Parcel Endorsement Options and Shipper Paid Forwarding

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Parcel Endorsement Options and Shipper Paid
Forwarding
8/05/08
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America Is Growing On the Move

• 13.7 of all Americans move each year
• 41.1 million individual / family
  Change-of-Address (COA) filings
• 19.3 of all businesses move each year
• 2.3 million business COA filings
• 146 million delivery points in USPS database
• 1.8 million new addresses are added each year

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Undeliverable Parcels

• Forward
• Return
• Waste
• No Address Corrections
• Corrections on Changes of Address (COA) only
• Corrections on all Undeliverable-as- Addressed
  (UAA)

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Address Correction Methods/Content

• PS Form 3547
• ACS electronic record
• Correction affixed to returned piece
• New address information
• Reason for nondelivery

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Mailers Decisions

• The mailer must decide
• If my mail cannot be delivered as addressed, how
  do I want the mailpiece treated?
• If my mailpiece cannot be delivered, do I want
  the address correction? Do I want the reason for
  nondelivery?
• If I want the new address or nondelivery reason,
  how do I want to receive it?
• How much do I want to pay for undeliverable
  pieces?

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Mailpiece Disposition

• What do I want done with the mail?
• Forward where possible, return the rest?
• Dispose of all UAA?
• Dispose of all UAA that cannot be forwarded?
• Return everything?

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Address Corrections

• Do I want a hardcopy notice?
• Do I want electronic notices, but only of
  forwarding information?
• Do I want a hardcopy if electronic cannot be
  produced?

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Express Mail

• Forward with separate address correction, return
  with correction affixed (ASR1)
• Return all pieces with correction affixed (RSR)
• Forward (no correction) or return with correction
  affixed (FSR)
• All corrections manual only

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First-Class/Priority Mail

• Forward with separate address correction, return
  with correction affixed (ASR1)
• Dispose of all pieces, separate correction
  provided (CSR1) (Priority perishable only)
• Return all pieces with correction affixed (RSR)
• Return all pieces with correction affixed, except
  forward temporary (TRSR)
• Forward (no correction) or return with correction
  affixed (FSR)

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First-Class/Priority Mail

• Forward with separate address correction, return
  with correction affixed, electronic correction in
  all cases (ASR2)
• Dispose of all pieces, separate correction
  provided (CSR1) (Priority perishable only)
• Forward with separate address correction, dispose
  all other undeliverables, electronic correction
  in all cases (CSR2)
• Require ACS participation

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Standard Mail

• Forward with separate address correction, return
  with correction affixed (ASR)
• Dispose of all pieces, separate correction
  provided (CSR)
• Return all pieces with correction affixed (RSR)
• Forward (no correction) or return with correction
  affixed (FSR)

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Standard Forwarding/Return Postage

• Forwarding postage is not collected directly
• All mail pieces returned because they are
  undeliverable and bear an ancillary service
  endorsement requesting forwarding pay the
  weighted fee on return (2.472 x appropriate
  First-Class or Priority Mail rate).
• Other requested returns charged at appropriate
  single-piece First-Class or Priority Mail rate or
  Bulk Parcel Return Service (BPRS) rate if
  applicable.

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Standard Mail BPRS

• Requires an annual fee
• Requires an Accounting fee
• Requires a minimum of 10,000 returned pieces in
  12 months
• Requires endorsement of Return or Address Service
  Requested-BPRS
• Requires machinable classification
• Pays a flat rate for each return

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Standard Mail Shipper Paid Forwarding (SPF)

• Requires Traditional ACS
• Requires the use of Address Service Requested or
  Address Service Requested BPRS ancillary
  service endorsement.
• Allows mailer to be charged forwarding postage
  billed via ACS account. Each forwarded piece
  generates an address correction and a postage
  charge for the single piece rate.
• Returned pieces are charged the single piece rate
  or BPRS rate as applicable, collected at return
  office.

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Package Services

• Bound Printed Matter
• Waste all pieces, no address corrections
  (Unendorsed)
• Forward where possible, return undeliverable with
  correction affixed (FSR)
• Waste all pieces, separate address correction
  (CSR)

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Package Services

• Bound Printed Matter
• Return all pieces with address correction affixed
  (RSR)
• Forward all possible, separate address
  correction, return undeliverables with address
  correction affixed (ASR)
• Shipper Paid Forwarding available

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Library/Media Mail

• Forward locally free
• Forward non-locally postage due
• Returns at qualifying rate if marked
• Forward where possible, return undeliverable with
  correction affixed (FSR)
• Waste all pieces, separate address correction
  (CSR)

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Library/Media Mail

• Return all pieces with address correction affixed
  (RSR)
• Forward all possible, separate address
  correction, return undeliverables with address
  correction affixed (ASR)
• Shipper Paid Forwarding

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All other Package Services

• Forward locally free
• Forward non-locally postage due
• Returns at single-piece zone rate
• Forward where possible, return undeliverable with
  correction affixed (FSR)
• Waste all pieces, separate address correction
  (CSR)

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All other Package Services

• Return all pieces with address correction affixed
  (RSR)
• Forward all possible, separate address
  correction, return undeliverables with address
  correction affixed (ASR)
• Shipper paid forwarding may be available

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Package Services Forwarding/Return Charges

• Forwarded locally no charge
• Forwarded non-locally postage due
• Returns at single piece zone rate or BPRS rate
  (if applicable)
• Shipper paid forwarding available for qualifying
  pieces

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Package Services Shipper Paid Forwarding

• Requires Traditional ACS
• Requires the use of Address Service Requested or
  Address Service Requested BPRS ancillary
  service endorsement.
• Allows mailer to be charged forwarding postage
  billed via ACS account. Each forwarded piece
  generates an address correction and a postage
  charge for the single piece rate.
• Returned pieces are charged the single piece zone
  rate or BPRS rate as applicable

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Traditional ACS

• The USPS assigns the mailer a Participant ID
  (PID) consisting of 7 alpha characters.
• The mailer completes a profile, choosing a class
  and mailpiece treatment option for each
  Participant ID.
• The mailer prints the Participant ID and optional
  keyline at the top of the address block.
• The mailer prints the requested ancillary service
  endorsement on each piece.

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Traditional ACS

• The Computerized Forwarding System (CFS) uses the
  Participant ID and optional keyline, class and
  ancillary service endorsement typed into the
  system by a clerk along with Change-of-Address
  records or reasons for nondelivery to determine
  the disposition of the mailpiece and produce ACS
  records.

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ACS Record Content

• COA record contains the Move Effective Date, move
  type (Family, Individual, Business), parsed name
  - from the COA, not the mailpiece, parsed old and
  new address.
• Nixie record contains the Participant ID, the
  keyline, and the reason for nondelivery code.

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New Address Quality

• Because ACS data comes directly from the
  forwarding database, some percentage of those new
  addresses will not DPV confirm. The information
  provided on the record is the information we use
  for forwarding.
• COA data is corrected where possible through
  processes like LACSLink, Address Element
  Correction (AEC), AEC II, and the Electronic
  Unresolved Address Reporting System (eUARS).

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Nondelivery Codes

• USPS provides a reason for nondelivery if the
  mail cannot be delivered or forwarded.
• ACS reasons for nondelivery are a subset of the
  total. The others cannot be automated and must
  be provided manually.

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Source of Nixie data

• Mail is determined to be undeliverable only by
  the clerk, carrier, or postmaster at the address
  on the mail.
• Each piece is marked with the reason for
  nondelivery and submitted to CFS for processing
• Nixie data does not come from a database. It is
  determined on each individual mailpiece.

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Nondelivery Codes
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Undeliverable, but not a nixie ACS record
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Temporarily Away

• Legitimate reason for non-delivery
• Two ways to receive
• Either the customer has a temporary change of
  address on file
• The customer left mail on hold and did not return
  on schedule. Carrier/clerk not yet able to
  submit permanent database entry

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ACS Account Approval (prior to mailing)

• ACS mailers must submit samples to the ACS
  department for approval prior to account
  activation.
• Samples are reviewed for correct use and
  placement of ancillary service endorsements the
  Participant ID and the keyline

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Record Fulfillment

• Address corrections are compiled by Participant
  ID and posted to RIBBS or mailed on CD.
• Mailer chooses daily, biweekly, weekly,
  bimonthly, or monthly fulfillments.
• Mailer logs into website manually or through a
  script or other automated process to collect data.

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Record Delivery on RIBBS

• Access is provided via a login and password by
  the customer account number, also known as a MEM
  number.
• MEM number is an umbrella account number for
  billing purposes, under which PIDs can be
  grouped, by class.

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Fulfillments and Shipping Notices

• Each fulfillment data file is accompanied by a
  Shipping Notice file.
• The file format is available in the ACS
  technical guides.
• The Shipping Notice file provides the number and
  type of ACS records provided in the fulfillment
  file of the same date.

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Monthly Billing

• Each month, an invoice is sent to the PID/MID
  holder showing each fulfillment, the types of
  records fulfilled, and the amount due.
• Invoices are payable 30 days net
• Statements are also provided.

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For More Information

• Traditional ACS, please read USPS Pub 8a
• OneCode ACS, please read USPS Pub 8b
• Both are available on RIBBS at
  http//ribbs.usps.gov/files/ACS/
• Check out our website http//ribbs.usps.gov/
• Also be sure to read DMM 507 for more
  information on the treatment of UAA mail.

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• Thank you for your time and attention. I hope you
  found this presentation and discussion helpful.