[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 55504-55507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22640]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 111
Domestic Competitive Products Pricing and Mailing Standards
Changes
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is amending Mailing Standards of the United
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), to reflect
changes to prices and mailing standards for competitive products.
DATES: Effective Date: January 26, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Foti at (202) 268-2931 or Garry
Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule describes new prices and
product features for competitive products, by class of mail,
established by the Governors of the United States Postal
Service[supreg]. New prices are available under Docket Number CP2020-5
on the Postal Regulatory Commission PRC website at http://www.prc.gov,
and on the Postal Explorer[supreg] website at http://pe.usps.com.
The Postal Service will revise Mailing Standards of the United
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), to reflect changes
to prices and mailing standards for the following competitive products:
Priority Mail Express[supreg].
Priority Mail[supreg].
First-Class Package Service[supreg].
Parcel Select[supreg].
USPS Retail Ground[supreg].
Extra Services.
Return Services.
Mailer Services.
Recipient Services.
Other.
[[Page 55505]]
Competitive product prices and changes are identified by product as
follows:
Priority Mail Express
Prices
Overall, Priority Mail Express prices will increase 3.5 percent.
Priority Mail Express will continue to offer zoned and Flat Rate
Retail, Commercial Base[supreg], and Commercial Plus[supreg] pricing.
Retail prices will increase an average of 3.8 percent. The Flat
Rate Envelope price will increase to $26.35, the Legal Flat Rate
Envelope will increase to $26.50, and the Padded Flat Rate Envelope
will increase to $26.95.
Commercial Plus prices were matched to the Commercial Base prices
in the 2016 price change and will continue to be matched in 2020.
Commercial Base and Commercial Plus prices will increase an average of
2.2 percent.
Priority Mail
Prices
Overall, Priority Mail prices will increase 4.1 percent. Priority
Mail will continue to offer zoned and Flat Rate Retail, Commercial
Base, and Commercial Plus pricing.
Retail prices will increase an average of 4.9 percent. The Flat
Rate Envelope price will increase to $7.75, the Legal Flat Rate
Envelope will increase to $8.05, and the Padded Flat Rate Envelope will
increase to $8.40. The Small Flat Rate Box price will increase to $8.30
and the Medium Flat Rate Boxes will increase to $15.05. The Large Flat
Rate Box will increase to $21.10 and the APO/FPO/DPO Large Flat Rate
Box will increase to $19.60.
Commercial Base prices offer lower prices to customers who use
authorized postage payment methods. Commercial Base prices will
increase an average of 2.8 percent.
The Commercial Plus price category offers price incentives to large
volume customers who have a customer commitment agreement with
USPS[supreg]. Commercial Plus prices as a whole will increase 3.0
percent.
First-Class Package Service
Prices
Overall, First-Class Package Service--Retail prices will increase
3.9 percent.
Overall, First-Class Package Service--Commercial prices will
increase 2.2 percent.
Parcel Select
Prices
The prices for Parcel Select Destination Entry increase an average
of 2.5 percent. Parcel Select Ground prices will increase an average of
3.9 percent. The prices for Parcel Select Lightweight[supreg] will
increase an average of 4.2 percent.
USPS Retail Ground
Overall, USPS Retail Ground prices will increase an average of 3.9
percent.
Dimensional Weight Pricing
The Postal Service is implementing Dimensional Weight (DIM) pricing
for USPS Retail Ground parcels. Postage for USPS Retail Ground parcels
addressed for delivery to Zones 1 through 9 and exceeding 1 cubic foot
(1,728 cubic inches) will be based on the actual weight or the
dimensional weight, whichever is greater.
USPS Retail Ground DIM weight pricing will be calculated using one
of two formulas, rectangular or nonrectangular, with a DIM divisor of
166.
USPS Retail Ground--Limited Overland Route pricing will not be
subject to DIM pricing.
Balloon Pricing
As a result of the implementation of DIM pricing for USPS Retail
Ground parcels in zones 1 through 9, the Postal Service will eliminate
balloon pricing.
USPS Retail Ground--Limited Overland Route pricing will continue to
be subject to balloon pricing.
Extra Services
Adult Signature Service
Adult Signature Required and Adult Signature Restricted Delivery
service prices are increasing 3.9 percent. The price for Adult
Signature Required will increase to $6.65 and Adult Signature
Restricted Delivery will increase to $6.90.
Return Services
Parcel Return Service
Overall, Parcel Return Service prices will increase an average of
4.9 percent.
Return Sectional Center Facility (RSCF) prices will increase an
average of 4.9 percent and Return Delivery Unit (RDU) prices will
increase an average of 4.9 percent.
Mailer Services
Pickup on Demand Service
The Pickup on Demand[supreg] service fee will increase 4.3 percent
to $24.00.
Premium Data Retention and Retrieval Services
The Postal Service is introducing ``Premium Data Retention and
Retrieval'' service. Premium Data Retention and Retrieval service
allows a customer to request that the Postal Service retain: (1) Scan
data or (2) scan and signature data for the customer's packages beyond
the Postal Service's standard data retention period, for up to ten
years. Premium Data Retention service is available for packages shipped
via Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service,
Parcel Select, and packages with Adult Signature Services. For Scan and
Signature Retention on products other than Priority Mail Express, the
customer must have purchased an underlying signature service, such as
Signature ConfirmationTM service. Customers can request
Premium Data Retention and Retrieval service online at USPS.com or
through a Shipping Services File.
Recipient Services
Post Office Box Service
The competitive Post Office BoxTM service prices will
increase an average of 10.4 percent within the existing price ranges.
Premium Forwarding Service
Premium Forwarding Service[supreg] (PFS[supreg]) prices will
increase between 0.9 and 5.3 percent depending on the specific price
element. The enrollment fee paid at the retail counter for PFS-
Residential will increase to $21.90 and the PFS-Residential, PFS-
Commercial, and PFS-Local enrollment fee paid online will increase to
$20.10 per application. The price of the weekly shipment charge for
PFS-Residential and per container charge for PFS-Local will increase to
$21.90.
USPS Package Intercept
The USPS Package Intercept[supreg] fee will increase 3.9 percent to
$14.65.
Other
Address Enhancement Service
Address Enhancement Service competitive product prices will
increase between 0.4 and 3.8 percent.
Small Parcel Forwarding Fee
The small parcel forwarding fee, an optional service first offered
in January 2019, will increase 4.9 percent to $4.75.
eVS Unmanifested Fee
The Postal Service is introducing an ``eVS Unmanifested'' fee to
discourage unmanifested eVS eligible pieces, reduce occurrences of
lower postage assessments, and offset additional reconciliation, manual
processes, and operational costs. The fee will apply to Priority Mail
Express, Priority Mail,
[[Page 55506]]
First-Class Package Service, and Parcel Select, commercial pieces.
Resources
The Postal Service provides additional resources to assist
customers with this price change for competitive products. These tools
include price lists, downloadable price files, and Federal Register
Notices, which may be found on the Postal Explorer[supreg] website at
http://pe.usps.com.
The Postal Service adopts the following changes 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 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 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)
* * * * *
100 Retail Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
* * * * *
150 Retail Mail USPS Retail Ground
153 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
1.1 Price Eligibility
USPS Retail Ground prices are calculated based on the zone to which
the parcel is addressed and the weight of the parcel. USPS Retail
Ground prices are available as follows:
* * * * *
[Revise the text of item d to read as follows:]
d. USPS Retail Ground--Limited Overland Routes parcels that weigh
less than 20 pounds but measure more than 84 inches (but not more than
108 inches) in combined length and girth are charged the applicable
price for a 20-pound parcel (balloon price).
* * * * *
[Add new section 1.4, Dimensional Weight Price for Low-Density
Parcels to Zones 1-9, to read as follows:]
1.4 Dimensional Weight Price for Low-Density Parcels to Zones 1-9
Except for USPS Retail Ground--Limited Overland Routes parcels
under 1.3, postage for parcels addressed for delivery to Zones 1-9 and
exceeding 1 cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches) is based on the actual
weight or the dimensional weight (as calculated in 1.4.1 or 1.4.2),
whichever is greater.
1.4.1 Determining Dimensional Weight for Rectangular Parcels
Follow these steps to determine the dimensional weight for a
rectangular parcel:
a. Measure the length, width, and height in inches. Round off (see
604.7.0) each measurement to the nearest whole inch.
b. Multiply the length by the width by the height.
c. If the result exceeds 1,728 cubic inches, divide the result by
166 and round up (see 604.7.0) to the next whole number to determine
the dimensional weight in pounds.
d. If the dimensional weight exceeds 70 pounds, the customer pays
the 70-pound price.
1.4.2 Determining Dimensional Weight for Nonrectangular Parcels
Follow these steps to determine the dimensional weight for a
nonrectangular parcel:
a. Measure the length, width, and height in inches at their extreme
dimensions. Round off (see 604.7.0) each measurement to the nearest
whole inch.
b. Multiply the length by the width by the height.
c. Multiply the result by an adjustment factor of 0.785.
d. If the final result exceeds 1,728 cubic inches, divide the
result by 166 and round up (see 604.7.0) to the next whole number to
determine the dimensional weight in pounds.
e. If the dimensional weight exceeds 70 pounds, the customer pays
the 70-pound price.
* * * * *
200 Commercial Mail Letters, Flats, and Parcels
* * * * *
210 Commercial Mail Priority Mail Express
213 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
* * * * *
[Add new section 1.9, eVS Unmanifested Fee, to read as follows:]
1.9 eVS Unmanifested Fee
Eligible eVS Priority Mail Express pieces omitted from the eVS
manifest are subject to the eVS Unmanifested fee (see Notice 123--Price
List), unless the piece is subject to the IMpb noncompliance fee under
3.2.
* * * * *
220 Priority Mail
213 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
* * * * *
[Add new section 1.11, eVS Unmanifested Fee, to read as follows:]
1.11 eVS Unmanifested Fee
Eligible eVS Priority Mail pieces omitted from the eVS manifest are
subject to the eVS Unmanifested piece fee (see Notice 123--Price List),
unless the piece is subject to the IMpb noncompliance fee under 3.2.
* * * * *
250 Parcel Select
253 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
* * * * *
[Add new section 1.5, eVS Unmanifested Fee, to read as follows:]
1.5 eVS Unmanifested Fee
Eligible eVS Parcel Select pieces omitted from the eVS manifest are
subject to the eVS Unmanifested fee (see Notice 123--Price List),
unless the piece is subject to the IMpb noncompliance fee under 3.3.
* * * * *
280 Commercial Mail First-Class Package Service--Commercial
283 Prices and Eligibility
1.0 Prices and Fees
* * * * *
[Add new section 1.4, eVS Unmanifested Piece Fee, to read as
follows:]
1.4 eVS Unmanifested Fee
Eligible eVS First-Class Package Service-Commercial pieces omitted
from the eVS manifest are subject to the eVS Unmanifested fee (see
Notice 123--Price List), unless the piece is subject to the IMpb
noncompliance fee under 3.4.
* * * * *
500 Additional Mailing Services
* * * * *
507 Mailer Services
* * * * *
[[Page 55507]]
[Add new section 11.0, Premium Data Retention and Retrieval
Service, to read as follows:]
11.0 Premium Data Retention and Retrieval Service
Premium Data Retention and Retrieval service allows a customer to
request that the Postal Service retain: (1) Scan data or (2) scan and
signature data for the customer's packages beyond the Postal Service's
standard data retention period, for up to ten years. Premium Data
Retention and Retrieval service is available for commercial packages
shipped via Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package
Service, Parcel Select, and commercial packages with Adult Signature
Services. For Scan and Signature Retention on products other than
Priority Mail Express, the customer must have purchased an underlying
signature service, such as Signature Confirmation service (see Notice
123--Price List). Customers can request Premium Data Retention and
Retrieval service online at USPS.com or through a Shipping Services
File.
* * * * *
Notice 123 (Price List)
[Revise competitive prices as applicable.]
* * * * *
Quick Service Guides (QSGs)
[Revise Quick Service Guides as applicable.]
* * * * *
We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to
reflect these changes.
Joshua J. Hofer,
Attorney, Federal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-22640 Filed 10-16-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P