Return Mail Changes for Periodical Mailers
Periodical Mailers:
You should have been notified from the post office about your ACS (Address Correction Service) for your undeliverable mail & address corrections that have changed with the latest rate increase on July 9, 2023. In an effort to reduce waste & costs, the post office is doing away with manual paper returns & requiring everyone to switch to electronic ACS notifications for Full Service automation discounts.
3rd Class Standard Marketing Mail: You are NOT required to receive undeliverable mail & address corrections. If you did opt to have these returned to you by manual paper notices, then you will need to sign up for an ACS service. If you opted to not receive any corrections or are signed up for Full Service ACS already, then you don’t need to do anything at this time.
2nd Class Periodical Publications: You ARE required to receive undeliverable mail & address corrections. If you opted to have these returned to you by manual paper notices, then you will need to sign up for ACS services. If you are already signed up for Full Service ACS, then you don’t need to do anything at this time.
We recommend you sign up for Full Service ACS, OneCode ACS and Single Source. Full Service ACS is a free address corrections service for records that qualify for Full Service automation. OneCode ACS is for records that do not qualify for Full Service. These would be for addresses that may have some part of the address missing but can still be delivered as non-automated. OneCode ACS is cheaper than the manual paper returns or Traditional ACS. (For the current rates, please contact the ACS Dept). Single Source allows you to receive your electronic notifications in one fulfillment file instead of each one separately for each ACS service. To sign up for Single Source, just check the box on Form ACS001.
Below is info to help you sign up for a Business Customer Gateway login (which you will need for your ACS services) and where to navigate to ACS. ACS_CHANGES_7-9-2023 - INFO FOR CUSTOMERS.pdf will help you navigate the Gateway. Links to the forms you will need to sign up for Full Service & OneCode ACS services are:
ACS™ Enrollment Form | PostalPro (usps.com)
Electronic Product Fulfillment (EPF) Web Access Request Form (PS 5116) | PostalPro (usps.com)
The attached ACS_pub8.pdf will further explain the ACS services. Pages 8-10 will explain what Single Source Fulfillment is and how to retrieve your fulfillment files (address corrections).
For any additional ACS information, visit: https://postalpro.usps.com/address-quality/ACS
Since this is already in effect, we will automatically change everyone to Full Service ACS unless you aren’t required to receive your undeliverables or you are already mailing as Full Service. If you make any changes to your ACS status, please let us know which STID numbers the ACS Dept has you change to for your ACS IMB barcodes as we will have to update this info when we process your mail files.
If you have any questions about OneCode ACS, Traditional ACS or Single Source or have any trouble with the sign-up process, please contact the ACS Dept. Their contact info is acs@usps.gov or 877-640-0724 (Option 1).
For questions about the Business Customer Gateway, Full Service ACS, or have any trouble with the BCG sign-up process, please contact the Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center Help Desk at 877-672-0007 or MSSC@usps.gov.
If you need any information from us, such as your MID or CRID numbers for the ACS Dept, please let us know & we will get that for you. Please make sure you link all of your MID’s & CRID’s to your ACS account. Also, please let us know when you have signed up & for what services. We will need to update that info when we process your mailing lists.
Debbie Robbins & Cara Caravello