Seamless Changes for Detached Mail Unit (DMU) and Full-Service Mailings
| Published date | 08 January 2020 |
| Citation | 85 FR 856 |
| Record Number | 2019-28505 |
| Section | Proposed rules |
| Court | Postal Service |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 856-859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-28505]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 111
Seamless Changes for Detached Mail Unit (DMU) and Full-Service
Mailings
AGENCY: Postal Service\TM\.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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[[Page 857]]
SUMMARY: The Postal Service is proposing to revise Mailing Standards of
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to
require Detached Mail Unit (DMU) mailers and mailers that enter full-
service mailings at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) to participate in
Seamless Parallel by March 1, 2020 and enroll in the Seamless
Acceptance Program by February 1, 2021 at all DMU sites. All full-
service mailings entered at a BMEU would then be verified using
automated sampling and verification processes by July 1, 2021.
DATES: Submit comments on or before February 7, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Manager, Product
Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446,
Washington, DC 20260-5015. If sending comments by email, include the
name and address of the commenter and send to
[email protected], with a subject line of ``Seamless
Changes for Detached Mail Unit and Full-Service Mailings''. Faxed
comments are not accepted.
All submitted comments and attachments are part of the public
record and subject to disclosure. Do not enclose any material in your
comments that you consider to be confidential or inappropriate for
public disclosure.
You may inspect and photocopy all written comments, by appointment
only, at USPS[supreg] Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, 11th
Floor North, Washington, DC 20260. These records are available for
review on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., by calling 202-268-
2906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Bell at (407) 782-2972, or
Jacqueline Erwin at (202) 268-2158.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Seamless Acceptance leverages electronic
documentation (eDoc) and the Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMbs) on
containers, handling units, and mailpieces required under full-service.
Mailpiece scans collected from mail processing equipment (MPE) and
samples from hand-held scanning devices are reconciled to the mailer
eDoc to confirm proper mail preparation for the discounts claimed and
postage paid. This capability avoids the need for verification of mail
at acceptance.
For purposes of clarification, the Postal Service provides the
following definitions of key terms/concepts used in this document:
Terms
90 Percent Full-Service Volume: eDoc submitter must apply a unique
Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) to each postcard, letter, and flat, tray
or sacks, and placards for containers when required, for 90 percent of
all mailing volume submitted.
Auto-finalization: Postage statements are finalized by the
PostalOne! system on the mailing date indicated within the eDoc. At
this time, permit balance checks are performed. Beginning January 26,
2020, Seamless Acceptance mailings will auto-finalize without presort
fees being paid.
Census Verification: The comparison of eDoc to MPE scans for a
mailing. Census verifications validate that the delivery point and
nesting/sortation information reflected in the eDoc aligns with the
information captured by MPE. Census verifications also check for
undocumented mailpieces within a mailing.
Electronic Induction (eInduction): An electronic alternative to the
manual preparation and submission of PS Forms 8125, 8125-C, 8125-CD,
and 8017. Additional information, including verification and associated
assessments, is provided in Publication 685, Publication for
Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats, at: https://postalpro.usps.com/StreamlinedMailAcceptLettersFlatsPub685.
Sampling Verification: Hand-held scanners are used to collect
mailing characteristics that are not collected during automated mail
processing. These characteristics include the following information
about the payment method, piece weight, mailpiece content, nonprofit
eligibility, mail class, and processing category of the mailing. The
information collected in the sample is used later in the process to
check the mail preparation quality. A complete sample includes one
container, three handling units from that container, and 30 mailpieces
from the container (10 mailpieces are selected from each handling
unit).
Seamless Mailing: Any mailing submitted by an eDoc submitter whose
Customer Registration ID (CRID) is enrolled in Seamless Acceptance.
Seamless Parallel: A pre-requisite for Seamless Acceptance
participation. During Seamless Parallel, there are no changes to the
mailer's current acceptance and verification procedures. Mailings
continue to be accepted without interruption (except in cases of manual
verification failures). At the same time, Seamless monitoring,
sampling, and reporting features are activated to evaluate mail
quality. Mailers can utilize the Mailer Scorecard to monitor and
improve mail quality, business processes, and software prior to
enrollment in Seamless Acceptance. Mailers need to work with their
local BMEU, Business Acceptance Performance Specialist (BAPS), or Major
Mailer Support Analyst (MMSA) to resolve any Seamless mail quality and
electronic documentation (eDoc) submission errors prior to enrolling in
Seamless Acceptance.
Undocumented Mailpiece: Any mailpiece scanned by MPE that is not
associated with a valid eDoc submission over the past 45 days.
Proposal
The Postal Service proposes to require:
1. Participation in Seamless Acceptance for all mailers with an
authorized Detached Mail Unit (DMU) by February 1, 2021.
Mailers with an authorized DMU consistently submitting at
least 90 percent full-service eligible volume for First-Class Mail,
Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, and Bound Printed
Matter (BPM) barcoded flats will have their mailings verified under the
Seamless Acceptance Program on February 1, 2021.
2. Performance of Seamless Acceptance verifications on all BMEU
entered mailings that claim the full-service discount by July 1, 2021.
While BMEU mailers will not be required to enroll in
Seamless Acceptance, all full-service mailings will be verified using
the automated verification processes utilized by the Seamless
Acceptance program. Current manual verification processes will be
retired for full-service mailings of First-Class Mail, Periodicals,
USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, and BPM barcoded flats and
replaced with the automated processes beginning July 1, 2021.
DMU and BMEU mailers will be required to:
Meet all content and price eligibility standards for the
price claimed.
Participate in eInduction for DMU-verified origin entry
and destination entry drop-shipments (would be applicable to DMUs
only).
Participate in Seamless Parallel by March 1, 2020.
Any DMU mailer that anticipates they will be unable to comply with
Seamless Acceptance requirements by February 1, 2021 must request an
extension by November 1, 2020. Extension requests must be sent to the
Mail Entry and Payment Technology (MEPT) mailbox at
[email protected], certifying the date that compliance with Seamless
Acceptance requirements will be achieved.
[[Page 858]]
Beginning July 1, 2021, manual verifications will be retired for
all BMEU-entered full-service mailings. The Postal Service will begin
utilizing automated census and sampling verifications for all mailings
claiming the full-service discount. Postage assessments will be based
on the data received through census and sampling verifications for each
calendar month. Verification results will be documented on the Mailer
Scorecard for each mailer Customer Registration ID (CRID). Non-full-
service mailings will continue to be accepted and will be verified
using traditional manual verifications.
Information regarding verification and associated assessments for
the eInduction and Seamless Acceptance Programs, is available in
Publication 685, Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for
Letters and Flats, available at: https://postalpro.usps.com/StreamlinedMailAcceptLettersFlatsPub685.
Benefits of Seamless Acceptance include:
Longer mail production cycle
Mailer control over postage statement finalization date
Mailer control over mail release timing
Elimination of the need for postal employees to release
containers in the Drop Shipment Management Systems (DSMS)
Seamless Acceptance and eInduction eliminates the need for PS
Forms 8125-C, 8125-CD (Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Consolidated
Verification and Clearance), PS Form 8125 (Plant-Verified Drop Shipment
(PVDS) Verification and Clearance), and PS Form 8017 (Expedited Plant-
Load Shipment Clearance)
[cir] Note: Participation in eInduction is required for mailers
participating in the Seamless Acceptance program
Elimination of Special Postage Payment System (SPPS)
Authorizations
[cir] Elimination of hard copy/electronic itemized or batched
manifests for letter and flats
Seamless Mailers no longer have to use Manifest key-lines when
using the traditional ACS product
Standardization of acceptance and electronic verification
procedures
Elimination of all manual verifications for Seamless mailings
Improved mail quality feedback
Trend-based verifications measuring mail quality across a
calendar month
Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c)) regarding proposed
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites public
comments on the following proposed revisions to Mailing Standards of
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM),
incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 39
CFR 111.1.
We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to
reflect these changes if our proposal is adopted.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111
Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.
Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is proposed to be amended as follows:
PART 111--[AMENDED]
0
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301-307; 18 U.S.C. 1692-
1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414, 416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219,
3403-3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3632, 3633, and 5001.
0
2. Revise the following sections of Mailing Standards of the United
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), as follows:
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail
Manual (DMM)
* * * * *
700 Special Standards
* * * * *
705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
* * * * *
22.0 Seamless Acceptance Program
22.1 Description
[Revise the first and add new second sentence of 22.1; to read as
follows:]
Seamless Acceptance leverages electronic documentation (eDoc) and
Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMbs) on containers, handling units and
mailpieces that full-service provides. Mailpiece scans collected from
USPS mail processing equipment (MPE) and samples from hand held
scanning devices are reconciled to the mailer eDoc to confirm proper
mail preparation for the discounts claimed and postage paid. Seamless
Acceptance is available for First-Class Mail cards, letters, and flats,
Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, and Bound Printed
Matter flats.* * *
[Revise the title of 22.2; to read as follows:]
22.2 Seamless Participation
[Revise the text of 22.2 to read as follows:]
Mailers may initiate participation in the Seamless Acceptance
Program by contacting a local BMEU or the PostalOne! Helpdesk at 1-800-
522-9085.
* * * * *
[Revise the title of subsection 22.3.1; to read as follows:]
22.3.1 Seamless Parallel Program
[Revise the text of subsection 22.3.1; to read as follows:]
Detached Mail Unit (DMU) mailers and mailers that enter full-
service mailings at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) must participate
in the Seamless Parallel Program. Additional information on the
Seamless Parallel Program is available in Publication 685, Publication
for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats, available at:
https://postalpro.usps.com/StreamlinedMailAcceptLettersFlatsPub685.
* * * * *
23.0 Full-Service Automation Option
* * * * *
23.3 Fees
23.3.1 Eligibility for Exception to Payment of Annual Fees and Waiver
of Deposit of Permit Imprint Mail Restrictions
* * * * *
c. * * * (i.e., the percentage of all the permit holder's full-
service eligible pieces that were actually mailed as full-service
items) to fall:
[Revise the text of item 23.3.1c1; to read as follows:]
1. The annual mailing fee will be due and the mailing verification
date will become the renewal or anniversary date of the permit fees.
The full-service percentage will automatically set to 0 percent on each
subsequent anniversary date. The first mailing presented after the
anniversary date begins the cumulative process for the full-service
percentage calculation. If the first mailing presented after the
anniversary date is below 90 percent, the annual fee will need to be
paid prior to the mail being finalized. Once the annual fees are paid,
the next validation date will be the next anniversary date.
[Remove subsection 23.3.1c2; in its entirety:]
* * * * *
[[Page 859]]
We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to
reflect these changes.
Joshua J. Hofer,
Attorney, Federal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-28505 Filed 1-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
