New standards for periodicals mailing services available at usps.com

The U.S. Postal Service has proposed revisions to the Periodicals (magazine and newspaper) portion of its mailing standards that will accompany the new Periodicals pricing that will go into effect on July 15, 2007. Periodical mailers will have new incentives to use efficient containers and bundles, and copalletization (publishers/printers merging bundles from separate publications or titles on the same pallet) becomes a permanent offering to encourage more publishers to combine mailings. The Postal Service also is adding new prices for the editorial portion of a mailing to give mailers of high-editorial-content publications access to lower-destination-entry rates.

The proposed revised standards are published at www.usps.com/ratecase. This site also contains rate charts and other helpful information for mailers, including frequently asked questions and articles related to the pricing change.

The Postal Service is seeking comments on the new standards for Periodicals. Written comments may be sent to the Manager, Mailing Standards, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, Room 3436, Washington, DC 20260-3436. Comments must be received within 14 days from the date the proposed standards are published in the Federal Register.

While most Postal Service price changes and new mailing standards will go into effect on May 14, 2007 (including the 41-cent price for First-Class Mail stamps), the Postal Service Board of Governors delayed the implementation of new Periodical prices and mailing standards until July 15, 2007. The delay will give mailers and the Postal Service more time to prepare for the new pricing structure recommended by the Postal Regulatory Commission.