Changes to the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) that apply to simplified address flats makes more options available and will affect the entry of Every Door Direct Mail.
Every Door Direct Mail is made possible by standards that are set for flat sized mail pieces bearing a simplified address. What is a simplified address? It is an address that that contains no delivery specific information. An example would be “Local Postal Customer.”
Mailing to “Local Postal Customer” allows you to mail without a mailing list. More about proper use of the simplified address can be found here: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/602.htm
Summary of changes taking effect May 7th 2012 :
Size; Old Rule:
Must exceed at least one of the dimensions of letter sized mail.
Must exceed maximum Letter size height: 6 1/8 inches or,
Must exceed maximum Letter size length: 11 ½ inches or,
Must exceed maximum Letter size thickness: ¼ inch
Size; New Rule:
The old rule (shown above) still applies but now includes the following options.
Will qualify if it is a minimum of 3 ½ inches high and exceeds 10 ½ inches in length. But please remember it must exceed 10 ½ inches not be 10 ½ inches. By all other postal standards this would be considered letter sized mail.
NOTE: If you use a size that meets this minimum requirement but does not exceed letter sized mail then you must put EDDM in the endorsement line after ECRWSS. So your endorsement should look like this:
********ECRWSS EDDM.
Addressing Requirement; New Rule:
The requirement to include the City, State and Zip code in the simplified address on mail that is not entered or delivered to the DDU has been relaxed to a recommendation. That means, when printing pieces that will be entered at an ASCF, you no longer have to print different versions for each zip code.
Addressing Requirement; Business Addresses; New Rule: When the carrier route is 100% business addresses, you can now use the term Business Customer instead of Postal Customer or Local Customer.
This is a summary of the changes. For all of the changes please refer to http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22335/pdf/pb22335.pdf or check the updates to postal explorer under “Saturation Mail Simplified Address.”