United States Postal Service Full Service Approved
Saw this pretty dolphin stamp and remembered that October is National Stamp Collector's Month. It also reminded me of a childhood favorite TV show. Can you guess which show?
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September 30, 011
DMM Advisory
Pricing — keeping you informed about the prices and mailing standards of the United States Postal Service
2011 Holiday Shipping Dates for APOs/FPOs/DPOs
With the holiday season fast approaching, we are reminding friends and families to mail early to ensure delivery of their holiday cards and packages to APO/FPO/DPO destination addresses by December 25. Deadlines for mailing to specific APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Codes vary according to the specific classes of mail being sent to them. They are listed below.
We also remind mailers that all mail addressed to overseas military/diplomatic Post Offices is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling.
Those restrictions are listed by individual APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Code in each Postal Bulletin. To access this listing on the Internet, go to pe.usps.com, click Postal Bulletins in the blue navigation bar, and then select the Pull-Out Information section.
Mail Addressed To |
Express Mail Military Service (EMMS) 1 | First-Class Mail®Letters and Cards | Priority Mail® | Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL) 2 | Space Available Mail (SAM) 3 | Parcel Post® |
| APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092 |
Dec-17 |
Dec-10 |
Dec-10 |
Dec-3 |
Nov-26 |
Nov-12 |
| APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP 093 |
N/A |
Dec-3 |
Dec-3 |
Dec-1 |
Nov-26 |
Nov-12 |
| APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-098 |
Dec-17 |
Dec-10 |
Dec-10 |
Dec-3 |
Nov-26 |
Nov-12 |
| APO/FPO/DPO AA ZIP 340 |
Dec-17 |
Dec-10 |
Dec-10 |
Dec-3 |
Nov-26 |
Nov-12 |
| APO/FPO/DPO AP ZIPs 962-966 |
Dec-17 |
Dec-10 |
Dec-10 |
Dec-3 |
Nov-26 |
Nov-12 |
1 EMMS is available to selected military and diplomatic Post Offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to an APO/FPO/DPO address.
2 PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight and 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface price of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.
3 SAM parcels are paid at Parcel Post prices with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.
Holiday shipping dates for domestic and international mail will be provided in a separate DMM Advisory.
The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) is available on Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com). To subscribe to the DMM Advisory, send an e-mail to[email protected]. Simply indicate “subscribe” in the subject line.
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When I tell people that I work for a mail services provider, most people say, “Oh, you send out the coupon packs I get in the mail.” Technically, no, that’s another company. But the coupon packs are a familiar example of direct mail marketing, which is a large part of what mail service providers do.
Most of what companies like ours do falls into the category of mail preparation. That is, we take anonymous pieces and, through a series of processes, turn them into the mail that reaches people. First, we run your mailing list through presort software that sorts all the addresses, removes duplicate records and updates the addresses of people who have moved. The software also creates the paperwork for entry at the post office. This is where a lot of the postage discounts are realized, and the money saved here frequently adds up to significantly more than the entire cost of our services.
Once the list is ready, we put your mail pieces on large, inkjet printers and print the address information on them. The computer presort allows the pieces to come off the machine in the proper order for traying, which is the next step. As the addressed mail comes off the printer, it is put into postal equipment, trays, tubs or sacks depending on the class of mail, and labeled with a tag telling the postal service where it needs to go.
Finally, when the pieces are all prepared, we deliver them to the appropriate Bulk Mail Entry Unit. There we work with a bulk mail entry clerk to verify that the weight of the mail matches what’s listed on the paperwork, ensuring that the appropriate postage rate has been paid.
As a mail services provider, we don’t have to perform every step of the process. We can perform the computer presort for clients who wish to do their own preparation, for example. Or we can provide turn-key mailings, doing everything from designing and printing the pieces, to sourcing a mailing list, preparing and entering the mail. It all depends on what your needs are.
However, there are things a mail services provider can do for you beyond straightforward mail preparation. Not all of our clients are aware of the ways in which we can make their mail more efficient and effective. I will elaborate on these less-obvious ways in which we can help our clients over the next few entries here.