Enterprise Payment System and Enterprise PO Boxes Online

AGENCY:

Postal Service^TM.

ACTION:

Final rule.

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 30, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ingrid Molinary at (202) 268-4138, or Jacqueline Erwin at (202) 268-2158.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Postal Service published an interim final rule (81 FR 48711) on July 26, 2016, to enhance online payment options for commercial customers, with a comment period which ended August 26, 2016. The Postal Service did not receive any customer comments.

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 PO Boxes and Caller Service numbers (including reserved numbers) online using the new Enterprise PO 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 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 PO 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.

We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to reflect these changes.