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E200 Periodicals
E260 Ride-Along
Summary
E260 describes the standards for Periodicals Ride-Along pieces.
1.0 Basic Eligibility
1.1Description
The standards in E260 apply to Standard Mail material paid at the Periodicals Ride-Along rate that is attached to or enclosed with Periodicals mail. All Periodicals subclasses may enclose eligible matter at the Ride-Along rate.
1.2Basic Standards
[9-4-03] Only one Ride-Along piece may be attached to or enclosed with an individual copy of Periodicals mail. The Ride-Along rate must be paid on each copy in the mailing, not addressed pieces. If more than one Ride-Along piece is attached or enclosed, mailers have the option of paying Standard Mail postage for all the enclosures or attachments, or paying the Ride-Along rate for the first attachment or enclosure and Standard Mail rates for subsequent attachments and enclosures. Ride-Along pieces eligible under E260 must be eligible as Standard Mail and must:
a. Not exceed any dimension of the host publication except when the host publication and the Ride-Along piece are contained in an envelope, polybag, or other complete wrapper.
b. Not exceed 3.3 ounces and must not exceed the weight of the host publication.
c. Not obscure the title of the publication or the address label.
1.3Physical Characteristics
[10-2-03] The host Periodicals piece and the Ride-Along piece must meet the following physical characteristics:
a. Construction:
(1) Bound publications. If contained within the host publication the Ride-Along piece must be securely affixed to prevent detachment during postal processing. If loose, the Ride-Along piece and publication must be enclosed together in a full wrapper, polybag, or envelope.
(2) Unbound publications. A loose Ride-Along enclosure with an unbound publication must be combined with and inserted within the publication in a manner that prevents detachment during postal processing. If the Ride-Along piece is included outside the unbound publication, the publication and the Ride-Along piece must be enclosed in a full wrapper, polybag, or envelope.
b. A Periodicals piece (automation and nonautomation) with the addition of a Ride-Along piece must remain uniformly thick and remain in the same processing category as before the addition of the Ride-Along attachment or enclosure.
c. A Periodicals piece with a Ride-Along that claims automation rates must meet the appropriate automation requirements in C810 or C820, must maintain the same processing category as before the addition of the Ride-Along attachment or enclosure and, for flat-size mail, must meet the flat sorting machine criteria under C820 (AFSM 100 or UFSM 1000). For example:
(1) If, due to the inclusion of a Ride-Along piece, an AFSM 100- compatible host piece can no longer be processed on the AFSM 100, but must be processed on a UFSM 1000, then that piece must pay either the appropriate Periodicals nonautomation rate plus the Ride-Along rate, or the appropriate Periodicals automation rate for the host piece and the appropriate Standard Mail rate for the attachment or enclosure.
(2) If, due to the inclusion of a Ride-Along piece, a UFSM 1000-compatible host piece can no longer be processed on the UFSM 1000, but must be processed manually, then that piece must pay either the appropriate Periodicals nonautomation rate plus the Ride-Along rate, or the appropriate Periodicals nonautomation rate for the host piece and the appropriate Standard Mail rate for the attachment or enclosure.
(3) If, due to the inclusion of a Ride-Along piece, an automation letter host piece can no longer be processed as an automation letter, then that piece must pay the appropriate Periodicals nonautomation rate plus the Ride-Along rate, or the appropriate Periodicals nonautomation rate for the host piece and the appropriate Standard Mail rate for the attachment or enclosure.
1.4Marking
[11-11-04] The marking “Ride-Along Enclosed” must be placed on or in the host publication if it contains an enclosure or attachment paid at the Ride-Along rate. If placed on the outer wrapper, polybag, envelope, label carrier, or cover of the host publication, the marking must be set in type no smaller than any used in the required “POSTMASTER: Send change of address…” statement. If placed in the identification statement, the marking must meet the applicable standards. The marking must not be on or in copies not accompanied by a Ride-Along attachment or enclosure.
DMM Issue 58 Updated 12-9-04