DDU and other), and DDU discount.

Outside-County rates:

Pound Rates—Advertising pounds based on destination entry and zone. Nonadvertising pounds based on destination entry and all other zones.

Piece Rates—Based on the bundle level (six or more pieces).

Bundle Rates—Based on container and bundle level. Bundle rates do not apply to flat-size pieces prepared in flat trays under the optional tray preparation (707.22.7). For bundles and containers with both In-County and Outside-County pieces, mailers do not pay the bundle or container charges for carrier route, 5-digit carrier routes, and 5-digit/scheme bundles, pallets, and sacks.

Container Rates—Based on the container type, container level, and entry. For mailings prepared in sacks, mailers pay the container rate for each sack based on container level and entry.

— For bundles placed directly on pallets, mailers pay the container rate for each pallet.

— For sacks on pallets, mailers pay the container rate for each sack, and not for the pallets. The container rate for each sack is based on the sack level and where the pallet is entered.

Destination entry rates (DDU, DSCF, DADC, and DBMC) have additional standards (707.29.0). The mail must be addressed for delivery within that facility's service area.

Ride-Along rate of $0.155 available for items up to 3.3 ounces (or not more than the weight of the host publication) eligible as Standard Mail (707.15.0).

Eligibility Standards (707.4.0, 707.14.0)

For authorized publications (e.g., magazines and newspapers) whose primary purpose is transmitting information. Periodicals must be issued at least four times a year at a stated frequency from a known office of publication and be formed of printed sheets. General publications must have a legitimate list of subscribers, and Requestor publications must have a legitimate list of requestors or subscribers. All pieces within each mailing must be in the same processing category.

Mailings must be prepared according to 301.3.0 or 707.27.0 (prepared in 5-digit bundles only) and bear a ZIP+4 barcode, a delivery point barcode, or an Intelligent Mail barcode (707.14.0), and be sorted as described below.

Each piece must include a complete delivery address with correct ZIP Code or ZIP+4 code.

For address standards, see 707.4.0; for barcode quality standards, see 707.14.0; and for CASS/MASS, see standards in 708.3.0.

Addresses matched using CASS/MASS-certified process within 180 days before mailing.

All letter-size reply cards and envelopes (business reply, courtesy reply, and metered reply mail) provided as enclosures must meet the standards in 707.14.1.2.

Mailers can apply Repositionable Notes for an additional charge of $0.015. See 709.3.0.

Postage Payment and Documentation (707.16.0, 707.17.0)

Advance deposit account(s) at original and each additional entry post office, unless authorized under Centralized Postage Payment (CPP) (707.16.5).

Documentation:

Mail Preparation (707.25.0)

Bundle preparation, labeling, and sacking: see page two.

Pink barcoded sack labels required (707.21.0).

Pieces meeting specifications in 707.26.0 must be prepared in separate bundles from pieces meeting specifications in 301.3.0. Separate bundle minimums (707.25.1) must be met for each bundle type. Within each bundle, mailers may combine pieces of nonidentical weights if authorized under 705.2.0. Bundles of pieces prepared under 707.26.0 and 301.3.0 may be combined in the same sack or on the same pallet.

Any mailing job that contains bundles of machinable barcoded (automation) flats and bundles of machinable nonbarcoded flats must be cosacked using 705.9.0.

Enter and Deposit (707.28.0)

Only at authorized original and/or additional entry post office(s), unless authorized exceptional dispatch under 707.28.3.

For the specific DMM standards applicable to this category of mail, consult the DMM sections referenced above and the general sections within each DMM module.

Bundling and Sacking Sequence (707.25.0)
5-Digit/Scheme1 Bundles: Required, pieces must be bundled if 6 or more pieces to the same 5-digit ZIP Codes; fewer pieces permitted under 707.25.1.7. Labels: Red Label 5 or optional endorsement line (OEL) (708.7.0). Rate: 2	3-Digit/Scheme1 Bundles: Required, pieces must be bundled if 6 or more pieces to same 3-digit ZIP Code prefix; fewer pieces permitted under 707.25.1.7. Labels: Green Label 3 or OEL. Rate: 2,3		ADC Bundles: Required, pieces must be bundled if 6 or more pieces to same ADC (L004); fewer pieces not permitted. Labels: Pink Label A or OEL. Rate: 2	Origin Mixed ADC Bundles: Required, no minimum for any remaining pieces for destinations in L201, Column B, of the origin ZIP Code in Column A. Labels: Tan Label X or OEL. Rate: 2	Mixed ADC Bundles: Required, any remaining pieces must be bundled in mixed ADC bundles. Labels: Tan Label X or OEL. Rate: 2
5-Digit/Scheme1 Sacks: Required at 24 pieces; fewer pieces not permitted. Barcoded Labels: Line 1: For 5-digit scheme sacks use L007, Column B. For 5-digit sacks, use city, state, and 5-digit ZIP Code on mail. Line 2: For 5-digit scheme sacks, use "NEWS" (or "PER") and "FLTS 5D SCH BC." For 5-digit sacks, use "NEWS" (or "PER") and "FLTS 5D BC."	3-Digit2 Sacks: Required at 24 pieces, fewer pieces not permitted. Barcoded Labels: For Line 1, use L002, Column A; for Line 2, "NEWS" (or "PER") and "FLTS 3D BC." 3	SCF/Origin Entry SCF4 Sacks: Required at 24 pieces; fewer pieces not permitted. Required, no minimum for SCF of origin (verification) office; optional for the SCF of an entry office other than origin office. Barcoded Labels: For Line 1, use L002, Column C; for Line 2, "NEWS" (or "PER") and "FLTS SCF BC." 5	ADC Sacks: Required at 24 pieces; fewer pieces not permitted. Barcoded Labels: For Line 1, use L004, Column B; for Line 2, "NEWS" (or "PER") and "FLTS ADC BC."	Origin Mixed ADC Sacks: Required, no minimum for any remaining pieces for destinations in L201, Column B, of the origin ZIP Code in Column A. Barcoded Labels: For Line 1, use L201, Column C; for Line 2, "NEWS" (or "PER") and "FLTS WKG W FCM."	Mixed ADC Sacks: Required, no minimum for any remaining bundles placed into mixed ADC sacks. Barcoded Labels: For Line 1, use L009, Column B; for Line 2, "NEWS" (or "PER") and "FLTS BC WKG."
Piece rate is based on type of bundle regardless of sack in which it is placed.

1Optional scheme bundling available, 5-digit scheme and 3-digit scheme bundles required for pieces meeting standards in 301.3.0. 2For rates, see DMM Rates and Fees, Periodicals. 3The ADC piece rate applies to bundles with fewer than 6 pieces. 4Use "PER" if issued less frequently than weekly. 5For nonbarcoded pieces, use "NON BC."

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