Understanding Postal: Beyond Rising Postal Rates

The USPS will eliminate all automation-related discounts for mail that exceeds the maximum dimensions of an AFSM 100-eligible piece, but falls within the bounds specified for mail processed on the Universal Flat Sorting Machine 1000 (UFSM 1000). In other words, those nice, flat-size catalogs that exceeded the AFSM 100 maximum permissible mail-piece thickness of three-quarters of an inch, but fell within the UFSM 1000 maximum thickness of 1.25 inches no longer will qualify for automation rates. All UFSM 1000-eligible mail pieces now will be considered nonautomatable mail.