- How do I apply for Publications Mail?
- Call the Commercial Service Network at 1 800-260-7678
- Complete the Agreement Activation Form and Agreement Activation Form - Publications Mail Supplement, and a Credit Application Form.
- Submit the form(s) and a representative sample of your Publications Mail piece.
- If your publication is produced in a language other than English or French, include a translation.
- Upon approval, we will issue you an Agreement Number
- If you are eligible for a subsidy through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), a Registration Number will be provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH). See Questions 11-14.
- We will return a signed copy of the Agreement Activation forms to you.
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- What are the minimum volumes for Publications Mail?
The minimum volumes for Publications Mail are as follows:
Machineable - Short and Long (S/L) - 1,000 pieces per deposit (phantom is available at Machineable base price)
Machineable - Oversize (O/S) - 1,000 pieces per deposit (phantom price is available at Machineable base price)
Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) Short and Long (S/L) and Oversize (O/S) - 1,000 pieces per Order (phantom price is available at LCP-Delivery Mode Direct base price)
NDG Presort Short and Long (S/L) and Oversize (O/S) - 50 pieces per Order for mailings comprised exclusively of NDG National pieces (phantom price is available at NDG National base price). There is no minimum quantity requirement for Publications Mail NDG National if there are any qualifying Local Rural or Regional Items on the same Order.
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- Why have minimum volumes been established for Publications Mail?
Minimum volume requirements have been established to account for the basic cost of accepting and processing an Order for a mailing. The Publications Mail service is designed for delivery of complete issues of a periodical publication.
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- What does phantom pricing mean?
Phantom price is the price applied to the difference between the minimum volume requirement and the actual volume mailed. It is the minimum base price, i.e. $0.38 for LCP and $0.54 for NDG National. For example: for an Order with 40 pieces of NDG National, the phantom charge would be $5.40 (minimum 50 pieces less 40 pieces mailed = 10 pieces phantom priced each at $0.54 = $5.40).
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- If as a Publications Mail customer, I have volumes less than the minimum requirement what options are available to me to avoid the phantom pricing?
For LCP or NDG National Orders with fewer pieces than the minimum requirement (such as some daily newspapers mailed to ex-residents) the customer may place the Order as one of the following:
- If the Item is under 500 grams - consider "Other Lettermail"
- If the Item is over 500 grams - consider "Parcel" (should sign an agreement - may qualify for discounts)
- Consolidation of the same issue, if not already being done
- If qualified rural mailing (i.e., containing qualified NDG Regional and/or Local Rural pieces) there is no minimum volume requirement
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- How are partial or downstream mailings impacted by the minimum volumes?
Partial and downstream mailings are treated differently:
- For LCP or NDG National presorted Orders, the minimum volume requirement applies to the entire Order on a single SOM (not to the partial mailing or downstream shipments);
- For Machineable Orders, the minimum volume requirement applies to each partial mailing
- Bundles of Unaddressed Copies are not included in any minimum volume counts.
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- Can a customer mail a publication issue using both NDG and LCP (Letter Carrier Presort)?
No. NDG and LCP are separate mail presortation options. A customer cannot combine NDG with LCP in the same deposit. However, customers may combine copies prepared as Machineable on the same Statement of Mailing as those presorted as either LCP or NDG. For more information on preparing your mailing, please see the Mail Preparation and Presortation section of the Postal Guide.
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- What mail make-up qualifies for Regional or Local Rural pricing?
Both Regional and Local Rural are for Non-letter carrier delivery. To qualify for the Regional price category at least 50% of the mailing must be Regional or a combination of Regional and Local Rural, otherwise NDG National prices will apply to the nominal Regional portion of the mailing. To qualify as Regional, pieces must be mailed at a postal facility for delivery at post offices which have no Letter Carrier Delivery and which are located in the same or adjacent province as the accepting postal facility. Therefore, most Regional Mailings would not be deposited at an RVU. Bundles of Unaddressed Copies are not included in the calculation.
The Local Rural price applies to all pieces mailed at a post office with no Letter Carrier Delivery for delivery at that same post office. Therefore, Local Rural is never deposited at an RVU.
Example 1: An Order deposited at a Non-Letter Carrier office containing 20 pieces of NDG National, 8 pieces of Regional and 12 pieces of Local Rural would be acceptable (Regional plus Local Rural = 20 or 50% of 40 total).
Example 2: For an Order deposited at an RVU (Letter Carrier delivery) containing 12 pieces of NDG National and 8 pieces of Regional, the "Regional" would not be qualified and the entire 20 pieces would be priced at the NDG National price with an additional 30-piece phantom adjustment.
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- What are chargeable Samples, Promotional and Novelty items?
Samples are defined as trial or trial-sized items or specimens intended to indicate the nature of the product. Promotional and Novelty items are defined as non-personalized items used to promote a brand name or use of a product or service. A Sample, Promotional and Novelty item may be an actual product, provided that it is intended as a trial to be used, displayed or worn by the reader of the publication. It would not normally be sold at retail. If the intent is to fulfil an order or provide a premium (free gift), then the item would not qualify as a Sample, Promotional or Novelty item within Publications Mail. A non-personalized audiocassette tape, compact disc (CD) or Digital Video Disc (DVD) used to promote a brand name or use of a product or service may be accepted as a Sample, Promotional and Novelty item.
Samples, Promotional and Novelty items that meet the acceptance criteria may be enclosed with a host publication with additional postage. Prices for Samples, Promotional and Novelty items can be found on the Publications Mail Price Sheet.
Multiple Samples, Promotional and Novelty items are defined as two or more Samples and/or Promotional/Novelty items for the same product line or brand name, mounted on the same backing or packaged together as a chargeable enclosure, which may be separated from the publication. The price for these items is based on the total weight including backing and/or packaging. Prices for Multiple Samples, Promotional and Novelty items can be found on the Publications Mail Price Sheet.
Samples, Promotional and Novelty items are priced, weighed and counted separately from the host publication in which they are enclosed. They are not considered part of the publication when measuring the advertising to editorial ratio of the Publications Mail piece.
Samples, Promotional and Novelty items must meet all the general acceptance criteria for enclosures.
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- What is the impact to me if I do not prepare Publications Mail according to the requirements of the product?
If mail preparation requirements are not met, extra handling costs will likely be incurred. Details on surcharges for minor mailing anomalies are available by clicking here. Major mail preparation anomalies may require reworking the mailing or having it accepted under another service option.
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- How do I apply for a Publications Assistance Program (PAP) subsidy?
All customers who wish to apply for a subsidy under the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) must apply directly to the Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH) at 1 800 641-9221. If qualified, a publication will be issued a Registration Number by DCH.
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- If I qualify for the Department of Canadian Heritage's PAP subsidy, should I still convert to EST? Why?
Yes, you should still convert to EST. One of the benefits of using EST for Publications Mail is that it simplifies the mailing by calculating the subsidy and applying it to the Order immediately.
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- How is the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) subsidy calculated?
For Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH) Registered publications, the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) subsidy is calculated as a percentage of the postage for eligible Publications Mail pieces. The percentage is set by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
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- How will I receive my PAP subsidy?
If you are eligible for a subsidy under the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) from the Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH), your Canada Post customer account will be debited with the total mailing charges, including postage, fees and taxes. At the same time (upon written direction from you as set out on the Statement of Mailing), the approved subsidy amount will be deposited by DCH into your customer account. Therefore, you will be required to pay only the difference at the time of mailing (unless there is already a sufficient balance in your account).
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- How does the new generic indicia design apply to Publications Mail?
Effective July 4, 2007, customers have the option to use a new, generic indicia with perforated edge design for multiple services as the design and specifications lend themselves to a wider degree of flexibility. The generic indicia applies to Addressed Admail, Dimensional Addressed Admail, Catalogue Mail, Lettermail, Incentive Lettermail and Publications Mail services.
The following conditions apply to this design:
- In the case of Publications Mail use, customers add " Publications Mail " as well as their customer number (and if applicable, their Registration number) to the artwork as per the instructions available by selecting "Postal Indicia" from our website at www.canadapost.ca/postalservices where the indicia can easily be downloaded;
- All current specification requirements regarding indicia minimum and maximum sizes, font sizes, etc., continue to apply.
Please note that the new design is not intended to replace the current indicia. It is meant to provide customers with additional options and greater flexibility.
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- How many business days do customers have to deposit mailings for Publications Mail?
Customers must deposit all partial mailings of an Order (Statement of Mailing) within 15 business days.
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- Do customers need to provide a sample item with each partial deposit when a mailing is inducted in more than one deposit?
No, when a mailing is inducted in more than one deposit, customers need to provide a representative sample of each item only when they deposit the first partial Order (Statement of Mailing).
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- Do customers need to state "Partial Mailing" on copies of the Order (Statement of Mailing) that accompany the partial mailings when they are deposited?
Yes, a copy of the first Order (Statement of Mailing) must accompany subsequent individual partial mailings when they are deposited and the copies must indicate "Partial Mailing". If customers are using Electronic Shipping Tools (EST), they must select the Partial Mailing option or check the appropriate box on the manual Order (Statement of Mailing).
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CREATING THE ORDER
- As a Publications Mail customer, how will I be affected if I use manual Order (Statement of Mailing) forms?
Orders submitted using the manual Order (Statement of Mailing) forms no longer qualify for incentive prices. In the case of Publications Mail Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) and/or Machineable Items, the mailing is subject to NDG National pricing, as per the Publications Mail 2007 Price Sheet. Mailings submitted using a manual Order (Statement of Mailing) do not apply towards any potential volume discounts and the $5 manual Order processing fee is still applicable.
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- What is the Electronic Shipping Tool (EST) software and how does it benefit me as a customer?
EST is an Internet-based shipping tool that automates the preparation and processing of Statements of Mailing and Manifests for mailing with Canada Post. For the customer, it reduces paperwork, saves time and improves billing/transaction accuracy, allows for online payment, provides access to incentive rates and any potential volume discounts, to name but a few. The EST is available at www.canadapost.ca/obc.
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- Who can use EST and how much does it cost?
EST was developed for Commercial customers depositing both Communications (letters, advertising, periodical publications) services and Supply Chain Product Management services (parcels and packages). EST is free.
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PREPARING THE MAILING
- Why is identifying information necessary?
The identifying information is important for proof of payment and processing undeliverable Publications Mail Items.
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- What identifying information is required for Publications Mail?
Basic Identifying Information
The Basic Identifying Information is required on each unwrapped or clear-wrapped Publications Mail Item (including a Bundle of Unaddressed Copies). All opaque-wrapped Publications Mail Items must meet the requirements below.
The Basic Identifying Information must be clearly visible in one of the following locations in minimum 6 point font on the host publication:
- On the cover (front, back or spine if perfect bound) of a magazine;
- On the front or back page of a newspaper or newsletter; or
- On the address label; (Note: destination address font size minimum is 2mm); or
- As part of the postal indicia (if the customer uses this proof of payment option)
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The Basic Identifying Information must be indicated in one of the following formats:
Example A
PM12345678 R12345*
Example B
Publications Mail Agreement #40012345 Registration #12345*
*Publications Assistance Program (PAP)-eligible titles only
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Detailed Identifying Information
Each opaque-wrapped host publication or Bundle of Unaddressed Copies must contain the Detailed Identifying Information (not the basic) clearly visible on the outside of the wrapper. Note that the Detailed Identifying
Information does not need to be duplicated on or in the host publication if it is printed on the outside of an opaque wrapper or envelope.
Each unwrapped or clear-wrapped Publications Mail Item must have the Detailed Identifying Information printed in one of the following locations:
- On one of the first five or last five pages of the host publication; or
- On the first page of the table of contents of the host publication; or
- In the masthead of the host publication; or
- On a clearly identifiable insert card securely enclosed in the host publication; or
- On an insert card for the delivery address visible through the polybag; or
- On the outside of the host publication to replace the Basic Identifying Information.
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The Detailed Identifying Information must appear similar to the illustration in the example below and must also contrast with the background, for legibility.
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 12345678
REGISTRATION NO. 12345 [if applicable]
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO
MYCOMPANY/DEPARTMENT
123 MYADDRESS ST
MYCITY ON M5W 1A1
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If a postal indicia is used to indicate proof of payment on an opaque-wrapped Publications Mail Item (including a Bundle of Unaddressed Copies), the Canadian return address for undeliverable address block information must be clearly indicated on the outside of the opaque wrapper.
The following guidelines can assist you to determine if the item is subject to a surcharge:
| the Basic Identifying Information is not printed in any of the locations listed above |
a surcharge will apply |
| the Detailed Identifying Information is not printed in any of the locations listed above |
a surcharge will apply |
| there is a Publications Mail indicia on the item, which includes the Agreement Number (and Registration Number, if PAP eligible) |
this constitutes the Basic Identifying Information (a surcharge will not apply).
Note: that for items that are in an opaque wrapper or envelope, the Canadian return address for undeliverable Publications Mail must appear on the outside of the opaque wrapper or envelope. If it does not, a surcharge will apply. |
| the Basic or Detailed Identifying Information is in a font size that is not easily readable |
a surcharge will apply if the font size is under six points. |
the Detailed Identifying Information is:
- on the outside of the envelope
or
- on the opaque wrapper, or
- visible on or through a clear
polybag, or
- on the cover of the host
publication
|
the Basic Identifying Information is not required (since that information is contained in the Detailed Identifying Information). A surcharge will not apply.
FURTHERMORE, the Detailed Identifying Information does not need to be duplicated on the inside of the publication. A surcharge will not apply.
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| the return address in the Detailed Identifying Information is not a Canadian address |
A surcharge will apply |
| the Detailed Identifying Information includes all of the information required but is formatted differently or wrapped on fewer lines than in the example provided |
A surcharge will not apply |
| the Detailed Identifying Information includes references such as Canada Post, Canadian, CPC or Postmaster. |
A surcharge will not apply |
| the Detailed Identifying Information is in mixed case (upper and lower) |
A surcharge will not apply |
A combination of the Detailed Identifying Information and the Basic Identifying Information is:
- on the outside of the envelope
or
- on the opaque wrapper, or
- visible on or through a clear
polybag, or
- on the host publication
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A surcharge will not apply as long as the three following elements appear:
- Product name in full or abbreviated:
Publications Mail or PM (PP in
French)
- Agreement Number and Registration
Number(if applicable)
- Canadian return address for
undeliverables
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the Basic Identifying Information appears in one of the following locations:
- the cover (front, back or spine if
perfect bound) of a magazine;
- on the front or back page of a
newspaper or newsletter; or
- on the address label
(Note: destination address font
size minimum is 2 mm); or
- as part of the postal indicia (if the
customer uses this proof of
payment option)
AND the Detailed Identifying Information appears in the appropriate locations accordingly,
BUT the Detailed Identifying Information does not contain the Publications Mail Agreement Number and/or Registration Number
|
A surcharge will not apply (the Agreement Number and/or Registration Number does not need to appear twice) |
the address
- on the outside of the envelope
or
- on the opaque wrapper, or
- visible on or through a clear
polybag,or
- on the cover of the host
publication
is the only visible address and that this is the address for undeliverable address information |
A surcharge will not apply but you may be advised of the proper wording "Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to" to be used in future mailings for clarity.
Future non-compliance will result in application of a surcharge. |
the words such as "Undeliverable" and/or "Return" are present
- on the outside of the envelope
or
- on the opaque wrapper, or
- visible on or through a clear
polybag, or
- on the cover of the host
publication
thus making it clear that the address provided is for the return of undeliverable Canadian addresses |
a surcharge will not apply but you may be advised of the proper wording "Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to" to be used in future mailings for clarity.
Future non-compliance will result in the application of a surcharge. |
| the email address is not indicated as part of the Detailed Identifying Information... |
a surcharge will not apply |
| the unwrapped or clear-wrapped (transparent polybag) publication contains the Basic Identifying Information on or through the wrapper, but the Detailed Identifying Information is not located inside the publication itself |
a surcharge will apply |
| the Basic Identifying Information in French has an "R" or an "E" representing the PAP Registration Number. |
a surcharge will not apply. |
| The return address in the Detailed Identifying Information is that of the fictitious "example" given in the Publications Mail Customer Guide. |
a surcharge will apply. |
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- What is a "Ride-along Publication"?
A Ride-along is a complimentary and promotional copy of either the same or another title (a separate newspaper, magazine or newsletter which has not been requested), enclosed with the host publication in order to promote and solicit subscriptions to the ride-along. A Ride-along is priced with the host publication on the same Order (Statement of Mailing). This is allowed up to a total of six times per year per host.
Ride-alongs should be clearly identified on the cover or on a separate sheet/card/overcover as follows:
- "complimentary" or "free" issue/copy (or similar wording), and
- a call-to-action for subscription such as a Business Reply Mail Item.
Otherwise they may be mistaken for a co-packaged publication and priced accordingly.
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- How many times per year can a Publisher send a "ride-along"?
A host publication may carry one ride-along title per mailing up to six times in a calendar year.
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- Do "Ride-along Publications" need to be identified?
Yes. Ride-alongs should be clearly identified on the cover or on a separate sheet/card/overcover as follows:
- "complimentary" or "free" issue/copy (or similar wording), and
- a call-to-action for subscription such as a Business Reply Mail Item.
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- Is the undeliverable return service available for ride-along publications?
No. Undeliverable return service is not available for ride-along publications, since the address block information will be returned only for the host publication.
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- What is an advertorial?
An advertorial is a type of advertising brochure that is formatted to look like a newsletter or other host publication in order to attract a reader's attention.
Advertorials should be clearly identified as "advertising", "advertorial" or "promotional" (or similar wording) on the cover/front page. Otherwise they may be mistaken for a co-packaged publication and priced accordingly.
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- Do "advertorials" need to be identified?
Yes. Advertorials should be clearly identified as "advertising", "advertorial" or "promotional" (or similar wording) on the cover/front page. Otherwise they may be mistaken for a co-packaged publication and priced accordingly.
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- As a Customer, what happens if I do not clearly identify my enclosures as "ride-along publication" or "advertising", "advertorial" or "promotional"?
As a Customer, if you do not clearly identify my enclosures as "ride-along publication" or "advertising", "advertorial" or "promotional", in most cases, you will be charged as though the enclosures were co-packaged publications.
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- Why is the detailed identifying information required on the outside of an opaque envelope or wrapper and not on the outside of a clear wrapper?
Optimally we would prefer to have the Detailed Identifying Information on the mail piece without having to open it. For an opaque-wrapper that can be reasonably done by the mailer, since envelopes traditionally carry return addresses etc.
However, we appreciate that cover real estate is at a premium for publishers. So for unwrapped publications, we allow the Basic Identifying Information, which is an abbreviation of the two proof of payment requirements, the product name (PM) and the Agreement number. And we allow the rest of the information to be printed inside the publication, i.e. as the Detailed Identifying Information. Clear-wrapped publications are treated the same way, since the polybag is normally not overprinted, but the information is on the publication itself, visible through the polybag.
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- What is the Address Accuracy adjustment?
The Address Accuracy program is designed to encourage mailers to accurately address mail. The standard for Address Accuracy is 95%. For a Statement of Accuracy (SOA) of less than 94.5%, there will be an adjustment of $0.05 per item, for the total number of items, equal to the difference between 95% and the actual Address Accuracy level.
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- What is meant by co-packaging?
Co-packaging is the inclusion of an item of Addressed Admail or Lettermail (or a separate host publication) with the host publication within a Publications Mail piece. Co-packaged items are priced as separate mail pieces and entered on separate Orders (Statements of Mailing). There is no minimum volume requirement for a co-packaged item, and therefore no phantom price is applicable to the co-packaged portion of the mailing. Undeliverable return
service is not available for co-packaged items, since the address block information will be returned only for the host publication.
Co-packaged Addressed Admail, Lettermail or Publications Mail must be submitted using Electronic Shipping Tools (EST), with the selection "Co-packaged in Pubs Mail piece" checked off. Manual Orders (Statements of Mailing) are not acceptable.
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- What policy must be followed when Lettermail or Addressed Admail is co-packaged with Publications Mail?
An item of mail, which does not meet the requirements of Publications Mail but meets the requirements of Lettermail or Addressed Admail, may be enclosed within a Publications Mail piece and priced as a separate mail piece. In such cases, a separate Order (Statement of Mailing) must be completed using Electronic Shipping Tools (EST) (with the selection "Co-packaged in Pubs Mail piece" checked off) for the enclosed Lettermail or Addressed Admail items as if they were mailed separately. The wrapper is weighed as part of the host publication.
Publications Mail service standards apply and undeliverable Lettermail or Addressed Admail items will not be returned to the sender. There are no minimum volume requirements for co-packaged items, since they are enclosed within a Publications Mail piece.
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- Can two Publications Mail pieces be co-packaged?
A publication, which would otherwise be mailed as a separate host publication but does not qualify as a ride-along publication, may be co-packaged with a host publication within a Publications Mail piece. In such cases, a separate Order (Statement of Mailing) must be completed using Electronic Shipping Tools (EST) for the co-packaged item, with the selection "Co-packaged in Pubs Mail piece" checked off. The co-packaged item will be priced as a separate mail piece (not including the weight of the wrapper, which is considered part of the host publication).
Publications produced in more than one language (even if they are a direct translation) are considered separate host publications, unless they are bound together under one cover.
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- What is the correct way to complete the documents for a co-packaged mailing?
Only the Order document with the enclosed co-packaged (Lettermail, Addressed Admail or Publications Mail) item must indicate "Co-packaged in Pubs Mail piece". This is to ensure the Order with the co-packaged item will not be charged the phantom rate and also for accounting purposes.
The Order with the host publication must not reflect co-packaging. This is to ensure these pieces will be subject to phantom volumes and charges as applicable and will not be double counted.
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- What is FCP?
Forward Consolidation Point (FCP) presortation level is one of the levels of mail grouping or "consolidation" in the National Presortation Schematic (NPS). The FCP is a consolidation point for mail made up for more than one Distribution Centre Facility (DCF), or for a mix of DCF and city level mail within a geographical location. The FCP level applies only to Addressed Admail, Publications Mail and Catalogue Mail.
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- Does the FCP level apply to Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) and NDG presorts?
Yes, the FCP level applies to Addressed Admail and Publications Mail for both LCP and NDG presort.
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- What are the sortation rules to be used?
- Consolidate to the lowest grouping/container possible.
- If there are sufficient groupings to fill at least one container for a Delivery Facility (Level 1), create a container for that facility.
- If there are sufficient groupings to fill at least one container for City (Level 2), create a City container.
- In the major urban area where DCF (Level 3) consolidation is not permitted; if you are unable to create a Delivery Facility (Level 1) or a City container (Level 2), create a FCP container (Level 4).
- Where DCF (Level 3) consolidation is permitted and if you are unable to fill at least one container to a Delivery Facility (Level 1), or one container to a City (Level 2), create a DCF (Level 3) container with the urban, rural and DCF groupings.
- If you do not have sufficient groupings to meet the minimum fill requirement of a DCF (Level 3) container, create an FCP (Level 4) container.
- If you do not have sufficient groupings to meet the minimum fill requirement of a FCP (Level 4) container, create a Residue container.
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- What is the minimum number of pieces acceptable for the FCP level?
The minimum number of pieces for mail grouping for Publications Mail is 6 pieces for any grouping level. The last residue container has no minimum number of groupings.
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- What is the price for mail sorted to the FCP level?
For LCP and Machineable Publications Mail, FCP has the same price point as Residue.
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- What are the FCP levels in the National Presortation Schematic?
Note: Verifty the levels by clicking on this link
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- What instruction would a NDG customer need on the requirement for FCP sortation?
The NDG Training Web site has been updated for the use by NDG mailers to see how to include the FCP level in their mail preparation.
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- Where do I, as a customer, get more information on preparing mail?
For further information go to canadapost.ca/postalservices and select Mail Preparation and Presortation Guides then select the appropriate service guide.
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- What and why is Canada Post introducing the Publications Mail Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) distance-based structure?
Effective January 14, 2008, Canada Post will introduce a change to Publications Mail whereby when preparing a Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) Order, customers will be required to declare Local, Regional and National volumes for mailings as identified on the Mailing Summary generated by the Software Evaluation and Recognition Program (SERP).
This change introduces a distance-based (Local, Regional, National) structure for LCP mailings. It will offer a choice between the convenience of a simple deposit or cost optimization by depositing at more than one postal facility which will feature lower prices for mail deposited closer to the delivery area.
After consultation with the publishing industry, a new Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) pricing structure without price differentiation will be introduced to Publications Mail whereby you will be required to declare Local, Regional and National volumes for LCP mailings, as identified on the Mailing Summary generated by Software Evaluation and Recognition Program (SERP) software.
Updates were made to SERP software to accommodate this change. Publication Mail customers who use the correct version of the software for their LCP mailings effective
January 14, 2008, will be able to assess their mailings for Local, Regional and National mix in preparation for a future distance-based price differentiation.
Customers who may not be able to implement the new SERP software in January are required to enter all their Publications Mail LCP volumes against the appropriate LCP National weight category when creating their Order in Electronic Shipping Tools. All customers must be using the new SERP software by February 18, 2008, to avoid a surcharge.
LCP distance-based designations:
Local
The Local price applies to mail deposited at an approved postal facility for delivery within the same city or town, with some exceptions*.
Regional
The Regional price applies to mail deposited at any approved postal facility for delivery within the same province, with some exceptions*.
National
The National price applies to mail deposited at any approved postal facility for delivery anywhere in Canada that does not qualify as Local or Regional.
Residue
Residue items are considered National for pricing purposes.
*Exceptions to these Local and Regional designations (e.g., Atlantic provinces are all Regional to each other) have been programmed into the SERP software. A listing is available at canadapost.ca/pmsupportdocuments
The minimum deposit continues to be 1,000 items for all LCP items on an Order.
Mailing instructions will be available on the Electronic Shipping Tools (EST) to provide explanations for downstream entry. For further information, please visit the EST Update at canadapost.ca/obc
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- What is the change to undeliverable Publications Mail (uPM) and when does it come into effect?
Canada Post is pleased to announce that effective January 14, 2008, a new application will be launched to automate and streamline the return of undeliverable Publications Mail address information to publishers. This service enhancement resulted from a need identified by Canada Post and customers to improve the processing of undeliverable Publications Mail.
The new process will replace the current manual process whereby Canada Post returns a representative cover and the address blocks to the publisher for each undeliverable publication.
Beginning in January, Canada Post will process undeliverable Publications Mail at three regional data centres: West-Edmonton, Central-Toronto and East-Montreal. The address and keyline (subscriber account) information from undeliverable Publications Mail (uPM) items will be data-entered and an electronic uPM report will be provided weekly to customers using Canada Post's secure PosteCSTM service. Customers will be required to provide their email address for this enhancement by registering for the uPM service, by completing the online form at www.canadapost.ca/upmform.
There will be an electronic uPM report provided for each publication title, containing:
- a "Detail" section listing the keyline (subscriber account), name and address of each undeliverable publication
- a "Summary" section for easy invoice reconciliation
- a unique billing identifier that can be matched to the relevant invoice.
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- Why is Canada Post changing the process for undeliverable Publications Mail (uPM)?
After extensive consultation with publishing associations, Canada Post is centralizing and automating the return of undeliverable Publications Mail information, thereby replacing the current less efficient manual process. This will result in:
- improved turn-around time
- reduced costs for publishers by eliminating redundant mailouts caused by untimely notification of undeliverable publications
- better reconciliation of invoices and record-keeping
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- How will the undeliverable Publications Mail (uPM) initiative impact Publishers?
Effective January 14, 2008, Publications Mail customers will have a choice on how to receive their undeliverable Publications Mail (uPM) address information. Customers can opt to either receive an electronic report containing address label information or have the entire undeliverable Publications Mail item returned by mail.
- Customers opting to receive the electronic reports must register by completing the online registration form at canadapost.ca/upmform. Customers will be invoiced the $1.00 uPM processing fee for each undeliverable address.
- For customers opting to have their entire publication returned if undeliverable, no registration is required and Canada Post will automatically return the entire mail piece to the Canadian return address identified in the detailed identifying information, as described in the Publications Mail Customer Guide. The uPM Processing fee for each returned item will be invoiced at $1.00 per returned item, plus the applicable postage.
For pricing details, please refer to the Publications Mail Price Sheet posted at canadapost.ca/postalservices
There is no requirement for Publishers to purchase any software. The only requirement to receive the uPM report electronically is internet access and a valid email address. Each uPM report will be provided in two formats:
- .pdf for visual clarity
- .csv format, which can easily be downloaded to an electronic spreadsheet or database (e.g. Excel, etc.).
Publishers may also experience a change to the taxes applied to their invoices as the uPM items are taxed as per the province of the regional processing site. For example, an Ontario publisher with undeliverable Publications Mail items processed in our East-Montreal location will be charged QST.
Publishers should also ensure that the Basic Identifying Information is visible on the outside of the mail piece or on the address label (e.g. PM40012345) to ensure efficient processing and avoid any surcharges. Further information is available in the Publications Mail Customer Guide.
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- When were customers notified of changes to the process for undeliverable Publications Mail (uPM)?
Customers with a Publications Mail Agreement and their Authorized Users were notified of changes to the undeliverable Publications Mail (uPM) process in the 2008 Transaction Mail and Direct Marketing price and service changes notification package sent to them in July 2007 and an update letter was sent in November 2007.
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- Will Publishers have to pay for this service?
Yes, Publishers currently pay for the notification of undeliverable publications as part of their Publications Mail Agreement. The uPM processing fee applies to each undeliverable item. If customers choose to have the entire Publications Mail item returned rather than receiving an electronic report then postage will be applied as well (e.g. for a 250 g item, the total billed would be $1.00 uPM processing fee plus $2.65 return postage). For additional information, please refer to the Publications Mail Price Sheet at www.canadapost.ca/customer_guides.
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- Publications Mail: How often will publishers receive electronic reports for undeliverable Publications Mail?
Publishers will receive the uPM report on a weekly basis via PosteCS . If there are no undeliverable Publications Mail items during the reporting period, no report will be issued.
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- Publications Mail: Will Publishers have to continue to provide the Canadian address for undeliverable returns in the detailed identifying information in the publication?
Yes, please refer to the Detailed and Basic Identifying Information sections in your Publications Mail Customer Guide, section 2.2.1.1.
The email address of the Agreement holder, however, will not be required as part of the identifying information since it will exist in Canada Post's uPM database once it is provided with registration for the uPM electronic reporting service.
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- How do Publishers advise Canada Post of an update or a change to their email address for receipt of the uPM reports?
For email address changes after the initial registration, Publishers may call the Credit Management Group at 1-800-267-7651 to update their email address to continue to promptly receive uPM reports.
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