2016-17425. Enterprise Payment System and Enterprise P.O. Boxes Online

AGENCY:

Postal Service^TM.

ACTION:

Interim final rule with request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to provide an enhanced method for commercial customers to pay for and manage their services online using a single account.

DATES:

Effective date: September 6, 2016.

Comment deadline: Comments must be received on or before August 26, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Mail or deliver written comments to the manager, Product Classification, U.S. Postal Service®, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 4446, Washington, DC 20260-5015. If sending comments by email, include the name and address of the commenter and send to [e-mail], with a subject line of “Enterprise P.O. Box Online System.” Faxed comments are not accepted. You may inspect and photocopy all written comments, by appointment only, at USPS® Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., 11th Floor North, Washington, DC 20260. These records are available for review on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., by calling 202-268-2906.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ingrid Molinary at [phone] or Jacqueline Erwin at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Postal Service continues to seek opportunities to work with mailers to improve products and services. Therefore, we have established a method for commercial customers to pay for and manage their services online using a single account.

The U.S. Postal Service is upgrading its payment architecture for business customers. The new Enterprise Payment System (EPS) will replace the current product-centric payment system with a centralized account management system enabling commercial customers to pay for and manage their services online using a single account.

EPS has been designed to be part of USPS products and services offered through the existing Business Customer Gateway (BCG) portal. Commercial customers who want to use EPS will need to be a registered BCG user, request access to EPS and open an Enterprise Payment Account (EPA) to pay for their products and services. EPA requires that the customers fund the account via Electronic Funds Transfer—either Automated Clearing House (ACH) Debit or ACH Credit.

The first feature of EPS will allow business customers to open, close, and pay for their P.O. Boxes and Caller Service numbers (including reserved numbers) online using the new Enterprise P.O. Boxes Online (EPOBOL). EPS customers are required to have an EPA to pay for EPOBOL service. Future phases of EPS will provide commercial customers functionality to pay for additional services.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Postal Service

The Postal Service adopts the following changes to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR 111.1.

Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is amended as follows:

PART 111—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301-307; 18 U.S.C. 1692-1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414, 416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3632, 3633, and 5001.

2. Revise the following sections of Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), as follows:

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

* * * * *

500 Additional Mailing Services

* * * * *

508 Recipient Services

* * * * *

4.0 Post Office Box Service

* * * * *

4.4 Basis of Fees and Payment

* * * * *

4.4.3 Payment

[Revise third sentence and add e to text in 4.4.3 as follows:]

* * * Customers may pay the fee using one of the following methods:

* * * e. Online using an Enterprise Payment Account (EPA) when business customers are registered at the Enterprise P.O. Boxes Online (EPOBOL) system. The EPA with automatic yearly renewal (at twice the semi-annual fee) is the required payment method for EPOBOL customers.

* * * * *

5.0 Caller Service

* * * * *

5.5 Basis of Fees and Payment

* * * * *

5.5.5 Payment

[Add text at the end of 5.5.5 as follows:]

* * * Registered customers may also pay the fee online using an Enterprise Payment Account (EPA). The EPA with automatic yearly renewal (at twice the semi-annual fee) is the required payment method for EPOBOL customers.

* * * * *

Stanley F. Mires,

Attorney, Federal Compliance.