[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 32612-32613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12885]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


Collect on Delivery (COD)--Service Features

AGENCY: Postal Service\TM\.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: Effective July 28, 2013, the Postal ServiceTM 
proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal 
Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) 503.13, 507.4 and 508.1 to 
provide new standards for the automatic holding period for Collect on 
Delivery (COD) articles, expand the acceptable payment methods for COD 
articles, and provide current options for the redirecting of COD 
mailpieces.

DATES: Submit comments on or before July 1, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the manager, Product 
Classification, U.S. Postal Service[supreg], 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., 
Room 4446, Washington DC 20260-5015. You may inspect and photocopy all 
written comments at USPS[supreg] Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant 
Plaza SW., 11th Floor N, Washington DC by appointment only between the 
hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday by calling 1-202-268-
2906 in advance. Email comments, containing the name and address of the 
commenter, may be sent to: [email protected], with a 
subject line of ``COD Service Features'' Faxed comments are not 
accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Grace Letto at 202-268-2282 or Suzanne 
Newman at 202-268-5581.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service proposes to revise the 
DMM in various sections to redesign some of the features of COD 
service. In response to mailer's requests for the expedited return of 
their mailpieces when COD shipments are unclaimed by the addressee, 
this revision proposes to modify the holding period for COD articles 
from the current 30-day maximum to a maximum of 10 days.
    Additionally, these revisions, if adopted, will retire the current 
manual PS Form 3849-D, Notice to Sender of Undelivered COD Mail. The 
primary function served by PS Form 3849-D can be provided by USPS 
Package Intercept service, which allows mailers the option to redirect 
COD mailpieces to a new address, to a designated Post Office for Hold 
For Pickup service, or return them to the sender. Unlike PS Form 3849-
D, which entails sending of a notification to the mailer by mail and 
requiring the mailer to then send written instructions

[[Page 32613]]

back to the Postmaster, which may take more than 10 days to complete, 
Package Intercept service provides mailers with an immediate avenue to 
request a COD article be redirected to a new address. Since items 
subject to Package Intercept requests are also held for a 10-day 
period, this option aligns with the proposed new holding period for COD 
articles.
    However, the ability for a mailer, after mailing, to adjust the COD 
amount to be collected will be eliminated when the Form 3849-D is 
retired.
    The USPS will continue to return COD articles to the mailer at the 
end of the holding period if no other applicable request is received; 
and to return COD mail addressed to an addressee who moved and left no 
forwarding address. Additionally, payment options for COD articles will 
be expanded to allow money orders made payable to the mailer as an 
additional acceptable payment method for the addressee at the time of 
delivery. Payment remittance mailpieces will now include unique 
tracking barcodes affixed by USPS allowing further visibility into the 
COD payment process through mail processing scans captured on the 
remittance en route to the recipient.
    Although we are 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), we invite 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.

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)

* * * * *

500 Additional Mailing Services

* * * * *

503 Extra Services

* * * * *

13.0 Collect on Delivery (COD)

* * * * *

13.2 Basic Information

13.2.1 Description

* * * [Revise the first, second and fourth sentences of 13.2.1 as 
follows:]

    Any mailer may use collect on delivery (COD) service to mail an 
article for which the mailer has not been paid and have its price and 
the cost of the postage collected from the addressee (or addressee's 
agent). The recipient has the option to pay the COD charges using 
either cash, or a personal check or money order made payable to the 
mailer. * * * If the recipient pays the amount due by check or money 
order payable to the mailer, the USPS forwards the check or money order 
to the mailer. * * *
* * * * *

[Revise the title and text of 13.2.7 as follows:]

13.2.7 Redirecting COD

    The mailer of a COD article may use USPS Package Intercept service 
to redirect the COD mailpiece to a new addressee, to a designated Post 
Office using Hold For Pickup service, or to the sender by paying the 
applicable fee and as provided in 507.5.

[Delete 13.2.8, Notice to Mailer, in its entirety.]

* * * * *

507 Mailer Services

* * * * *

4.0 Address Correction Services

* * * * *

4.3 Sender Instruction

* * * * *

4.3.2 Extra Services

    * * * This mail is treated as follows:
    * * *

[Revise item 4.3.2c as follows:]

    c. The mailer of a COD article also may use USPS Package Intercept 
service to redirect the COD mailpiece to a new addressee, to a 
designated Post Office using Hold For Pickup service, or to the sender 
by paying the applicable fee and as provided in 507.5. The USPS returns 
the article to the mailer at the end of the COD holding period if no 
other request is received. When COD mail is addressed to a person who 
moved and left no forwarding address, the article is returned to the 
mailer. The postage charge (but not registration or COD fees) for 
returning the mail, if any, is collected from the mailer.
* * * * *

[Revise item 4.3.2g as follows:]

    g. The USPS holds undeliverable collect on delivery (COD) mail for 
no fewer than 3 days and no more than 10 days.
* * * * *

508 Recipient Services

1.0 Recipient Options

1.1 Basic Recipient Concerns

* * * * *

1.1.7 Express Mail and Accountable Mail

    The following conditions also apply to the delivery of Express Mail 
and accountable mail (Registered Mail, Certified Mail, insured for more 
than $200.00, or COD, as well as mail for which a return receipt or a 
return receipt for merchandise is requested or for which the sender has 
specified restricted delivery):
* * * * *

[Revise item 508.1.1.7f as follows:]

    f. A notice is provided to the addressee for a mailpiece that 
cannot be delivered. If the piece is not called for or redelivery is 
not requested, the piece is returned to the sender after 15 days (5 
days for Express Mail, 10 days for COD), unless the sender specifies 
fewer days on the piece.
* * * * *
    We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to 
reflect these changes if our proposal is adopted.
* * * * *

Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2013-12885 Filed 5-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P