LIBRARY REFERENCE J-216 Publication 431 (Post Office Box Fees), Provided in Response to Interrogatory DBP/USPS-155 Post Offic d Fees UNITEDSTATES POSTAL SERVUE Putllrcalion 43 I Jdriuary, 2001 Post Office ................. ............. How to Use This Publication This publication is provided to postmasters and facility managers to them in understanding the new post office box fee restructuring (see Domestic Mail Manual D910 and D920 for complete rules and standards governing post office box service and caller service). Included is a list of new fee groups for all current five-digit ZIP Codes, explanation of the new fees, WinBATS instructions, frequently asked questions, and sample letters to help you communicate the changes to your post office box customers. Please read this publication and share the information with appropriate staff members to ensure your post office box customers understand the changes and your office charges the correct fees. Table of Contents Overview.. .................................................................... 2 Effective Date of the New Fees ... .................................... 3 Key 3 ............................................................... Additional Key 3 Fee ........................................................... Lock Replacement 3 Fee.. ................................................... No-Fee (Group E) Post Office Box Service................... 4 WinBATS 4-5 Instruction....................................................... Questions and Answers 6-7 .................. ..................... Sample Post Office Box Customer Letter for Current Fee Groups A, 6.and C Offices ........................................... 9 Sample Post Office Box Customer Letter for Current Fee Group D 11 ........................ d Caller Service F 13 List of Five-Digit Fee Group Assignments (by distri 15-264 1 Post Office Box Fees Overview Effective January 7, 2001, the Postal Service is restructuring post office box fee groups with new fees for each of those groups. In an attempt to better align fees with the actual cost of providing post office box service, the Postal Service has changed the classification structure for post office boxes. Currently, post office box fees are based primarily on the type of carrier delivery provided within the delivery area of the supervising post office. The Postal Service has undertaken a major project to align post office box fees with actual costs by five-digit ZIP Codes. In other words, post office boxes that have similar costs would be grouped together and have the same fee. These "actual costs" include estimated real estate value of the space used to provide post office boxes. Each five-digit ZIP Code has been assigned to one of six cost-based groups based on the estimated cost per square foot of the postal facility with the most post office boxes in that ZIP Code. All facilities within each five-digit ZIP Code charge the same fees for post office boxes. Multi-ZIP Code cities may find, however, that facilities in different five-digit ZIP Codes are assigned to different fee groups. The Postal Service believes that this post office box restructuring will result in more fair and equitable post office box fees for all customers because fees will more accurately reflect the true costs of providing service. The Postal Service also is implementing a new fee for each additional key, above the original two provided (see Additional Key Fee, page 3). In addition, the Postal Service is implementing a $10.00 customer-initiated lock replacement fee (see Lock Replacement Fee, page 3). A complete five-digit ZIP Code and fee group assignments list is included in this publication. Postmasters and facility managers also can access the fee group list on the Postal Service intranet (http://blue.usps.gov). Fees within specific groups will change as a result of a rate case. Interim changes, such as when facilities or ZIP Codes are opened, changed, or realigned, will be published in the Postal Bulletin. 2 Post Office Box Fees Effective Date of New Fees The new fees are effective on January 7,2001. However, current post office box and caller service customers will not pay the new fees until they renew their post office box for another six-month period. Fees paid on or after January 7, 2001, are the new fees. Postmasters and facility managers must ensure that the current and correct fees for post office box service are being charged. Key Deposit There are no changes to the $1.00 key deposit. When beginning post office box service, a customer receives two keys and pays a $1.OO deposit for each key. The deposit also must be paid for each additional key requested (see below). When post office box service is terminated (either by the customer or by the Postal Service), the $1.00 deposit is refunded for each key (including additional keys) returned to the Postal Service. Customers who qualify for and receive no-fee (Group E) post office box service must pay the key deposit. Additional Key Fee The additional key fee is $4.00, so a total of $5.00 must be paid for each additional key (over and above the two given to the customer at the start of their post office box service) requested by a post office box customer. The $1 .OO key is refundable, but the additional $4.00 fee is not. Customers who qualify for and receive no-fee (Group E) post office box service must pay for the additional keys. Lock Replacement Fee The Postal Service will charge a non-refundable $10.00 fee to replace a post office box lock or combination lock when the primary box holder has requested that service. Customers can exchange, at no charge, up to two keys with each "new" lock. They must pay the additional key fee (plus deposit) for any further keys. Customers who qualify for and receive no-fee (Group E) post office box service must pay for the lock replacement. 3 Post Office Box Fees ~ .. .. .. .... ~~ .. ... No-Fee (Group E) Post Office Box Service There are no changes to no-fee (Group E) box service. Customers who currently qualify for no-fee post oftice box service could continue to receive that service. It is important that postal employees regularly review whether Group E customers continue to be eligible for no-fee box service under Domestic Mail Manual D910. Customers may qualify for a no-fee (Group E) post office box if their physical address or business location meets all of the following criteria: a. The physical address or business location is within the geographic delivery ZIP Code boundaries administered by a post oftice. b. The physical address or business location constitutes a potential carrier delivery point of service. c. The USPS chooses not to provide carrier delivery to the physical address or business location. d. The customer does not receive carrier delivery via an out-of-bounds delivery receptacle. Only one no-fee (Group E) box may be obtained for each potential carrier delivery point of service. Eligibility for Group E boxes does not extend to individual tenants, contractors, employees, or other individuals receiving or eligible to receive single- point delivery such as delivery to a hotel, college, military installation, or transient trailer park. A customer must pay the applicable fee for each additional box requested beyond the initial box obtained at the Group E fee. It is the responsibility of the postmaster or facility manager to ensure no-fee box service is properly administered. Postmasters and facility managers must not charge box fees to customers who qualify for no-fee box service. ~... .. ~~ ~~ ~~ ...... ~~~ ...... WinBATS Instructions Fee Change Steps a. First, change the fee group (A through D) in the Facility Information screen. b. Next, change the group (A through D) for all existing boxes in the Utilities/Change Group Size, LocklGroup screen. c. Finally, change the actual fees on the Rate Table screen under UtilitieslBox RateslChange. Remember to enter the appropriate fee group alpha letter of the old fee group that corresponds to the alpha part of the new fee group you will be using. For example, if you are currently using Group C fees and your new fee group is Group C3, you will 4 Publiraf!:m '1.37. .Iariuar; 2061 Post Office Box Fees continue to make all of your WinBATS entries correspond to Group C. If you are changing from Group B to the new Group C3, you will change your WinBATS set up to Group C for starters. Facility Information Screen a. The first step is to open the Facility Information screen by clicking on “UTILITY” from the menu bar. b. Next click on “Change Facility Information.” The PO Box Group field is located in the lower-left corner of the screen. c. Click on “PO Box Group Field” and enter the alpha character that corresponds to your new fee group. For example, enter “Cif your new fee group is C3, C4, or C5. d. Now click on “SAVE”. UtilitieslChange group, size, LocWGroup a. Click on the “UTILITY” button on the tool bar and choose “UtilitieslChange Group, Size, LocWGroup”, and then click on “GROUP”. b. Enter the starting box number, the ending box number, and the increment. c. Change the group alpha character to the same character entered in the facility screen and click “SAVE”. Now for the last step: Fees per Semiannual Period a. Going back to the “UTILITY” button, click on “BOX RATES’. b. Next, click on “CHANGE”. c. Enter the new fees under the alpha column that corresponds to your new fee group. For example, if you entered “D for a new “D6 fee group, enter your new “Dfees under the “Dfee column. You do not have to type the dollar sign, the decimal, or the last two zeroes. For example, to change thirty dollars to forty dollars, just type “40. d. Finally, click on “SAVE’. Your WinBATS is now ready to automatically apply the new fees to all box customers in the system.