Proposed 2013 Postal Changes and How They Could Affect Your Organization

Akron/Canton PCC Seminar 11/1/12

On the MoveThe National Customer Support Center (NCSC) is moving its office location. Starting Dec. 1, the new address for the NCSC will be:

NATIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTERUNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE225 N HUMPHREYS BLVD STE 501MEMPHIS TN 38188-1001

The NCSC works closely with the mailing industry, vendors and internal postal customers to improve address quality. The USPS headquarters office of Address Management also is located at the NCSC.

Numerous USPS publications, forms, brochures, etc. currently provide the existing address for the NCSC – all of which will need to be updated, including those on usps.com and other postal websites. Telephone numbers for all NCSC personnel and program support groups will remain the same.

Proposed Price Increase for January 2013

Go to pe.usps.com and click on:

*NEW* January 27, 2013 Price Change Info

DRAFT Postage Stmnts Updated 10/17/12

List of Postage Stmnt Updates 10/17/12

DRAFT Pricing Files Mailing Services Updated 10/26/12

Shipping Services Updated 10/19/12

Federal Register Notices

Overview of Intelligent MailA technology platform made possible by the suite of Intelligent Mail barcodes

Intelligent Mail services apply to the following mail and processing categories:

First-Class Mail® letters and flats

Standard Mail® letters and flats

Periodicals letters and flats

Bound Printed Matter flats

Reply MailPermit Reply MailQualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM)

Intelligent Mail Options

• Basic Option• Mailers to use Intelligent Mail barcodes on letter-size and flat

mailpieces in place of the POSTNET™ barcode

• Full-Service Option • Mailers to use Intelligent Mail barcodes on letter-size and flat

mailpieces in place of the POSTNET™ barcode

• Under the Full-Service option mailers are required to use a unique Intelligent Mail® tray barcode on the Intelligent Mail® tray label applied to trays or sacks and keep this barcode unique for 45 days

• Under the Full-Service option mailers are required to use a unique Intelligent Mail® container barcode on the Intelligent Mail® container placard and keep this barcode unique for 45 days

Business Customer Gateway (BCG)

• Customers will go through the BCG to perform critical tasks such as:• View company information

• Manage Mailer IDs

• Manage electronic data exchange

• Schedule mailing appointments

• View postage statements and transactions

• Track and confirm

• Assigned by USPS based on volume

• Identifies company location• Created by USPS

CRIDs and MIDs•Customer Registration IDs (CRIDs) and Mailer IDs (MIDs) are used to identify Mail Owners and Mailing Agents and to determine the recipient(s) of information regarding a mailing

•Mailer IDs (MIDs) are linked to a Business location (CRID)

•Users’ access to mailing information is determined by their Services and the Business Locations (CRIDs) to which they are linked

How to Obtain a Customer Registration ID and/or Mailer ID

1. Log into the Business Customer Gateway at https://gateway.usps.com/bcg/login.htm2. Select New User Registration unless you have an existing Username and Password for

other business services with the USPS.3. Create a Username and Password4. Create your business profile, verify your company account information on the

company profile summary, and agree to the Privacy Act Statement. Click Continue.5. On the Select Business Service Screen, select the Mailer ID link found under Design

and Prepare. Select the check box next to the Business Name you just created and choose Next. Review the information and click Confirm.

6. As a new user you will have to go through Business Service Administrator (BSA) assignment process. Select the box next to “Agree to the USPS Online Agreement”. Select the box next to the Business Name for which you wish to become the BSA and then click Yes.

7. Sign out of the Business Customer Gateway at the top right corner of the page.8. Open the email you receive from eAdmin@usps.com with the subject BSA Privileges

Approved. Log back into the Business Customer Gateway using the link provided.9. Click on the Mailer ID link under Design & Prepare. Click Request a MID. Using the

drop down menu, change MID Type from 6 Digit to 9 Digit. You will see the number of MIDs available to you. Input the number of MIDs you need and click Request MID. (Most customers only need or will use one MID.)

10. Keep the default selection to automatically generate this Mailer ID. Select Full / Basic Service and click Request MID.11. A 9 digit Mailer ID will be assigned to your business. Use this MID for Qualified Business Reply barcodes, Business Reply barcodes, Courtesy Reply barcodes, Permit Reply barcodes or for any presort mailings claiming the automation prices using IMb.

If you need assistance, please contact the Business Customer Gateway help desk at 1-800-522-9085, Option 3, Option 6.

Letters and Postcards

Automation Price and Enhanced Carrier Route (automation letters) Saturation or High Density

Must bear IMb with correct delivery point routing code

May not bear a POSTNET barcode or IMb with 5-digit or 9-digit routing code in the lower right corner (barcode clear zone)

May bear a POSTNET barcode or additional IMb in the address block only if qualifying IMb with delivery point routing code appears in the lower right

Changes to Regulations – January 28, 2013

Changes to Regulations

Flats

Automation Price

Must bear IMb with a delivery point routing code

Anywhere on the address side at least 1/8” away from any edge

May not bear a 5-digit or 9-digit barcode

May bear a POSTNET barcode or additional IMb in the address block when the qualifying IMb is not in the address block

Other non-USPS barcodes may appear on the address side if the barcode format is not recognizable to automated postal flat-sorting equipment

Changes to Regulations - Miscellaneous

Non-Automation First-Class Mail or Standard Mail Letters and Flats Any Intelligent Mail barcode on non-automation First-Class Mail or Standard

Mail mailings must be correct for the delivery address and meet the DMM standards for barcoding

Barcode Clear Zone Letters and Postcards

Automation Price or Enhanced Carrier Route

Must have a barcode clear zone unless the piece bears an IMb with a delivery point routing code in the address block

JMCXNM5 38141

Reply Mail

Qualified Business Reply MailQBRM is a postcard or letter (up to 2 oz.)

QBRM requires payment of the annual account maintenance fee

All QBRM letters and cards that are returned to permit holders are required to bear an IMb effective January 2013

Permit Reply MailAll PRM letters and flats that mailers distribute, regardless of method, are required to bear an IMb effective January 2013

Mailers are encouraged to use the IMb on Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM), Meter Reply Mail (MRM), and Business Reply Mail (BRM) but are not required to utilize it.

https://ribbs.usps.gov/

Transitioning to the Intelligent Mail Barcode Webinar Series

The Postal Service hosted a series of webinars to assist mailers in transitioning from the POSTNET barcode to the Intelligent Mail barcode. For a description of the webinars and links to the recordings and presentations, go to the Education page.

While you are there click on Mail Service Updates for daily updates on Mailer Information as well as Facilities updates

The revised Guide to Move Update is now posted on RIBBS®. Revisions include new subsections "Overview of the Change of Address Process"; "What is a PAF and Why is It Required?"; "Non-US Mailers and NCOALink"; and "NCOALink MPE." The Quick Start Guide at the beginning of the Guide to Move Update has been reworked to emulate the DMM Quick Service Guide and the Move Update Questions and Answers section has been revised and clarified.

The complete Guide to Move Update can be found on RIBBS at https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=moveupdate under Important Links.

Move Update

Effective January 27, 2013, the USPS FASTforward® service will be officially retired and will no longer be considered an authorized method for meeting the USPS Move Update requirements.

This September 2012 version of the Guide to Move Update supersedes all prior versions, as well as, prior versions of Publication 363, Updating Address Lists is a Smart Move.

Proposed 2013 Change Partial Overview.

Commercial First-Class Letters - The pricing structure for presorted and automation First-Class Mail letters retain the minimum postage charge for a 2-ounce letter, and would extend the concept to residual single-piece letters that are part of the same mailing job and presented at the same time as the presorted or automation mailing. There would be a new price for residual letters up to 2 ounces, which would be different than the price for single-piece letters presented as a stand-alone mailing.

Standard Mail Letters and Flats – A new price tier for high density letters and flats. In addition to the current high density tier which requires a minimum of 125 pieces per carrier route, the new tier (high density plus) would require a minimum of 300 pieces per carrier route.

Preparing Residual Mail From First-Class Mail and Standard Mail Mailings - Revise DMM to provide new standards for the preparation of pallets, trays, and sacks of First-Class Mail or Standard Mail letters and flats. These specific revisions were implemented as optional standards in August 2012, and incorporated into the DMM on September 4, 2012. The Postal Service now presents this proposal to adopt these current options as mandatory preparation standards. These changes would generally require mailers to place trays or sacks of residual single-piece First-Class Mail letters and flats on an origin sectional center facility (SCF) pallet; and to place trays or sacks of residual Standard Mail letters and flats, paid at the single- piece First-Class Mail prices, on a mixed network distribution center (NDC) pallet. The Postal Service also would require use of new human- readable texts linked to several existing content identifier number (CIN) codes that specifically identify single-piece mailpieces. This would require new text on origin SCF pallet placards, identifying this pallet level as a working pallet; and barcoded labels for trays of residual pieces.

No Additional Entry Fees for Periodicals - Propose changing the designation ``additional entry'' to ``additional mailing offices'' and eliminating the fees for Periodicals publications to be mailed in multiple locations. Approved Periodicals would be able to mail at any Post Office \TM\ with PostalOne! access.

Change in Advertising Percentage Allowed for Periodicals Requester Publications - Requester publications will be permitted to exceed 75% advertising in no more than 25% of the issues produced in any 12-month period. This will allow publishers greater advertising flexibility during high advertising volume periods.

Endorsements on Mailing Wrappers for Periodicals – Propose to clarify that the term ``mailing wrapper'' includes all types of packaging used to enclose Periodicals publications, by adding ``carton'' to the definition of mailing wrapper.

Extend the return address requirement to pieces that are unendorsed because all Periodicals receive a type of address correction. These revisions will ensure processing the pieces as Periodicals and eliminate the need to open the items when the mailpiece must be forwarded or returned.

Proposed Changes for Parcels

Parcel Post - will only be offered at retail in January 2013, and will be renamed in the near future, pending PRC review.

Standard Mail Marketing Parcels, Including Product Samples - Standard Mail Marketing parcels would be mailable at Presorted prices only, except for the new category of Product Samples (also known as Simple Samples), which would be mailable at targeted (similar to the current basic carrier route) or saturation (Every Door) prices. Within each of the price categories--targeted and saturation--there will be separate prices for small samples and for large samples. Targeted parcels must be sorted to carrier routes, with a minimum of one parcel per route. Saturation parcels must bear simplified addresses and be sorted by route. Detached address labels (DALs) must be used with targeted parcels, and there is no additional charge per DAL. DALs are optional with saturation parcels, and there will be an additional charge for each DAL (including detached marketing labels or DMLs).

IMb Tracing - All Confirm subscriptions will end by January of 2013. IMb Tracing now provides a service similar to the old Confirm Service

Picture Permit Imprint Indicia - For January 2013, proposal to expand picture permit imprint indicia standards to also allow its use on First-Class Mail and Standard Mail flats prepared under the IMb full-service automation option.

Metered Mail- The Postal Service is considering the proposal next year of a separate price category for single-piece First-Class Mail metered letters with prices that may be different than other single-piece First-Class Mail letter prices.

EDDM Retail - The Postal Service's final rule includes the announcement to make EDDM-Retail a permanent product. The price for Standard Mail saturation flats with simplified addresses (EDDM flats) entered at a BMEU will be different than the price for EDDM-Retail flats effective with the January 2013 price change.

The 2013 Mailing Services Promotions Calendar is pending approval by the Postal Regulatory Commission:

Direct Mail Mobile Coupon/Click-to-Call Earned Value Reply Mail Emerging Technologies Picture Permit Product Samples Mobile Buy-It-Now

Go to https://ribbs.usps.gov/mobilebarcode/upcoming.htm for more information

2014 Proposal – Full Service Imb - The Postal Service is proposing that effective January 2014, use of ``full-service'' Intelligent Mail would be required to obtain automation prices.

Additionally, the 10/24 transitional barcoded tray label format would be eliminated and mailers would be required to use the 24-digit Intelligent Mail barcode (IMbTM) format on tray, tub, and sack labels.

Revised Standards for Folded Self-Mailers

The effective date for the Folded Self-Mailers (FSM) revised standards is January 5, 2013.

FSM reference materials including graphic illustrations are on RIBBS under the Folded Self-Mailers web page at https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=fsm.

Although the revised standards are not effective until January 5, 2013, the Postal Service encourages mailers to begin the transition now.

Please be patient while I switch to the FSM presentation.