Transcript New USPS Postage Rates - University Communications

New USPS
Postage Rates
effective May 15, 2007
WSU Mailing Services
Office of University Publishing
USPS Fact Sheet
 Delivers 212 billion pieces of mail annually to over 144
million homes
 Delivers almost half of the world’s volume of mail
 Since 1971 all financial support from sales of postage
only
 1971 postage stamp cost 8 cents
 Use of technology allowed USPS to keep postage
increases below rate of inflation
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Major Changes in Rate Structure
 Pricing based upon shape instead of weight
 Different shapes have different processing
costs and are reflected in rates
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Determining Mail Shape Categories
The USPS assigns each mail piece to one of
three shape categories based on its physical
dimensions and characteristics, regardless of
the placement or orientation of the delivery
address on the piece.
Shape categories for mail pieces are
letters/cards, flats, or parcels.
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Other Factors
 Additional automation compatible
characteristics determine if piece is
“machinable”
 Pieces meeting machinability standards are
less costly to process and rates reflect this.
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Machinability
 Machinable: the capability of a mail piece
to be sorted by mail processing equipment
Non-machinable pieces may require
additional postage due to shape and weight
 Non-machinable pieces take longer for
processing/delivery by the USPS
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Shape Categories
Shape categories for rate determination and
machinability characteristics only apply to
first-class and presort standard mail rates.
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Shape Category
Card Size Mail
Dimension
Height
Length
Thickness
Minimum
Maximum
3 ½ inches
4 ¼ inches
5 inches
6 inches
.007 inches.016 inches
 Must be rectangular
 Single piece of paper flat or doubled in height
with ½ to be torn off and returned to sender
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Shape Category
Letter Size Mail
Dimension
Height
Length
Thickness
Minimum
Maximum*
3 ½ inches
6 ⅛ inches
5 inches
11 ½ inches
.007 inches.25 inches
Must be rectangular and have four square corners
with parallel opposite sides
*If mail piece exceeds any of these maximums
it may meet “flats eligibility”
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Determining Length and Height
for Letters and Cards
The location and orientation of the delivery address on a
mail piece generally establish which dimensions of the
piece are the length and the height.
The length is the dimension parallel to the address as
read; the height is the dimension perpendicular to the
length; the top and bottom of the piece are the upper and
lower edges, respectively, when the address is positioned
for normal reading.
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Letter Shaped
Machinable Characteristics
MACHINABLE LETTERS AND CARDS MUST:
Meet minimum and maximum size and thickness
criteria
Meet shape criteria - rectangular, with four square
corners and parallel opposite sides
Be free of all non-machinable characteristics
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Letter Shaped Non-machinable
Characteristics
A letter-size piece is considered non-machinable if it
has one or more of the following characteristics:
has an aspect ratio (length divided by height) of less
than 1.3 or more than 2.5
Is poly-bagged, poly-wrapped, or enclosed in any
plastic material
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Letter Shaped Non-machinable
Characteristics
cont.
Has clasps, strings, buttons, or similar
closure devices
Contains items such as pens, pencils, or
loose keys or coins that cause the thickness
of the mail piece to be uneven
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Letter Shaped Non-machinable
Characteristics
cont.
Is too rigid (does not bend easily when
subjected to a transport belt tension of
40 pounds around an 11-inch diameter turn)
For pieces more than 4-1/4 inches high or
6 inches long, the thickness is less than
0.009 inch
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Letter Shaped Non-machinable
Characteristics
cont.
Has a delivery address parallel to the shorter
dimension of the mail piece
Is a self-mailer with a folded edge parallel to the
address if the piece is not folded and secured with
one centered tab when the folded edge is at the
bottom and secured with two tabs when folded edge
is at the top
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Letter Shaped Non-machinable
Characteristics
cont.
Contact Mailing Services at 335-2104 for specific
requirements for booklet type mail pieces.
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Shape Category
Flat Size Mail
Dimension
Height
Length
Thickness
Minimum*
6 ⅛ inches
11 ½ inches
.25 inches
Maximum
12 inches
15 inches
.75 inches
*Must exceed at least one of these dimensions
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Additional Flat Size Requirements
All pieces must be
 Rectangular
 Uniformly thick*
 Flexible**
Pieces not meeting these standards will be
charged First-class Parcel rates or Presort
Standard Non-Flat Machinable rates
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Determining Length and Height for
Flat Shaped Mail Pieces
Regardless of the location and orientation of
the delivery address:
 Length is the dimension parallel to the
address as read
 Height is the dimension perpendicular to the
length
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*Uniform Thickness
 Bumps, protrusions, or other irregularities may
not cause more than ¼ inch variance in thickness
 Outer 1 inch edge excluded when determining
variance
 Nonpaper contents must be secured to prevent
shifting of more than 2 inches within mail piece
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**Flexibility Testing Standards
Test One
1. Place the piece with the length parallel to
the edge of a flat surface and extend the
piece halfway off the surface.
2. Press down on the piece at a point 1 inch
from the outer edge, in the center of the
piece’s length, exerting steady pressure.
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**Flexibility Testing Standards
Test One
cont.
The piece is not flexible if it cannot bend
at least 1 inch vertically without being
damaged.
The piece is flexible if it can bend at least
1 inch vertically without being damaged
and it does not contain a rigid insert.
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**Flexibility Testing Standards
for pieces with rigid insert
For flats 10 inches or longer in length that passed
Test One but contains rigid insert:
1. Place the piece with the length perpendicular to the
edge of a flat surface and extend the piece 5 inches
off the surface.
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**Flexibility Testing Standards
for pieces with rigid insert
cont.
2. Press down on the piece at a point 1 inch from the
outer edge, in the center of the piece’s width,
exerting steady pressure.
3. Turn the piece around and repeat last two steps. The
piece is flexible if both ends can bend at least 2
inches vertically without being damaged.
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**Flexibility Testing Standards
for pieces with rigid insert
cont.
For flats less than 10 inches in length that passed
Test One but contains rigid insert:
1. Place the piece with the length perpendicular to the
edge of a flat surface and extend the piece one-half
of its length off the surface.
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**Flexibility Testing Standards
for pieces with rigid insert
cont.
2. Press down on the piece at a point 1 inch from the
outer edge, in the center of the piece’s width,
exerting steady pressure.
3. Turn the piece around and repeat last two steps. The
piece is flexible if both ends can bend at least 1 inch
vertically without being damaged.
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Flat Shaped Non-machinable
Characteristics
Flats that weigh 1 ounce or less are subject to the
non-machinable surcharge if any one of the following
applies:
 More than 6 ⅛ inches tall or more than 11 ½
inches long
 More than ¼ inch thick
 The aspect ratio (length divided by height) is less
than 1.3 or more than 2.5
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First Class Letter Postage Rates
Not over:
*1 ounce
.41
( .39)
2 ounces
.58
( .63)
3 ounces
.75
( .87)
3.5 ounces
.92
(1.11)
over 3.5 ounces
see rates for flats if applicable
*.17 surcharge applicable if one or more non-machinable criteria are met
current rates in parentheses
new lower rates in red text
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Card Rate
Cards
.26
(.24)
current rates in parentheses
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First Class Flat Postage Rates
Not over:
1 ounce
2 ounces
3 ounces
4 ounces
5 ounces
6 ounces
.80
.97
1.14
1.31
1.48
1.65
( .52)
( .63)
( .87)
(1.11)
(1.35)
(1.59)
current rates in parentheses
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First Class Flat Postage Rates
cont.
Not over:
7 ounces
8 ounces
9 ounces
10 ounces
11 ounces
12 ounces
1.82
1.99
2.16
2.33
2.50
2.67
(1.83)
(2.07)
(2.31)
(2.55)
(2.79)
(3.03)
Current rates in parentheses
New lower rates in red text
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First Class Flat Postage Rates
cont.
Not over:
13 ounces
2.84
(3.27)
First Class flats cannot exceed 13 ounces.
First-class mail weighing more than 13 ounces is Priority Mail.
Current rates in parentheses
New lower rates in red text
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First Class Parcel Rates
Not Over:
1 ounce
2 ounces
3 ounces
4 ounces
5 ounces
6 ounces
1.13
1.30
1.47
1.64
1.81
1.98
( .52)
( .63)
( .87)
(1.11)
(1.35)
(1.59)
Current rates in parentheses
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First Class Parcel Rates
Not Over:
7 ounces
8 ounces
9 ounces
10 ounces
11 ounces
2.15
2.32
2.49
2.66
2.83
(1.83)
(2.07)
(2.31)
(2.55)
(2.79)
12 ounces
3.00
(3.03)
Current rates in parentheses
New lower rates in red text
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First Class Parcel Rates
cont.
Not Over: 13 ounces
3.17
(3.27)
Current rates in parentheses
New lower rates in red text
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Express Mail Postage Rates
Not over:
1/2 pound
1 pound
2 pounds
3 pounds
4 pounds
5 pounds
16.25
19.50
21.40
24.50
27.60
30.70
6
33.80 (32.05)
pounds
(14.40)
(18.80)
(18.80)
(22.20)
(25.50)
(28.75)
Current rates in parentheses
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Priority Mail Postage Rates
Not over 1 pound
4.60
(4.05)
Priority postage for parcels more than 1 pound based on
weight + distance to destination
Current rates in parentheses
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Media Mail Rates
Not over:
1 pound
2 pounds
3 pounds
4 pounds
5 pounds
2.13
2.47
2.81
3.15
3.49
(1.59)
(2.07)
(2.55)
(3.03)
(3.51)
6 pounds
3.83
(3.99)
Current rates in parentheses
New lower rates in red text
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Library Mail Rates
Not over:
1 pound
2 pounds
3 pounds
4 pounds
5 pounds
2.02
2.34
2.66
2.98
3.30
(1.51)
(1.97)
(2.43)
(2.89)
(3.35)
6 pounds
3.62
(3.81)
Current rates in parentheses
New lower rates in red text
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Parcel Post Rates
 Parcel post rates based upon weight and distance to
destination
 New rates range from 4.38 to 4.50 for 1 pound item
 Current rates range from 3.89 to 3.95 for same item
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Presort Standard Non-profit
Rates - Letter Size
Machinable Rates
Non-machinable Rates
.164 (.170)
.429 (.191)
Current rates in parentheses
New lower rates in red text
Rates valid for letters up to 3.3 ounces
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Presort Standard Non-profit
Rates - Flat Size
Machinable Rates
.389 (.237)
Pieces not meeting criteria for flats must use Not Flat Machinable
or Irregular Rates
Current rates in parentheses
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Presort Standard Non-profit Postage Rates
Other Sized
Not Flat Machinable Rates
Parcels
.952 (.237)
1.053 (.237)
Current rates in parentheses
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Special Services
Certified Mail
Registered Mail
Return Receipt
Delivery Confirm.
2.65
9.50
2.15
.75
(2.40)
(7.90)
(1.85)
( .60)
Current rates in parentheses
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Additional Assistance
For answers to specific mailing questions or mail
pieces unique to your department, please contact
Becky or Joy in Mailing Services at 335-2104.
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