Customer Support Ruling

Return Receipt for Merchandise (RRM) Service for Documents
Updated February 2004

PS-288 (503.8.2.2)

This Customer Support Ruling discusses the documents that are eligible to be mailed with return receipt for merchandise service.

Return receipt for merchandise (RRM) service provides the sender with a mailing receipt, a return receipt, and a delivery record at the office address.  It is available for merchandise sent at the Priority Mail, Standard Mail (pieces subject to the residual surcharge only), and Package Services rates of postage.

Because Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 503.8.2.2 makes RRM service available for merchandise, it is necessary to first determine whether an item is merchandise before determining whether it is eligible to be mailed with RRM service.  For this purpose, matter that is commonly bought or sold is considered merchandise.

The fact that an item may have the appearance of a document (meaning it is written or printed on paper) does not disqualify it as merchandise for the purpose of determining whether it is eligible to be mailed with RRM service.  The only differentiation in postal standards between documents and merchandise exists for the sole purpose of determining limits of indemnity.  Because insurance coverage is not provided with RRM service, it is not necessary to further define an item as either a document or as merchandise.

Examples of items eligible to be mailed with RRM service that have the appearance of a document but are considered merchandise for this purpose because they are commonly bought or sold are:

• Airline Tickets

• Theater or sporting events tickets

• Engineering drawings

• Blueprints

• Manuscripts

• Collector or antique items (such as, a handwritten letter signed by Abraham Lincoln)

(Signed)
Sherry Suggs
Manager
Mailing Standards
United States Postal Service
Washington DC 20260-3436