USPS Tweaks Mail Discounts and Rules Again
Published Date: 5/1/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
Starting July 13, 2025, the USPS is updating its mailing rules and prices, affecting anyone who sends mail domestically. They’re adding new discounts for First-Class mail on certain pallets and simplifying some mailing categories to make things easier and fairer. If you mail stuff, watch for these changes and get ready to adjust your mailing plans and budgets!
Analyzed Economic Effects
14 provisions identified: 11 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
SCF Pallet Discounts Extended to First‑Class
Starting with the July 13, 2025 proposal, the Postal Service would extend the Sectional Center Facility (SCF) pallet containerization discount to First‑Class Mail cards, letters, and flat‑shaped pieces (including SCF, 5‑Digit and/or 3‑Digit Scheme pallets). This explicitly makes First‑Class mail eligible for the same SCF pallet discounts that previously applied to USPS Marketing Mail.
Bound Printed Matter Removed; Heavy Printed Matter Created
The Postal Service proposes removing Bound Printed Matter (BPM) from the market‑dominant product list and would introduce a new USPS Marketing Mail subcategory called Heavy Printed Matter (HPM) for heavy advertising materials (like catalogs) that weigh up to 15 pounds, with regular and nonprofit presorted, carrier route, and nonpresorted HPM rates and associated discounts (including SCF pallet and 5‑Digit/Direct Delivery Sort Container discounts for certain HPM).
Marketing Mail Flat Weight Limit Increased to 20 oz
The DMM would set the maximum weight for USPS Marketing Mail flat‑shaped pieces at 20 ounces (and 24 ounces for carrier route flats). This change is part of the proposed revisions tied to removing Bound Printed Matter and updating Marketing Mail rate structure.
Media & Library Mail Presort Prices Eliminated
The Postal Service proposes eliminating presort price options for Media Mail and Library Mail, leaving only single‑piece pricing available for those products.
DNDC Entry Discount Removed (NDC Network Changes)
The Postal Service proposes eliminating the Destination Network Distribution Center (DNDC) entry discount for applicable mail classes (USPS Marketing Mail, Periodicals, and Bound Printed Matter) as the Postal Service moves to eliminate NDCs and associated NDC transportation under its Delivering for America network transformation.
Catalog Insights Promotion: 10% Discount Oct 1, 2025–Jun 30, 2026
The Postal Service plans a 'Catalog Insights' promotion that offers a 10 percent postage discount for qualifying catalogs (must be at least 12 pages, bound, include a product/service list, and allow orders) mailed as USPS Marketing Mail Letters, Flats, or Parcels from October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The existing Catalog Incentive will be set to $0 during this period so both catalog discounts are not available simultaneously.
No Bundling Required for First‑Class Flats
The Postal Service proposes to eliminate the bundling requirement for First‑Class Mail flats placed in flat tubs; mailers would still sort tubs to 5‑digit, 3‑digit, and scheme price levels but would not need to bundle pieces inside tubs. The change removes the additional processes required to open and sort bundles during processing.
Automation Basic Carrier‑Route Letters Category Removed
The Postal Service proposes eliminating the Marketing Mail Commercial & Nonprofit Automation Basic Carrier‑Route (Basic‑CR) letters rate category, noting it is priced higher than 5‑Digit letters and offers no cost savings beyond 5‑Digit presort while incurring additional processing costs.
New Nonpresorted Rate for Marketing Flats
The Postal Service proposes adding a nonpresorted rate category for USPS Marketing Mail regular and nonprofit flats as part of the Marketing Mail rate structure revisions tied to the BPM removal and weight limit changes.
Nonprofit Parcel Size Limits Updated
The Postal Service will revise the dimensions for Nonprofit Machinable and Nonprofit Nonstandard priced parcels to a maximum of 22 inches length, 18 inches width, and 15 inches height (replacing the prior length‑and‑girth 108‑inch description).
Plus One and Detached Marketing Labels Merged
The Postal Service proposes merging the Plus One and Detached Marketing Labels (DML) products into a single Plus One product, allowing usage with either saturation letters or saturation flats.
Mail Growth Incentives Continued for 2026 and Beyond
The Postal Service proposes to continue the First‑Class Mail Growth Incentive and the Marketing Mail Growth Incentive into calendar year 2026 and beyond to promote mail volume growth.
Marriage Mail Incentive Extended to High Density Plus
The Postal Service proposes extending the Marriage Mail incentive price to include High Density Plus USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats that meet the incentive requirements. Eligible Marriage Mail pieces must include at least 4 advertisers and be mailed at least 10 times every 12 months (by the mail owner, starting with the month of first claiming the incentive price).
Small Mailings Exempt from Intelligent Mail Container Labels
Intelligent Mail container labels would not be required for small USPS Marketing Mail and Periodicals mailings entered at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) if the mailing is less than 500 pounds of bundles or sacks and uses fewer than 72 linear feet of trays.
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Key Dates
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-19720, National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures
The United States Postal Service is updating its rules for how it checks the environmental impact of its actions, making the process simpler and clearer. This affects USPS employees and anyone interested in how the Postal Service protects the environment. The new rules start on September 25, 2026, and the USPS wants your feedback by October 26, 2026—no extra costs involved, just smarter steps!
2026-18371, Labels 888, 889, 891, and 892, Discontinued
The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to discontinue the use of Label 888 and Label 889 respectively. Revisions to the DMM concern only Labels 888 and 889.
2026-17884, Free Matter for the Blind and Other Physically Handicapped Persons
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2026-17986, Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is responding to public comments regarding the creation of a new General Privacy Act System of Records (SOR) USPS 820.225, Federal Ballot Mail. The new SOR coincides with the Postal Service's publication of the Final Rule amending the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), regarding the transmission of mail-in or absentee ballots for federal elections. The Postal Service created the SOR to maintain a list of individuals, each individual's address, the unique Intelligent Mail barcodes printed on each individual's outbound and return ballot envelope for a federal election, and the state or political subdivision thereof that issued such ballot for inclusion on a state's Mail-in and Absentee Participation List, as required by the new DMM section. There will be no changes to the new system of records in light of public comments received.
2026-17640, Change in Rates of General Applicability for Competitive Products
This notice sets forth time-limited changes in rates of general applicability for competitive products.
2026-16016, New Mailing Standards for Live Animals
The Postal Service proposes revising Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52), for various package requirements for live animals. This proposal will improve package integrity and container identification for all live animal shipments during processing and handling by prohibiting the reuse of fiberboard containers and requiring individual addressing and sequential numbering for multiple container shipments when bound together in a single shipment. Also, this proposal requires mailers to write the recipient's name and address directly on the packaging of Adult Bird shipments in the event the shipping label becomes detached from the packaging.
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