USPS have announced that they have filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission seeking to transfer Bound Printed Matter Parcels to the Competitive Product list, and simplifying the delivery time for Priority Mail Express.
There is no set confirmation or date for when the changes to Priority Mail Express will take place but it is expected to be no earlier than May 23, 2021.
Currently, PME has three guaranteed delivery time windows within the 1 – 2 business day service standards: 10:30 a.m. (in select locations, for an extra fee), noon, or 3 p.m. The new single guaranteed delivery time will be 6 p.m. on the committed delivery day, regardless of package origin and destination. According to USPS the price of using PME as a shipping option will not change.
BPM parcels contain advertising, promotional, directory or editorial material such as catalogs, books and other printed material, and can weigh up to 15 pounds. The contents must be securely bound by permanent fastenings such as staples, spiral binding, glue, or stitching. The Postal Service has requested that the PRC change the classification of BPM parcels from a Market Dominant product to a Competitive product.
By transferring these parcels to the Competitive Product list, the Postal Service will have a greater opportunity to utilize product and pricing strategies to be market responsive and better aligned with the Postal Service’s shipping product portfolio.
The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect.
