The U.S. Postal Service is proposing a new rule that would allow the co-packaging of automatable flat-size Standard A (advertising) Mail with comparably sized periodicals and first class mail.
Under the rule mailers of flat-size automation-rate pieces and pre-sorted rate pieces within the mailing job would be allowed to co-package those mailings as long as each piece has a five-digit barcode.
There would be a 500-piece minimum for co-packaged mailings. Imprinting each piece with a five-digit barcode would speed up both the processing and delivery of the mailings, according to postal officials who are considering the possibility of implementing the proposal on Jan. 1, 2003.
Limiting the co-packaging of automatable flats to a single physical package for each logical pre-sort destination will speed up the verification and acceptance process of mailings for mailers at postal facilities, they added.
Automatable flats presorted by Zip+4 or delivery point barcode, and flats that are presorted but without a barcode, are usually processed in the same operation. Now the development of new automation equipment eliminated the need to segregate barcoded and non-barcoded mail pieces, according to postal officials.
Mailers are being asked to comment on the proposal by Sept. 27.
