The Postal Service has proposed changes for Priority Mail Express delivery times and the reclassification of Bound Printed Matter parcels.
Currently, Priority Mail Express has three guaranteed delivery times 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 product will be simplified, and the new single guaranteed delivery time will be 6 p.m. on the committed delivery day, regardless of package origin and destination.
The price of using Priority Mail Express as a shipping option will not change. The current price for a Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope starts at $26.35; usps.com has additional pricing information.
If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), this change would go into effect no earlier than May 23.
Bound Printed Matter parcels contain advertising and printed materials such as books. They must be bound by permanent fastening — such as staples, glue or stitching — and may weigh up to 15 pounds.
The Postal Service will request approval to reclassify these parcels from a market-dominant product to a competitive product. By transferring these parcels to the competitive product list, the organization will have greater opportunity to use product and pricing strategies that are market responsive and better aligned with its shipping products portfolio.
Bound Printed Matter flats would remain as market dominant. These are usually catalogs that weigh more than a pound and are as much as three-quarters of an inch thick.
The PRC will need to approve the classification change. There is no proposed date for the change to take effect.
Postal Service filings can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily.
