[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 158 (Thursday, August 15, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 53454-53459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20730]



[[Page 53453]]

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Part IV





Postal Service





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39 CFR Part 111



Changes To the Domestic Mail Manual To Implement Confirm 
Service; Final Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 158 / Thursday, August 15, 2002 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 53454]]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111

[Docket No. MC 2002-1]


Changes to the Domestic Mail Manual To Implement 
Confirm Service

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule sets forth the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 
standards adopted by the Postal Service to implement the classification 
and fees for Confirm service as established by the decision 
of the Governors of the United States Postal Service on the recommended 
decision of the Postal Rate Commission approving stipulation and 
agreement for Confirm, Docket No. MC2002-1 (August 5, 2002).
    In their decision, the Governors approved the Commission's 
recommendations, adopting an unopposed settlement agreement concluded 
by all but one party in Docket No. MC2002-1. The settlement 
substantially incorporated the classification and fees for Confirm, as 
proposed by the Postal Service in its request for a recommended 
decision, filed on April 24, 2002.
    Confirm represents a new service offering subscribers access to 
data and information concerning the processing of their specially 
prepared and barcoded automation-compatible letter-size and flat-size 
mail. The service combines barcode technology with the electronic 
infrastructure of automated Postal Service processing equipment to 
record and transmit data pertaining to mail prepared according to 
Confirm specifications.
    Through the use of a unique mailer-applied barcode, called PLANET 
Code, along with the appropriate delivery address POSTNET 
barcode, Confirm enables a mailer subscribing to the service to 
identify where and when barcodes printed on mail are scanned in various 
postal operations. Confirm can be used to provide this information for 
outgoing automation-compatible mail and for incoming automation-
compatible reply mail.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This final rule is effective at 12:01 a.m. on September 
22, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neil Berger at (703) 292-3645 or Paul 
Bakshi at (703) 292-3671.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 24, 2002, the United States Postal 
Service, in conformance with sections 3622 and 3623 of the Postal 
Reorganization Act (39 U.S.C. 101 et seq.), filed a Request for a 
recommended decision by the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) on the 
proposed classification and fees for Confirm, a new service using a 
uniquely identifying mailer-applied barcode called PLANET Code. Using 
these barcodes, along with the appropriate delivery address POSTNET 
barcodes, enables a participating mailer to identify where and when 
outgoing automation-compatible mail and incoming automation-compatible 
reply mail are scanned in various postal operations. Confirm combines 
barcode technology with the electronic infrastructure of automated 
Postal Service processing equipment to record and transmit data for 
successfully scanned pieces prepared according to Confirm 
specifications.
    On July 26, 2002, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3624, the Postal Rate 
Commission issued to the Governors of the Postal Service its Opinion 
and Recommended Decision Approving Stipulation and Agreement, Docket 
No. MC2002-1. The Commission recommended that the Postal Service 
proposal for Confirm be established as a permanent special service. 
With relatively minor modifications to the proposed language for the 
Domestic Mail Classification Schedule, the Commission approved the 
Stipulation and Agreement.
    On August 5, 2002, the Board of Governors approved the recommended 
decision and established an implementation date of Sunday, September 
22, 2002, on which the approved classification and fees for Confirm 
service will take effect. This final rule contains the DMM standards 
adopted by the Postal Service to implement the decision of the 
Governors.
    The Postal Service has determined to issue these standards as final 
rules, rather than first publishing them as proposed rules seeking 
comments. Several considerations support this determination.
    First, Confirm was developed through the joint efforts of the 
Postal Service and its customers over a substantial period of time. As 
described below in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION of this final rule, 
over the past seven years, more than 300 mailers, representing a wide 
cross-section of the mailing industry, have participated at various 
times in testing and evaluating the features of the service. This 
experience has included an operational pilot test of Confirm since 
1998, involving the collection of data pertaining to significant 
volumes of actual mail submitted by participating mailers. Throughout 
these activities, mailers have provided invaluable comments and 
recommendations for improving and expanding Confirm, and for ensuring 
that the service meets the business needs and the operational 
requirements of the mailing industry at large. Moreover, the Postal 
Service has continued to solicit recommendations from the mailing 
industry for enhancements to the infrastructure supporting this 
subscriber-based service. The recommendations coming from actual 
customer use and testing of the whole Confirm system have greatly 
influenced, not only the operational characteristics incorporated into 
the service, as proposed in the unopposed settlement agreement and as 
recommended by the Postal Rate Commission, but also the standards 
incorporated into the rules published here.
    Second, the Postal Rate Commission conducted public hearings to 
consider the Postal Service proposal for Confirm that were open to any 
interested party. Several parties participated, including major 
associations of mailers, the largest union representing postal workers, 
individuals representing themselves as mailers, and the Director of the 
Commission's Office of the Consumer Advocate representing the general 
public. This participation led to the successful negotiation of an 
agreement substantially incorporating the proposal presented by the 
Postal Service. Virtually all participants signed the settlement 
agreement. Only one individual representing himself did not sign, but 
that same individual did not oppose the settlement. Throughout the 
Confirm proceedings, furthermore, participants provided comments, 
formally through submissions for the record, as well as informally 
through settlement discussions. These comments reinforced the 
determinations leading to the Postal Service proposal, as incorporated 
into the settlement agreement. The Commission accepted the settlement 
with only minor modifications to the language describing Confirm in the 
Domestic Mail Classification Schedule (DMCS).
    Finally, there is a strong interest in expeditious implementation 
of the service that is shared by mailers currently receiving and using 
Confirm data and information, by prospective customers, and by the 
Postal Service. The Board of Governors of the Postal Service has 
determined to implement Confirm on September 22, 2002. This date 
represents the earliest time that the service can be made operationally 
available to the public. It also provides a reasonable time for the 
Postal Service to process applications adding new subscribers to 
existing users. If the

[[Page 53455]]

Postal Service were to delay implementation in order to solicit and 
receive additional comments, the effective date for Confirm could be 
delayed considerably, and current users and new subscribers would be 
denied the benefits of the valuable information that the service can 
provide. By implementing this new service without undue delays, the 
Postal Service can ensure that currently participating mailers are able 
to continue the service without interruption, and that new subscribers 
will be expeditiously integrated into the system.
    Pursuant to these considerations, the Postal Service has concluded 
that the substantial number of comments and recommendations already 
received pertaining to Confirm would make further solicitation of 
comments unnecessary. Considering the broadly based participation in 
the development of Confirm over several years, and the Commission's 
acceptance of the unopposed settlement agreement in Docket No. MC2002-
1, it is unlikely that the Postal Service would receive additional 
comments that would materially affect the rules. Furthermore, issuing 
proposed rules would present an impractical impediment to the timely 
implementation of the service. Delay would interfere with the public 
and mailer interests in being able to receive and use Confirm data as 
early as possible.

A. Service Description

1. Subscription Levels

    The Postal Service will offer this service in a three-tiered 
subscription format rather than a per-transaction rate format. The 
three subscription levels for this format are designated as Silver, 
Gold, and Platinum, with the following fees, terms of service, number 
of identification codes, and number of scans:
     The Silver subscription level, with a $2,000 fee and a 
term of 3 consecutive months, entitles the subscriber to one 
identification code and up to 15 million scans during the term of the 
subscription.
     The Gold subscription level, with a $4,500 fee and a term 
of 12 consecutive months, entitles the subscriber to one identification 
code and up to 50 million scans during the term of the subscription.
     The Platinum subscription level, with a $10,000 fee and a 
term of 12 consecutive months, entitles the subscriber to three 
identification codes and an unlimited number of scans during the term 
of the subscription.

2. Additional Identification Codes

    Subscribers to the Silver, Gold, and Platinum subscription levels 
can license additional identification codes for $500 for 3-month 
intervals or until the expiration of the underlying subscription, 
whichever occurs first.
    The additional identification codes are valid for only 3 months or 
to the end of the subscription period, whichever occurs first. At the 
renewal time of the underlying subscription, the same additional 
identification codes previously licensed may also be renewed at the 
subscriber's option.
    Subscribers may, at their option, also license up to four 3-month 
periods at one time for the same additional identification codes if 
those 3-month periods are within the underlying subscription period.

3. Additional Scans

    Subscribers to the Silver and Gold subscription levels, which both 
have specific limits to the numbers of recorded and reported scans as 
part of the subscription, can also license additional scans at any time 
before the expiration of the underlying subscription. The blocks of 
additional scans are usable until the subscription period ends, however 
long that period. Additional blocks of scans are available as follows:
     Silver subscription level, in blocks of 2 million scans at 
$500.
     Gold subscription level, in blocks of 6 million scans for 
$750.

4. Subscription Upgrade

    A Gold subscription level can also be upgraded to a Platinum 
subscription level any time before the expiration of the Gold 
subscription with the payment of the difference in the subscription 
fees of $5,500. Upgrading a subscription from the Gold level to the 
Platinum level does not extend the term of the initial subscription.

B. Service Background and Development

1. Developmental Stages

    The concept and initial development of Confirm came about seven 
years ago and, over the course of those years, progressed through three 
sequential stages: (1) Initial concept, (2) pilot program, and (3) 
production system launch.

2. Stage One: Initial Concept

    Stage one emerged in 1995 when the concept of Confirm was 
envisioned as a way to provide mailers with near real-time information 
about the movement of automation-compatible mailpieces in the Postal 
Service mailstream. The Postal Service decided to build such a tracking 
system around PLANET Code barcode technology, which had been developed 
and refined earlier by the Postal Service Engineering Department.
    This barcode technology was considered both an effective and an 
expedient way to meet mailer and Postal Service requirements for these 
reasons:
     The technology would require minimal research and testing 
because it was a fully developed and validated technology.
     The technology would require minimal effort and expense 
for mailers to implement within the current mailing environment.
     The technology would require minimal effort and disruption 
for the Postal Service to modify its existing postal processing 
infrastructure, which already supported the similar POSTNET barcode 
used for delivery address barcoding.

3. Stage Two: Pilot Program

    Stage two came in 1998 when the Postal Service inaugurated a 
limited pilot program for Confirm that permitted a small number of 
participating mailers to use the service without charge while it was 
under development. The Postal Service established a prototype system in 
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to collect Confirm data from major 
processing facilities and then transmit data files to participating 
mailers via an automated FTP process. Later that same year, the Postal 
Service created a Web site that allowed participating mailers to view 
and download small amounts of data.
    By 2000, however, the demand for this Web site outgrew its 
capacity. In response, the Postal Service moved the system to its data 
site in Raleigh, North Carolina, and implemented the first major system 
upgrade. At the same time, the Postal Service expanded customer service 
at its National Customer Support Center in Memphis, Tennessee.

4. Stage Three: Production System Launch

    Stage three came on October 1, 2001, when the Postal Service 
launched the Confirm Production System with a redesign of the system 
itself and a transfer of its operations to the postal data site in 
Eagan, Minnesota. By using the superior technological capabilities at 
that site, the Postal Service was able to make many new system 
improvements to Confirm including the following:
     Near real-time access to Confirm data on the Web site.
     Expanded PLANET Code functionality.

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     Verification of mail induction times.
     Dedicated customer support.
    Stage three was also extremely important because it demonstrated 
the commitment of the Postal Service to develop activity-based costs 
for the program. Such a costing methodology helps determine the level 
of ongoing infrastructure maintenance and long-term customer support 
for Confirm.

C. Product Uses

1. Strategic Alignment of Business Processes

    Confirm represents part of an overall integrated strategy of the 
Postal Service to provide greater added value to postal services and 
products for mailers and their customers. In keeping with this 
strategy, information from Confirm can give participating mailers--
whether actual subscribers or mailers contracting with third-party 
vendors that are subscribers--new opportunities to manage and, in some 
cases, improve their mailing operations. Moreover, information from 
Confirm can help participating mailers modernize business practices, 
enhance decision-making, and improve related activities such as 
inventory control, invoicing, and remittance processing.
    With information obtained from Confirm, mailers participating in 
the service can align various internal business functions with the 
appropriate resources based on the actual processing and expected 
delivery or return of mail. At the same time, information from Confirm 
allows participating mailers to strengthen and enhance current long-
term customer relationships as well as to initiate and build new ones.
    The potential for participating mailers and the Postal Service to 
manage business practices is built on straightforward information 
technology that can report to participating mailers when their outgoing 
mail has neared delivery to their customers or, in reverse, when 
incoming customer-mailed reply pieces have entered the mailstream for 
return to the participating Confirm mailers.

2. Service Applications

    As a result of this possible two-way flow of outgoing mail and 
incoming reply mail, Confirm has been developed with two distinct 
service applications:
     Destination Confirm for outgoing mail such as invoices, 
solicitations, credit cards, and statements of account.
     Origin Confirm for incoming reply mail such as payments, 
orders, and responses to solicitations.
    Because of these two service applications, Confirm can meet the 
needs of a variety of mailers, including large-volume mailers that are 
direct subscribers to the service as well as small-volume mailers that 
are not direct subscribers but can benefit from presort houses and 
other third-party providers that do subscribe to the service.

D. Product Technology

1. Barcoding

    To generate optimal Confirm information, two distinct barcodes are 
needed. One is a POSTNET barcode that identifies the ZIP Code, ZIP+4 
code, or delivery point code corresponding to the delivery address; the 
other, a PLANET Code barcode that contains specific data relating to 
the participating subscriber and type of mailpiece.
    This resulting combination of POSTNET and PLANET Code barcodes can, 
in certain cases, be used to identify and distinguish specific letter-
size and flat-size automation-compatible mailpieces processed and 
scanned on Postal Service automation equipment.
    In some cases, however, a PLANET Code barcode alone can provide 
some useful information to the subscriber. Because Postal Service 
letter-sorting and flat-sorting machines can read both POSTNET and 
PLANET barcodes in one pass, there is no adverse impact on mail 
processing throughput.

2. Confirm Data

    Confirm scan-data generated from a mailpiece at a given mail 
processing operation will consist of a five-digit ZIP Code representing 
the facility processing the piece, a Postal Service operation number, 
processing date and time, and the numeric equivalents of the POSTNET 
barcode and the PLANET Code barcode.
    Captured and recorded data are transmitted to a central Postal 
Service computer server and provided to the mailer electronically in 
near real-time, either through the Confirm Web site or directly to the 
mailer's computer.
    Not every scan on automated processing equipment, however, 
necessarily equates into a Confirm data record. Other conditions must 
be satisfied such as the validity or readability of identification 
codes in the PLANET Code barcodes.

3. PLANET Code Structure

    The structure of the PLANET Code is similar to the POSTNET delivery 
point code. Subscribers can, however, choose whether to use a 12-digit 
or a 14-digit version of the PLANET Code. In terms of structure, the 
PLANET Code barcode currently consists of 12 or 14 digits, each 
represented by a combination of tall and short bars. The PLANET Code 
barcode symbology for each digit is therefore the inverse of each 
corresponding POSTNET Code digit.
    For the POSTNET barcode, each of the ten digits from 0 to 9 
contains a unique combination of two tall and three short bars. For the 
PLANET Code barcode, on the other hand, the same ten digits from 0 to 9 
contain three tall and two short bars that form a reverse image of each 
POSTNET digit. For example, the POSTNET barcode representation for the 
digit zero is, from left to right, two tall bars followed by three 
short bars. The PLANET Code barcode for the same digit is two short 
bars followed by three tall bars.
    The structure for the PLANET Code provides information that is 
unique to the participating subscriber and the mailpiece as follows:
     Digits 1 and 2. Starting from the left, the first digit of 
the PLANET Code represents Confirm service type--either Destination 
Confirm or Origin Confirm--and the second digit represents the class 
and shape of mail (for example, ID 40 signifies Destination Confirm for 
First-Class Mail letters).
     Digits 3 through 11 (or 3 through 13). The current 
structure of the next nine digits (or eleven digits for the expanded 
14-digit PLANET Code) differs for Destination Confirm and Origin 
Confirm. For Destination Confirm, these digits include a five-digit ID 
Code assigned by the Postal Service plus four additional digits (or six 
for the 14-digit PLANET Code) for the mailer's use. For Origin Confirm, 
mailers use all nine of the remaining digits to identify either the 
mailpiece or the reply customer (the sender of the reply piece) or a 
combination of both the specific mailpiece and the reply customer. The 
specific POSTNET Code on the Origin Confirm piece enables the Postal 
Service to identify the Confirm subscriber.
     Digit 12 (or 14). For both the Destination Confirm and 
Origin Confirm service applications, the last digit (the twelfth digit 
or, if the longer 14-digit PLANET Code, the fourteenth digit) is always 
a check-sum digit to help mail processing equipment detect possible 
coding errors.

4. Data Records

    The data records for each properly scanned mailpiece are compiled 
for importing into common database software. Depending on the 
subscriber's request, the Postal Service can automatically transmit the 
file containing the data records to the subscriber via File Transfer 
Protocol (FTP) at times designated by the subscriber.

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    The Postal Service offers an alternative to automatic transmission 
by posting the data records to the Postal Service Confirm Web site. A 
subscriber can then view and download the data records for up to 15 
days.

E. Advance Shipping Notice

    Destination Confirm mail requires the electronic submission of an 
Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) in a specific file format prior to or at 
the time of the mailing. ASN data include specific mailer-generated 
information about each Destination Confirm mailing, such as drop 
location, drop date, and volume.
    That data can be used to link Confirm scan data captured during 
mail processing with the ASN mailing data. This linkage can, in turn, 
serve as an objective means to track the movement of specific mail at 
its entry point into the mailstream and at other subsequent points 
before delivery.
    In addition to providing an electronic ASN file for each mailing, 
the mailer must print an associated ASN Shipment ID barcode on the 
documentation accompanying the mailing. This barcode is configured as a 
Uniform Symbology Specification (USS) Code 128 barcode, similar to the 
Postal Service Delivery Confirmation barcode. This ASN Shipment ID 
barcode ties the data contained in the uploaded ASN file with possibly 
thousands of properly prepared Confirm pieces in the associated 
mailing.
    Postal Service personnel scan the ASN Shipment ID barcode using 
Delivery Confirmation scanners at the time of induction. This entry 
scan ``starts the clock'' for the Destination Confirm mailing and 
provides a base point for tracking the processing throughput used for 
the mail. At the same time, the participating subscriber receives an 
automatic electronic notification of where and when the subscriber's 
mail was inducted into the Postal Service.

F. Application Steps for Using Confirm

    A mailer seeking to become a subscriber of Confirm must complete 
and submit an online or hardcopy application form. New subscribers 
entering the program must first demonstrate the capability of 
generating compliant PLANET Code barcodes by producing and submitting 
sample mailpieces to the Postal Service.
    Subscribers must also submit samples of the Advance Shipping Notice 
(ASN) Shipment ID barcode that would be scanned by the Postal Service 
at the time the corresponding mail is entered into the mailstream. 
After approving the mailpieces and barcodes and receiving the 
applicable subscription payment, the Postal Service establishes the 
subscriber's Confirm account so that the subscriber can begin receiving 
Confirm data files either from the special Confirm Web site or directly 
by FTP.
    After processing the application, the Postal Service assigns the 
new subscriber a unique identification code. To assist new subscribers 
in the application process and to resolve technical issues, the Postal 
Service provides ongoing customer support.

G. Goals of Confirm

    Confirm has two major goals. First, information from the service 
can help mailers improve their business processes and enhance customer 
relationships. Second, the same information can help the Postal Service 
improve customer service and operational efficiency. As such, this new 
service will support the strategic goal of the Postal Service to add 
greater value to current postal products and services and to expand the 
combinations of options that can meet the evolving business 
requirements of mailers and their customers.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

    Administrative Practice and Procedure, Postal Service.

    The Postal Service, which is 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), adopts, for the 
reasons discussed above, the following amendments to the Domestic Mail 
Manual (DMM), which is incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR). See 39 CFR part 111.

PART 111--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414, 
416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3626, 5001.


    2. Amend Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) as set forth below:

Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

R  Rates and Fees

* * * * *

R900  Services

* * * * *
[Amend R900 by redesignating current 9.0 through 26.0 as 10.0 through 
27.0, respectively, and adding new 9.0 to read as follows:]
9.0  CONFIRM (S941)
    Fee, in addition to postage and other fees:

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                                         Subscription fee and    Additional ID code fee    Additional scans fee
          Subscription level                     term                   and term                and number
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Silver...............................  $ 2,000, 3 months......  $500 each, 3 months....  $500, block of 2
                                                                                          million scans.
Gold.................................  4,500, 12 months.......  500 each, 3 months.....  750, block of 6 million
                                                                                          scans.
Platinum.............................  10,000, 12 months......  500 each, 3 months.....  N/A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *

S  Special Postal Services

* * * * *
[Amend module S by adding new S940 and S941 to read as follows:]

S940  Mailpiece Information

S941  Confirm

1.0  BASIC INFORMATION

1.1  Description

    Confirm is a service that provides an authorized subscriber with 
data electronically collected from the optical scanning of specially 
barcoded mailpieces as they pass through certain automated mail 
processing operations. Scanned data can include the postal facility 
where such pieces are processed, the postal operation used to process 
the pieces, the date and time when the pieces are processed, and the 
numeric equivalent of two barcodes that help to identify the specific 
pieces. Any piece intended to generate scanned data must meet the 
appropriate physical characteristics and standards in S941, although 
not every properly prepared piece is guaranteed such data or complete 
data.

1.2  Available Service and Handling

    Confirm is available only to authorized subscribers as described in 
1.3. The service is associated with the service applications described 
in 1.6 and subscription levels described in 1.7. Confirm may be used 
for one or more pieces in a mailing. Mail prepared for Confirm is 
dispatched and handled in transit as ordinary mail unless

[[Page 53458]]

combined with a service available for the class of mail and rate 
claimed that requires different handling.

1.3  Authorization

    Confirm requires USPS authorization after applicable fees are paid 
and technical requirements for certification are met. For 
certification, a mailer must submit for evaluation and approval 
mailpieces bearing both PLANET Code barcodes and POSTNET barcodes to 
the National Customer Support Center (see G043 for address). 
Certification also includes, if applicable, evaluation and approval of 
the electronic format and uploading of the Advance Shipping Notice 
(ASN) file and the associated shipment identification barcode printed 
on required documentation accompanying mailings. Confirm may be used 
only after authorization is received, and information generated from 
the use of the service is provided only if the standards for 
participation are met.

1.4  Availability

    Confirm is available to authorized subscribers for tracking 
automation-compatible letter-size or flat-size mail in applicable 
categories of the following classes of mail:
    a. First-Class Mail (including Priority Mail).
    b. Periodicals.
    c. Standard Mail.
    d. Package Services.

1.5  Additional Services

    Confirm does not preclude or require the use of any special service 
available for the class of mail and rate claimed.

1.6  Service Applications

    The following two service applications are available:
    a. Origin Confirm for incoming mail. This use notifies the 
subscribing mailer of various movements of individual reply pieces, 
such as courtesy reply or business reply mail being returned by 
customers, before delivery to the Confirm subscriber.
    b. Destination Confirm for outgoing mail. This use notifies the 
subscribing mailer of various movements of individual pieces, such as 
letter-size or flat-size pieces in a specific mailing, from the entry 
of the mailing to final automated processing steps of the pieces before 
delivery to the destination address.

1.7  Subscription Levels

    Confirm is available in three distinct subscription levels as 
defined below, and a mailer may subscribe to one or more of these 
levels at the same time, at different times, or at overlapping times:
    a. Silver Subscription. The Silver subscription level has a term of 
3 consecutive months, includes one five-digit identification code 
assigned by the USPS, and provides up to 15 million scans. A mailer 
subscribing to this level may also:
    (1) License additional identification codes for a term of 3 
consecutive months or until the expiration of the underlying 
subscription, whichever occurs first.
    (2) License additional scans in blocks of 2 million scans at any 
time before the underlying subscription expires. Unused scans expire at 
the end of the subscription term.
    b. Gold Subscription. The Gold subscription level has a term of 12 
consecutive months, includes one five-digit identification code 
assigned by the USPS, and provides up to 50 million scans. A mailer 
subscribing to this level may also:
    (1) License additional identification codes for a term of 3 
consecutive months or until the expiration of the underlying 
subscription, whichever occurs first.
    (2) License additional scans in blocks of 6 million scans at any 
time before the underlying subscription expires. Unused scans expire at 
the end of the subscription term.
    (3) Raise the subscription level to a Platinum subscription level 
at any time before the expiration of the Gold subscription by paying 
the difference of the respective subscription fees. This change in 
service level does not extend the term of the underlying initial 
subscription.
    c. Platinum Subscription. The Platinum subscription level has a 
term of 12 consecutive months, includes three five-digit identification 
numbers assigned by the USPS, and provides an unlimited number of 
scans. A mailer subscribing to this level may also license additional 
identification codes for a term of 3 consecutive months or until the 
expiration of the underlying subscription, whichever occurs first.

1.8  Fees and Postage

    The applicable Confirm subscription fees as defined in 
1.7 and shown in R900 must be paid in advance. These subscription fees 
are separate from the postage and any other applicable fees required 
for the piece being scanned under this service.

1.9  Deposit

    The class of mail and rate claimed and the postage payment method 
used determine the point of deposit or entry.
2.0  BARCODES

2.1  General Barcode Requirement

    At the time of mailing, each piece in a mailing that is intended to 
generate Confirm information must bear a PLANET Code barcode. 
The USPS does not apply subscriber PLANET Code barcodes to mail after 
deposit by the subscriber. The use of POSTNET barcodes, which must meet 
the applicable specifications in C840, is as follows:
    a. Origin Confirm pieces must bear both a PLANET Code barcode and a 
POSTNET barcode at the time of mailing. For business reply mail, the 
POSTNET barcode must correspond to the subscriber's business reply mail 
ZIP+4 codes assigned by the USPS under S922. For all other reply mail, 
the POSTNET barcode must correspond to the appropriate 5-digit ZIP 
Code, ZIP+4 code, or delivery point code for the delivery address.
    b. Destination Confirm pieces must bear a PLANET Code barcode and, 
if required by the rate claimed at the time of mailing, an appropriate 
POSTNET barcode that corresponds to the delivery address. If a POSTNET 
barcode is not required by the rate claimed, the mailer has the option 
to apply the POSTNET barcode to such pieces for optimal Confirm 
information if the barcode correctly corresponds to the delivery 
address.

2.2  POSTNET Barcode

    The type of POSTNET barcode (e.g., ZIP+4 barcode or delivery point 
barcode) and the placement of the barcode on a Confirm piece must meet 
the standards for the rate claimed. If two POSTNET barcodes are applied 
to the same piece, they must meet these standards:
    a. Only one POSTNET barcode may be used in the address block as 
provided in 2.6.
    b. The second POSTNET barcode must be placed outside the address 
block in a position meeting the applicable standards in C840 for 
letter-size mail or flat-size mail.

2.3  PLANET Code Barcode Use

    Only one PLANET Code barcode may appear on a Confirm piece. For 
letter-size mail, the PLANET Code barcode may be placed in any position 
permitted in C840 for a POSTNET barcode except the lower right corner 
barcode clear zone. For flat-size mail, the PLANET Code barcode may 
appear in any position of the piece permitted for a POSTNET barcode in 
C840. Any PLANET Code barcode printed on mail for Confirm information 
must:

[[Page 53459]]

    a. Be generated by the method used to receive USPS barcode 
certification during the application process in 1.3.
    b. Meet the barcode specifications in 2.4.
    c. Meet the format specifications in 2.5.

2.4  PLANET Code Barcode Specifications

    The PLANET Code barcode symbology, which is the inverse of the 
POSTNET barcode symbology, uses a unique combination of three tall and 
two short bars to define each digit from 0 to 9. PLANET Code barcodes 
must meet the same dimensional specifications (including pitch, tilt, 
and baseline positioning) and print specifications (including 
reflectance) as required in C840 for POSTNET barcodes and in USPS 
Publication 197, Customer Guide to Confirm Service. Publication 197 is 
available from the National Customer Support Center (see G043 for 
address).

2.5  PLANET Code Barcode Format

    PLANET Code barcodes must meet the following format standards 
required in USPS Publication 197 for service type:
    a. Origin Confirm mailpieces (incoming reply mail) require these 
data fields in the following order from left to right:
    (1) Mailpiece type identification: two digits; identifies type of 
reply mail (courtesy reply mail, business reply mail (BRM), or 
Qualified BRM) and physical characteristic of piece (letter, card, or 
flat); defined by USPS.
    (2) Customer identification: nine or eleven digits; identifies 
mailpiece; defined by subscriber.
    (3) Check digit: one digit; defined as the number which, when added 
to the sum of the other digits in the barcode, results in a total that 
is a multiple of 10.
    b. Destination Confirm mailpieces (outgoing mail) require these 
data fields in the following order from left to right:
    (1) Mailpiece type identification: two digits; identifies class of 
mail and physical characteristic of piece (letter, card, or flat); 
defined by USPS.
    (2) Identification code: five digits; identifies mailer; assigned 
by USPS.
    (3) Mailing: four (or six) digits; identifies specific mailing; 
defined by subscriber.
    (4) Check digit: one digit; defined as the number which, when added 
to the sum of the other digits in the barcode, results in a total that 
is a multiple of 10.

2.6  Address Block Barcoding

    If both a PLANET Code barcode and a POSTNET barcode are used as 
part of the delivery address block, the following standards must be 
met:
    a. One barcode must placed in the upper part of the address block 
in one of two positions:
    (1) Between the top address line (the first line of the delivery 
address block usually containing the recipient's name or attention 
line) and any keyline, optional endorsement line, or carrier route 
information line directly above the top address line.
    (2) Directly above any keyline, optional endorsement line, or 
carrier route information line that is directly above the top address 
line.
    b. The other barcode must always be placed directly below the 
bottom address line (the city, state, and ZIP Code line).
    c. Both barcodes must maintain a minimum clearance of 1/25 inch 
directly above and below the barcodes.
    d. The entire address block must be placed on the piece under the 
applicable standards in C840. The barcodes and address block, along 
with any keyline, optional endorsement line, or carrier route 
information line, must maintain the other applicable minimum clearances 
under C840, including clearances for inserts in window envelopes.

2.7  Reply Mail Barcodes

    Reply pieces prepared for the Origin Confirm service 
application under 1.6 must meet any applicable format and barcode 
standards as follows:
    a. For business reply mail (BRM), S922.
    b. For Qualified BRM, S922.
    c. For courtesy reply mail (CRM), C100.
3.0  ADVANCE SHIPPING NOTICE

3.1  Purpose

    Every mailing for which Destination Confirm information is desired 
requires the electronic submission of an Advanced Shipping Notice 
(ASN), in a specific file format, before or at the time of the mailing. 
This electronic notice enables the USPS to match mailing data provided 
by the mailer with actual scans taken on Confirm pieces in the mailing 
and to generate various reports for analysis from the matched data. A 
test file transmission must be uploaded and approved before Confirm 
mailings may be made as provided in 1.3.

3.2  Data Format

    The ASN data file is a single data file in comma delimited flat 
file format. Each record is made up of a single row of data consisting 
of 16 data elements (fields) as defined in Publication 197. ASN data 
include specific mailer-generated information about each Destination 
Confirm mailing, such as drop location, drop date, mailer 
identification, volume, presort level, and number of pieces bearing 
PLANET Code barcodes.

3.3  Shipment ID Barcode

    In addition to an electronic ASN transmission for each mailing, an 
ASN Shipment ID barcode (used as a shipment identification) must be 
printed on the documentation accompanying the mailing. This 
documentation is either Form 8125 for mail prepared as a plant-verified 
drop shipment or Form 3152-A for mail entered and verified at a 
business mail entry unit. The USPS scans the ASN Shipment ID barcode to 
``start the clock'' for the Destination Confirm mailing and to provide 
the base point for recording the actual processing time used for the 
mail. ASN Shipment ID barcode symbology is USS Code 128 Subset B and 
must meet the technical specifications in Publication 197.
4.0  DELIVERY
    Any mailpiece prepared for Confirm is delivered as ordinary mail 
unless combined with any available service subject to D042.
* * * * *
    An appropriate amendment to 39 CFR 111.3 will be published to 
reflect these changes.

Neva Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 02-20730 Filed 8-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P