mailing standards unitedstates
POSTAL SERVICE
November 26, 2008
Ms. Chris Wheeler
P.O. Box 170
Locust Fork, AL 35097
Dear Ms. Wheeler:
Your recent letter to Mr. Potter, Postmaster General was referred to my office for a response.
The inconsistency in pricing cloth mailpieces such as the sample you submitted with your letter is regrettable. Let me clarify the mailing standards for you.
In order to be mailed at card prices, a card must be of uniform thickness, made of unfolded and uncreased paper or card stock of approximately the quality and weight of a stamped card (i.e., a card available from the United States Postal Service). A card must be formed either of one piece of paper or cardstock or of two pieces of paper permanently and uniformly bonded together. The stock used for a card may be of any color or surface that permits the legible printing of the address, postmark, and any required markings.
I have attached a copy of the pertinent standards from the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) for you to review. The fabric card-sized piece you submitted does not qualify for card prices, but is treated as a letter-sized mailpiece and may be mailed at the First-Class Mail prices for letters, or $0.42 per piece. When such mailpieces are enclosed in plastic like the sample you submitted, they are also subject to a $0.20 nonmachinable surcharge under the provisions of the DMM 101.1.2 b, which provides that a letter-size piece is nonmachinable if it is polybagged, polywrapped, or enclosed in any plastic material.
I have copied the Annette Rainey, Manager, Customer Service Standardization, Retail and Delivery, and provided her with a copy of your letter in order to share with her your concerns about consistency at different retail outlets when charging prices and answering postmarking requests.
Thank you for your interest in this matter. Sincerelv

cc: Annette Rainey
475 L'ENFANT plaza SW Washinaton DC 20260