664.332 Termination. A mailer may elect to terminate participation in a plant-verified drop shipment agreement by 10 calendar days' written notice to the authorizing field division general manager/postmaster. 664.333 Revocation. A plant-verified drop shipment agreement may be revoked by the authorizing field division general manager/postmaster by 10 calendar days' written notice to the mailer. Revocation must be based on the mailer's failure to pay postage and fees or to meet the requirements that apply to plant-verified drop shipment or mailing at third-class rates. The revocation action may be appealed as provided in 133. 664.34 Modification of Agreement. A mailer may request that a plant-verified drop shipment postage payment system agreement be modified to include verification and postage payment for additional publications, products or jobs not included in the original application and agreement. A new application and agreement are not required for each new mailing or job produced at a single origin mailing plant. Information about the new mailings, as specified by 664.313a through 664.313d, must be provided by the mailer to the origin post office at least 30 days before the date proposed for submission for verification of the additional plant-verified drop shipments. Depending on the specific situation, the required 30-day advance notice may be waived by the approving official (see 664.32). The origin post office submits the request for modification of the plant-verified drop shipment agreement to the field division general manager/postmaster for approval under the procedures in 664.32. 664.4 DMU Functions 664.41 General. Assignment of postal personnel to the mailer's plant to process plant-verified drop shipments may be in conjunction with the DMU staffing associated with a plant-load authorization for that mailer's plant, but may be provided to a mailer's plant that is not authorized plant load, at the discretion of the division general manager/postmaster. 664.42 Inspection of Mailpieces. Postal personnel assigned to the mailer's plant must verify drop shipment mailings for classification, rate eligibility, preparation, presort, and postage in the same manner as plant load mailings. 664.43 Documents 664.431 Preparation. The mailer must submit to the DMU a Form 8125 with Part A completed for each shipment to each destination entry postal facility. After verifying the shipment and before releasing each plant-verified drop shipment for dispatch, postal personnel must ensure that Form 8125 is properly completed, signed, and dated, and that it includes the number of the postal seal used on the vehicle. The DMU retains one copy of each completed Form 8125 and returns the other two signed and dated copies to the mailer. These other copies travel with the shipments to the destination postal facilities. Note: The USPS Authorized Mailing ID Code requested in Part A, item 8 on Form 8125 is only shown for mailings included in the Bulk Business Mail/Service Performance Measurement System (BBM/SPMS). The code, twelve alpha-numeric characters in length, is captured at the destination office in ODIS. Exception: The requirement for affixing a Postal Service seal (or equivalent security device) to vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments and for recording the seal number on clearance documents is suspended indefinitely. During this suspension, the Postal Service will allow the use of any customer security program that provides seals on vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments. The origin post office that verifies the shipments and observes the loading of the vehicle records the customer seal number on Form 8125 in Part II, item 3, and observes the sealing of the vehicle. The customer's vehicle seal number shown on Form 8125 must be preceded by the letters "CS" to designate a customer seal. 664.432 Enclosure. Postal personnel must ensure that the completed, signed, and dated Forms 8125 are provided to the mailer responsible for placing the forms in each vehicle to accompany the corresponding plant-verified drop shipments to the destination entry post offices. The completed Forms 8125 must be placed on the left rear wall of the vehicle just inside the door of the vehicle. 664.44 Loading. Postal personnel must observe the loading of each vehicle used to transport plant-verified drop shipments to ensure the correct mailings are loaded into vehicles for the correct destinations and that shipments are not improperly commingled (see 664.264). 664.45 Security 664.451 At Origin Mailer Facility. Postal personnel must seal the vehicle containing the plant-verified drop shipments mailings with a postal revenue protection seal (i.e., a USPS ball seal, USPS lock, or other postal security device) that prevents access to the shipments by other than authorized postal employees. Vehicles that make en route stops must be resealed after the corresponding mail is removed (see 664.5). 664.452 At Other Mailer Facilities. Vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments from a mailer's facility may make stops at one or more other facilities that are authorized plant-verified drop shipment. Additional shipments for the same destination entry postal facility may be loaded on the vehicle. This may be done only if postal personnel located at each mailing plant remove the postal seal on the vehicle; observe the loading of the additional shipment; provide the mailer with Form 8125 showing the correct seal number; and reseal the vehicle before it travels on to the next stop. All Forms 8125 for a single destination postal facility should be stapled together or enclosed in a single envelope identifying the name of the destination postal facility. The seal number shown on the first Form 8125 (for the last facility where mail was loaded) for the destination post office must properly identify the seal on the vehicle. Exception: The requirement for affixing a Postal Service seal (or equivalent security device) to vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments and for recording the seal number on clearance documents is suspended indefinitely. During this suspension, the Postal Service will allow the use of any customer security program that provides seals on vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments. The origin post office that verifies the shipments and observes the loading of the vehicle records the customer seal number on Form 8125 in Part II, item 3, and observes the sealing of the vehicle. The customer's vehicle seal number shown on Form 8125 must be preceded by the letters "CS" to designate a customer seal. 664.5 Destination Postal Facility Functions 664.51 Verification of Documents. The postal seal number on Form 8125 for the destination must match the number on an unbroken seal securing the vehicle. The mail described in Part 1 on Form 8125 must match the containers or load deposited. If these items match, the destination postal facility signs and dates Form 8125 accompanying the mailings and processes the mail. Forms 8125 must be retained by the destination postal facility for 1 year in a chronological file. If two copies of the form are submitted to the destination office, a signed and dated copy is returned to the mailer's employee or agent (see 664.25c). Exception: The requirement for affixing a Postal Service seal (or equivalent security device) to vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments and for recording the seal number on clearance documents is suspended indefinitely. During this suspension, the Postal Service will allow the use of any customer security program that provides seals on vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments. The origin post office that verifies the shipments and observes the loading of the vehicle records the customer seal number on Form 8125 in Part II, item 3, and observes the sealing of the vehicle. The customer's vehicle seal number shown on Form 8125 must be preceded by the letters "CS" to designate a customer seal. 664.52 Verification of Contents. Each destination postal facility where plant-verified drop shipments are deposited must ensure that only the appropriate shipments are unloaded and accepted. 664.53 Vehicles Containing Mail for More Than One Destination Facility. When a mailer's vehicle contains mail for more than one destination entry facility, each intermediate postal facility must record the number of a new USPS ball seal on the clearance document for the next scheduled destination post office, and affixe that seal to secure the vehicle. (If USPS locks are used, they must be removed and retained at the final postal facility where the vehicle stops.) Exception: The requirement for affixing a Postal Service seal (or equivalent security device) to vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments and for recording the seal number on clearance documents is suspended indefinitely. During this suspension, the Postal Service will allow the use of any customer security program that provides seals on vehicles containing plant-verified drop shipments. The origin post office that verifies the shipments and observes the loading of the vehicle records the customer seal number on Form 8125 in Part II, item 3, and observes the sealing of the vehicle. The customer's vehicle seal number shown on Form 8125 must be preceded by the letters "CS" to designate a customer seal. 664.54 Loading of Mail Prohibited. Postal Service mail for downstream postal facilities must not be loaded onto the mailer's vehicle by any intermediate postal facility at which the mailer has stopped to deposit a plant-verified drop shipment. 664.6 Liability. The mailer assumes all liability and responsibility for any loss or damage to plant-verified drop shipments before they are deposited and accepted as mail at destination entry postal facilities, regardless of whether a third party is used to transport those shipments. The Postal Service is not liable or responsible for any loss or damage to plant-verified drop shipments before they are deposited and accepted as mail at a destination postal facility. 664.7 Postage 664.71 Method of Payment. Postage for a plant-verified drop shipment must be paid by precanceled or meter stamps or by permit imprint using a precanceled stamp permit, meter license, or permit imprint advance deposit account, as applicable, maintained by the mailer at the post office serving the mailer's location. 664.72 Computation. Postage for third-class mailings prepared as plant-verified drop shipments is calculated from the destination postal facility where mailings are deposited and accepted into the mailstream (the postal facility where the Express Mail or Priority Mail shipment destinates). 664.73 Refunds. The Postal Service does not refund postage for any failure to provide service that is caused in whole or in part by any event that occurs before the shipment is deposited and accepted into the mailstream and becomes mail at a destination postal facility, except under 147.2. 665 Postage Payment for Plant-Verified Drop Shipment Permit Imprint Mailings at Origin Post Office Serving Mailer's Plant 665.1 General. Postage is normally debited from a mailer's advance deposit account using the information presented by the mailer on hard-copy individual mailing statements. Under this payment option, in addition to the individual mailing statements required for each third-class mailing (see 662), mailers may be required to submit registers of mailing statements and consolidated mailing statements for bulk rate permit imprint mailings that are verified under a plant-verified drop shipment postage payment system (see 664). A single, unique USPS mailing number (key) must appear on all related individual mailing statement, the register of mailing statements listing these individual statements and the associated consolidated mailing statement. This unique key number identifies the relationship between the individual statements, the register, and the consolidated statement. When a mailer is required to submit consolidated mailing statements, the information on these statements is used to debit the mailer's account instead of using the information on each individual mailing statement. 665.2 Participation 665.21 Required by Local Post Office. The local post office serving the mailing plant where the advance deposit account is maintained must require a plant-verified drop-shipment mailer to submit registers of mailing statements (see 665.32) and consolidated mailing statements (665.33) whenever individual jobs or mailing cycles presented by the mailer to the DMU for verification and acceptance for postage payment on any given day are segmented for deposit and entry at five or more destination postal facilities requiring five or more individual mailing statements for each job or mailing cycle. 665.22 Request by Mailer. An authorized plant-verified drop shipment postage payment system mailer may request authorization to submit registers of mailing statements and consolidated mailing statements for all mailings that are drop shipped into more than one entry post office. 665.23 Approval of Registers of Mailing Statements and Consolidated Mailing Statements. The MSC manager, mailing requirements, must review and approve the format and method of generation of individual mailing statements, registers of mailing statements, and consolidated mailing statements to be presented by the mailer to ensure that they comply with the requirements prescribed in 665.3 before the local post office serving the mailing plant can use the consolidated statements for debiting the mailer's account. 665.3 Required Mailer Documentation 665.31 Individual Mailing Statements. The mailer must produce and submit a signed individual mailing statement in hard-copy for each mailing destined for each destination entry post office, at the time the mailing is presented for verification and postage payment. In addition to the information required on all individual mailing statements, when the mailer is required to submit consolidated mailing statements (for 5 or more entry post offices) for debiting of the advance deposit account, each individual mailing statement must include a uniquely assigned mailing statement sequence number that must not exceed nine digits. The numbers must be sequential within a job or mailing cycle for mailings verified, paid for, and cleared for dispatch on the same day. The statements must also include a unique USPS mailing number (key) corresponding to the number on the related register of mailing statements and consolidated mailing statement. 665.32 Register of Mailing Statements 665.321 General. A register of mailing statements is a computer-generated line item listing of all individual mailing statements for plant-verified drop shipment permit imprint mailings verified and released for dispatch on a single day from a job or mailing cycle. All individual mailing statements represented on a register of mailing statements must be represented by a corresponding consolidated mailing statement, and the total postage charge on the register must be identical to the total postage charge on the corresponding consolidated statement. The information on a register of mailing statements is reconciled against individual mailing statements and the consolidated mailing statement to ensure proper payment of postage. 665.322 Content. The information identified in 665.323 through 665.325 is required to appear on each register of mailing statements. Additional information may be shown. 665.323 First Page. The following information must appear at the top of the first page of each register of mailing statements: a. the endorsement "Register of Mailing Statements;" b. the name and location of the mailing agent; c. the date mailings represented are verified and cleared for dispatch; d. the permit imprint advance deposit account to be debited; e. the unique USPS mailing number (key) corresponding to the number on related individual mailing statements and the related consolidated statement. 665.324 Line Items. Each line item listing on a register must include the following data elements from the individual mailing statement represented on that line: a. The unique individual mailing statement sequence number; b. the destination post office of mailing; c. the total number of pieces in the mailing; d. the total weight of the mailing; e. the total postage charge. 665.325 Totals. The register must also include a total postage charge representing the sum of the total postage charges from each individual mailing statement listed, as well as the total number of pieces and the total weight for all individual mailing statements listed. The total postage charge on the register must match the total postage charge on the related consolidated statement. 665.326 Corrections. Where necessary, due to changes made to individual mailing statements, manual corrections may be made to the register of mailing statements listing the data from the individual statements. These corrections must be documented by the DMU and the corrected register of mailing statement must be signed and dated by both the mailer and the postal service representative that approved the changes. The changes on the register must be reflected on the associated consolidated mailing statement. 665.327 Submission by Mailer. The mailer must submit the register of mailing statements to the DMU at or before the time that the first individual mailing included on the register is presented to the DMU for verification and release for dispatch. 665.328 Retention. The normal retention period for financial documents also applies to registers of mailing statements. 665.33 Consolidated Mailing Statement 665.331 General. This statement consolidates all mailing statement data from individual mailing statements representing permit imprint mailings verified, paid for, and released for dispatch on a single day from a job or mailing cycle. The consolidated mailing statements are used to debit the mailer's advance deposit account by the post office where the mailer's account is maintained. The following information must be identical for each of the individual mailing statements that are rolled up to a single consolidated mailing statement: a. the mailing statement date representing the date mailings are verified and cleared for dispatch by the DMU serving the mailer's plant; b. the name and location of the mailing agent; c. the processing category for individual mailings; d. the rate of postage (all regular rates or all special nonprofit rates); e. the permit imprint advance deposit account to be debited; f. the job or mailing cycle description; g. the unique USPS mailing number (key) corresponding to the number on related individual mailing statements. 665.332 Format. The consolidated mailing statement must be a computer-generated facsimile that has essentially the same format at the individual Postal Service mailing statements that it represents. It must be signed and dated by the mailer. Certain data elements including the range of unique individual mailing statement sequence numbers, the number of individual mailing statements represented, and the endorsement "Consolidated Mailing Statement," that are not shown on individual statements must be shown on the consolidated statement. Other data elements included on individual statements, such as each post office of deposit for drop shipment mailings, must not be shown on the consolidated statement because this statement is consolidating information from multiple individual mailing statements. In addition, each individual mailing statement must contain a USPS mailing number (a key) that corresponds to the USPS mailing number on the related consolidated mailing statement. 665.333 Calculation of Data. Each field on the consolidated mailing statement represents the sum total of the numbers in that field from all the individual mailing statements represented by the consolidated statement. The number in each field on the consolidated mailing statement must be held to the same number of decimal places required to be held on an individual mailing statement. All fields containing data on the individual mailing statements must be rolled up to the consolidated mailing statement. The total postage charge on the consolidated mailing statement must be the sum of the total postage charges for all subordinate individual mailing statements and must be used to debit the mailer's advance deposit account. Note: When each of the line item totals that have been calculated using standard procedures for computing, rounding and expressing weight and postage figures on all the individual mailing statements are rolled up to a consolidated statement, the sum of those line item totals on the consolidated statement does not necessarily result in the exact sum of the total postage charges from all the individual mailing statements. 665.334 Submission by Mailer. The mailer must submit the consolidated mailing statement to the DMU at or before the time the last individual mailing statement it represents is submitted to the DMU for the day's mailing. 665.335 Corrections. Changes made to individual mailing statements may require the mailer to correct the consolidated mailing statement to reflect the changes. Such corrections must be documented by the DMU and a corrected consolidated mailing statement, signed and dated by the mailer, must be submitted to the DMU for proper debiting of the mailer's account. 665.336 Retention. The normal retention period for financial documents applies to consolidated mailing statements. 665.4 Post Office Responsibilities 665.41 General. Postal personnel assigned to the detached mail unit (DMU) in the mailer's plant must perform all duties described in 664 pertaining to the verification, clearance, and release for dispatch of plant-verified drop shipment mailings. 665.42 Reconciliation of Individual Mailing Statements Against Register. The DMU must reconcile the information reported on the individual statements for each mailing from a job or mailing cycle that has been verified and cleared for dispatch each day against the line item entries on the register of mailing statements representing those individual statements. The DMU must ensure that all mailings that were verified and cleared for dispatch are represented on the register and any corrections made to the individual statements are reflected on the register. 665.43 Reconciliation of Register of Mailing Statement and Consolidated Mailing Statement. The DMU must ensure that the total postage charge shown on the register of mailing statements matches the total postage charge on the corresponding consolidated mailing statement. 665.44 Approval of Documents. When the DMU determines that the data on the individual mailing statements, the register of mailing statements and the consolidated mailing statement are correct and all in agreement, the postal employee must sign and date (round stamp) each statement. A correct consolidated mailing statement, signed and dated by the mailer and the DMU, must be used by the post office to debit the mailer's account. 670 (Reserved) 680 (Reserved) 690 Ancillary Services 691 Forwarding and Return 691.1 Unendorsed Mail. No forwarding or return services are provided on bulk business mail (bulk third-class) without an endorsement. Unendorsed, single-piece third-class mail is returned to the sender with the new address or reason for nondelivery. Single-piece third-class mail endorsed "Do Not Forward" is not forwarded or returned. Single-piece third-class mail endorsed "Address Correction Requested" is not forwarded and usually not returned to sender. 691.2 Insured Mail. Insured third-class mail is treated as though endorsed "Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed." 691.3 Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed. Undeliverable third-class mail endorsed "Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed" is forwarded for 12 months if the new address is known. No forwarding postage is charged to the recipient. During months 13 through 18, the piece is not forwarded; rather, it is returned to the sender with the correct forwarding address or the reason for nondelivery attached. The third-class weighted fee (see 691.5) is charged on all mail so endorsed that is returned during months 1 through 18. If a piece or any attachment is not opened by the addressee, the addressee may refuse delivery of the mail and have it returned to the sender without affixing additional postage (see 159.11c). If a piece or any attachment is opened by the addressee, the addressee must pay the required postage to mail the article back to the sender. 691.4 Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed--Address Correction Requested. If the endorsement "Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed--Address Correction Requested" is used, the mail is forwarded for the first 12 months, if the forwarding address is known. A separate address-correction notice on Form 3547 is sent to the mailer, and the appropriate address-correction fee is charged (see 612.2). No forwarding postage is charged to the recipient. If the piece is not forwardable, it is returned. During months 13 through 18, the piece is returned, with the correct forwarding address or the reason for nondelivery attached (see 692). 691.5 Weighted Fee. Whenever mail endorsed "Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed" or "Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed--Address Correction Requested" is returned to sender as outlined in 691.2 through 691.4, the mailer pays the weighted fee, the appropriate single-piece third-class rate, multiplied by a factor of 2.472. This factor is derived from the ratio of the number of third-class pieces nationwide that are successfully forwarded to the number of these pieces that cannot be forwarded and are returned. There is no charge for the "on-piece" address correction provided. 692 Return Bulk business mail which cannot be delivered as addressed and bears the endorsement "Do Not Forward, Address Correction Requested, Return Postage Guaranteed" is not forwarded but returned at the appropriate single-piece rate, with an address correction or the reason for nondelivery attached at no charge. Unendorsed bulk business mail is not returned. Unendorsed single-piece third-class mail which cannot be delivered as addressed is returned to the sender at the appropriate single-piece rate, with the reason for nondelivery attached at no charge. Mail which qualifies for a single-piece fourth-class rate under the provisions of 611.12 is returned at that rate, if the mailer's endorsement includes the name of the fourth-class rate. 693 Mixed Classes Undeliverable, unendorsed bulk third-class mail with nonincidental First-Class attachments or enclosures prepared according to 136.2 or 136.3 is returned at the single-piece third-class rate. The weight of the First-Class attachment or enclosure is not included when computing the charges for return of the mailpiece. Undeliverable unendorsed bulk third-class mail with an incidental First-Class attachment or enclosure prepared under 136.4 is disposed of by the Postal Service. 694 Address Correction 694.1 Description. The sender may obtain a recipient's forwarding address (or the reason for nondelivery, if there is no forwarding address or if the forwarding address is temporary) by using the "Address Correction Requested" endorsement, either by itself or together with the "Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed" endorsement. Temporary change-of-address information is not provided. Exception: This service is not provided for mail using the exceptional address format. 694.2 Procedures 694.21 Optional Weighing Method. When a large volume of identical weight pieces originate from a single mailer bearing only the "Address Correction Requested" endorsement, postmasters or their designees may determine the average per-piece weight of the pieces by weighing a sample of at least 25 pieces and dividing the weight of the sample by the number of pieces in it. a. For those pieces individually weighing over 1 ounce: After the average per-piece weight is determined, the pieces are weighed in bulk to determine the number of pieces subject to the address-correction fee. Pieces of identical weight counted in this manner, regardless of weight, are returned to the sender with the new address or the reason for nondelivery endorsed on the piece. b. For those pieces individually weighing 1 ounce or less: After the average per-piece weight is determined, the pieces are weighed in bulk to determine the number of pieces subject to the single-piece rate for return. 694.22 Standard Procedures. If the volume of pieces is not sufficient to justify weighing, the following conditions govern this service: a. Pieces generally weighing 1 ounce or less bearing the words "Address Correction Requested" are returned to the sender with the new address or the reason for nondelivery endorsed on the piece. Only the appropriate single-piece rate is charged (see 612.2). b. For pieces generally weighing more than 1 ounce and bearing only the endorsement "Address Correction Requested," Form 3579 or a markup label is used to notify the sender. Exception: When address labels are affixed to plastic wrappers, or a window-address format is used on a mailpiece, or it is more expeditious for the Postal Service, then Form 3547 may be used to provide the requested information. c. Mail which qualifies for a single-piece fourth-class rate under the provisions of 611.12 is returned at that rate, if the mailer's address-correction service endorsement includes the name of the applicable fourth-class rate. For example, if a third-class piece qualifies for mailing at the special fourth-class rate for books, the endorsement is "Special Fourth-Class Rate; Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed." 694.3 Address Change Service (ACS) a. ACS is designed to centralize, automate, and improve the processing of address correction requests for mailers. The ACS process involves the transmission of address correction information to a central point where the changes are consolidated onto a magnetic tape filed by unique identifier. These records are sequentially organized by USPS assigned codes and distributed to each participating mailer. Label formats are found in 441.232. b. ACS is available to mailers who maintain their address records on computers. For further information, write to Address Change Service, Address Information Center, U.S. Postal Service (for address, see Address List in Appendices). 695 No Service Requested If the services described in 691, 692, or 693 are not requested by the mailer, and the piece is undeliverable as addressed, and the period for forwarding has expired (159.2), the piece is treated as dead mail. 696 Nonmailable or Nonstandard Pieces For instructions regarding the return of nonmailable or nonstandard pieces or third-class mail, see 629.222d or 629.234, respectively.