The Postal Service has made resources available to employees and customers to clarify a recent addition to Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) section 608.11.0, Postmarks and Postal Possession, and to improve public understanding of postmarks and their relationship to the date of mailing.
The new wording, which was officially added to the DMM on Dec. 24, does not change the way mail is postmarked. Rather, it defines the postmark, explains locations at which a postmark is applied, clarifies the scope of information conveyed by a postmark, and advises customers of how to obtain evidence of the date on which the Postal Service accepted possession of their mailings.
A stand-up talk was distributed this month, reminding retail employees that customers may request a local (manual) postmark, also called a “round-date stamp,” at the retail counter of any Post Office, station, or branch; and that when a customer requests a manual postmark, the mailpiece must be hand-canceled, free of charge.
Resources available for employees include:
• The retail stand-up talk, “Local (Manual) Postmarks Must Be Applied at Retail Locations Upon Request”; and
• Postmarking policy in the Postal Operations Manual, sections 312.1-312.2 “Local Postmark Requirement” and “Local Postmark Requests.”
Information for customers has been posted to the usps.com frequently asked questions on postmarking, and to the USPS Newsroom statement page in the “Postmarking Myths and Facts” document.
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