USPS Seeks to Revamp Reporting on Costs of Undeliverable Mail
Published Date: 10/15/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The Postal Service wants to change how it counts the costs of mail that can’t be delivered as addressed (UAA mail) in its regular reports. This affects anyone interested in postal costs and mail delivery, and the public can comment by November 3, 2025. These changes aim to make cost reports clearer and more accurate, but they won’t change your mailbox or prices right now.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
UAA Costs Added to Mail Cost Models
The Postal Service filed on September 30, 2025 to change how it counts Undeliverable-As-Addressed (UAA) mail in periodic reports by incorporating UAA processing costs into the First‑Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail letter cost models. The Proposal would include UAA costs in the denominator of the Cost and Revenue Analysis (CRA) proportional adjustment factor; the Postal Service says there were more than 2.5 billion UAA letters in 2024.
Avoided-Costs Would Fall by $148M Total
The Postal Service calculated that including UAA processing would reduce avoided costs by $134 million (8.1 percent) for First‑Class Mail and by $14 million (1.0 percent) for USPS Marketing Mail. The Proposal shows these avoided-cost reductions would change workshare discounts and passthroughs and that some workshare discounts could fall out of compliance with 39 CFR part 3030, subpart J.
No Immediate Price or Mailbox Change
The document says the changes aim to make cost reports clearer and more accurate, but they will not change your mailbox or postal prices right now. The Commission has opened Docket No. RM2025-13 and is taking public comments by November 3, 2025.
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Key Dates
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