Latest Changes to
Postage $aver for Parcels

We've updated Postage $aver for Parcels to keep up with the latest postal changes, and made some software improvements. Here are the details. Note that each update includes all previous updates, so you only need to download and install the latest. Get the update.


Postal Updates:

• USPS has made routine changes to the postal routing lists. The revised lists are included in this update.
  

Software Improvements:

• Postage $aver for Parcels now supports all Bound Printed Matter mixed-weight shipments, except mixed-weight shipments of 300 or more irregular-shaped parcels. This means you can now prepare shipments of machinable parcels for the lower presorted rates. You no longer need to separate your shipment by weight, as long as you include the weight of each piece (in ounces, not pounds) in a column in your mailing list file.
  
  Up until now, we supported mixed-weight shipments only if they had fewer than 300 pieces. We now support mixed-weight machinable parcel shipments of all quantities, and we continue to support mixed-weight irregular parcel shipments of fewer than 300 pieces. Shipments using typical rectangular cartons are usually considered to be machinable.
  
  
• When shipping Bound Printed Matter mixed-weight irregular parcels, the software no longer asks for the thickness measure, since it is not used.
  
  
• We fixed a bug that could cause addresses to be incorrectly rejected when preparing mixed-weight shipments using dBase (.dbf) files.
  
  
• We fixed a bug in the Windows version that could cause a crash when using Microsoft Access files and choosing not to save sorting or tracking information into the file.
  

Postal Updates:

• The USPS January rate changes, effective January 21, are included in this update.
  
  
• Effective January 21, USPS has merged the Parcel Select Lightweight category into Parcel Select, and the software now fully supports Parcel Select. Parcel Select is a low cost service for local and regional shipments up to 70 pounds, with a minimum shipment of 50 pieces. Parcel Select shipments can only include pieces addressed within the service area of the postal facility from which the shipment is sent, but offers very economical rates for those shipments.
  
  On the Mailer and Post Office screen (the second screen in the Preparation Wizard), we now provide a link to a help box with a list of all zip codes served by postal sorting facilities in your area, so that you can figure out if Parcel Select will work for your shipment. Click the "Click for More Details" link in the Post Office section.
  
  Unlike Parcel Select Lightweight, Parcel Select does NOT require NCOA or any other move update process, nor does it require addresses to be CASS certified. However, parcels refused or undeliverable will be returned at more expensive Ground Advantage rates unless an address correction option is specified on the shipping label that directs USPS to dispose of the piece, such as Change Service Requested. The software allows you to choose address correction instructions for the shipping label.
  
  Parcel Select can be used for pieces up to 130 inches in length plus girth. Like Ground Advantage, pieces are charged according to dimensional weight if that is more than the actual weight, and surcharges apply to pieces longer than 22" or larger than 2 cubic feet.
  
  We're happy to answer questions that you may have about Parcel Select. Just ask us.
  
  
• USPS has issued new postage statement forms for use on and after January 21, and those forms are included in this update. While these paper forms will no longer be submitted with shipments, the information and line numbers will continued to be used in electronic versions of the forms on the USPS Gateway.
  
  
• USPS has made routine changes to the postal routing lists. The revised lists are included in this update.
  

Software Improvements:

• We have added a new "Package Type" question on the Mailing Categories screen (the first screen in the Preparation Wizard) for you to indicate the type of package you are shipping.
  
  
  
  
  
  This information, along with the package shape, is used to determine whether the piece can be processed on USPS automated equipment, and must be correctly indicated in the Shipping Services File (SSF) that the software uploads to USPS.
  
  If you are shipping anything other than a rectangular box, be sure you know the correct choice to make for this selection. More details about "unusual" pieces are provided in a help box when you click the link in the software. We're happy to help or connect you with the appropriate USPS personnel if you are not sure what to choose.
  
  
• We changed the "print reports" window to no longer show that the Postage Statement form should be provided to USPS.
  
  
• The software now correctly prevents Change Service Requested from being selected when it is not eligible, such as when including extra insurance coverage on a parcel.
  
  
• We fixed a bug in the Mac version where tabbing did not automatically select the information in the field tabbed into.
  

Postal Updates:

• USPS now requires the tariff number and country of origin to be provided for each item on a customs form, and we have made those fields required on the customs information screen (which only appears when you a shipping to a domestic address requiring a customs declaration, such as a military address or an address in US possessions or territories.)
  
  
• USPS has made routine changes to the postal routing lists. The revised lists are included in this update.
  

Software Improvements:

• For Mac users, this update now supports the Mac Sonoma operating system, as well as the three previous operating systems.
  
  
• We corrected an error that could occur when printing the scan form (Mac only).
  
  
• We corrected an error in the SSF file where the numeric barcode was incorrect in the customs declaration record.
  
  
• We fixed a bug where printing the sample label could cause a crash if "mixed weights" was indicated on the Mail Categories screen.
  
  
• We corrected a bug on the price qualification report that caused the entry location not to be printed when the entry point was a hub location.
  
  
• We corrected a missing column total on the last column of the Bound Printed Matter mixed weights report.
  

Postal Updates:

• USPS has begun adding new Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDCs) into its network of National Distribution Centers (NDCs), and we have updated the software to handle these new facilities. For now, this will only affect mail entry in the Richmond, VA area starting in October, but other facilities will be brought on line soon.
  
  
• USPS has made routine changes to the postal routing lists. The revised lists are included in this update.
  

Software Improvements:

• Postage $aver for Parcels now automatically creates searchable daily tracking files from USPS data so you can easily track the progress of your shipments.
  
  When you upload your Shipping Services File to USPS (using Postage $aver for Parcels or directly via the USPS Parcel Data Exchange), USPS starts capturing scan data each time any of your parcels is scanned in their system. They post this data as often as 16 times each day as new scans occur.
  
  Postage $aver for Parcels will now retrieve this data and save it in easy-to-use files for you. You can download the most recent data that USPS posted. Or you can choose any date and Postage Saver for Parcels will get all the data for that date and combine it into a single file.
  
  You can search each file by tracking number or recipient's name (if provided) or various other data fields.
  
  For Windows users, the files are in .csv format that can be opened with Microsoft Excel, Wordpad or any similar software. For Mac users, the files are saved in .txt format for Apple Numbers, TextEdit or similar software.
  
  To use this feature, go to the new "Tracking" item on the menu bar in Postage $aver for Parcels. Then choose "Get Tracking Reports from USPS". You'll see a simple screen that lets you choose to get either the most recent USPS posting or all data from a date you pick. Then just wait a moment and you'll be asked where to save the file and if you want to open it now. That's all there is to it.
  
  Note that USPS holds data on the system for only 45 days, so choosing an older date will get no results.
  
  Questions? Ask us!
  

Postal Updates:

• For Bound Printed Matter shipments of fewer than 300 pieces, USPS has ended the requirement that the shipment be separated by zone or presorted. Sorting and sacking are no longer required, so the software will no longer provide specific sacking instructions for such shipments. Zone numbers will no longer be printed on the shipping labels.
  
  
• USPS has made routine changes to the postal routing lists. The revised lists are included in this update.
  
  
• USPS made a minor revision to the July postage statement for USPS Ground Advantage, and the updated statement form is included in this update.
  
  
• USPS has made a minor change in the way the fee is calculated for Registered Mail, and the software has been updated with this change.
  

Software Improvements:

• If you are preparing mixed weight shipments of Bound Printed Matter of fewer than 300 pieces, you can now use the software to prepare all pieces in the same shipment. You no longer need to separate your shipment by weight, as long as you include the weight of each piece (in ounces, not pounds) in a column in your mailing list file.
  
  To create a mixed weight shipment, just choose Mixed Weights on the Mail Categories screen, instead of entering a weight. Then, on the Column Matching screen, you will be asked to identify the column in your mailing list file where the weight has been entered for each piece.
  
  The software will create the necessary postage statement and weight report, and include a "piece number" and weight on the shipping label corresponding to the listing in the weight report, as required by USPS. No sorting is required for these shipments.
  
  
• On the Column Matching screen, we have changed the label on the "Order Information" column to "Extra Information" to clarify that this column can be used for any information, including a greeting, order number, etc., that the mailer wants to have printed on the bottom of the shipping label.
  
  
• We corrected the missing sack count on the postage statement for Parcel Select Lightweight.
  
  
• We corrected a bug where the company name of the addressee was not included in the Shipper Services File.
  
  
• We corrected a bug that could cause a crash when creating a USPS test file if certain settings were selected.
  

Postal Updates:

• Important: If you are using the USPS Electronic Payment System (EPS), you should now include your EPS account number in the name/address section of the postage statement. We have provided that option on the Statement Information Screen.
  
  
  
  
• Important: USPS has reduced the maximum size for machinable parcels to 22" long x 18" high by 15" thick. That means that this is the largest size parcel that can be shipped using Parcel Select Lightweight. It is also the largest rectangular parcel that can be shipped as a Marketing Mail Nonprofit parcel, although irregular parcels up to 26" long can still be shipped as a Marketing Mail Nonprofit parcel.
  
  
• Important: Parcel Select Lightweight may now only be shipped from a post office or sorting facility that serves the zip codes addressed. In other words, if you are shipping a parcel to 77005, you can ship it from the post office delivering to 77005, from the Sectional Center Facility (SCF) that handles 770, or from the National Distribution Center (NDC) that handles 770. But, for example, you cannot use Parcel Select Lightweight to ship from a Houston post office to an address in Los Angeles.
  
  If you choose Parcel Select Lightweight, Postage $aver for Parcels will now automatically reject any zips that are not served by the postal facility that you select on the Mailer Information screen. It will also reject pieces within that service area if there are not enough to meet the minimum for a sack to that destination.
  
  USPS has added "hub" facilities as shipping points for Parcel Select Lightweight. A hub is a distribution facility in between an SCF and a local post office. They are mostly in areas where the SCF is a long away. For example, there is a hub serving the Ashville, NC area, while the SCF serving that area is in Greenville, SC.
  
  You can ship Parcel Select Lightweight from a hub to any of the zip codes it serves, which can be quite a few. If your home zip code is served by a hub, it will appear on your choices of entry locations on the Mailer Information screen (but only when you have selected Parcel Select Lightweight as your mail category).
  
  
• Important: First Class Package Service and Parcel Select Ground have been combined into a single service and rebranded as Ground Advantage. (For retail customers, Ground Advantage combines First Class Package Service and USPS Retail Ground.)
  
  This provides a single service for parcels from one ounce to 70 pounds. Each parcel will automatically be insured for up to $100 without purchasing insurance as an extra service. The size limits on First Class Package Service have been replaced by the much larger limits from Parcel Select Ground.
  
  Pricing will be in four-ounce steps up to 15.999 ounces, then by the pound from 16 ounces up. Length and volume surcharges and dimensional weight charges did not apply to commercial First Class Package Service but do apply to Ground Advantage parcels larger than one cubic foot. The software will now ask for package dimensions for all Ground Advantage shipments.
  
  Because all Ground Advantage parcels larger than one cubic foot may be subject to dimensional surcharges, Postage $aver for Parcels will not currently support nonidentical weight parcels if any parcel in the shipment is larger than one cubic foot, as it cannot read the dimensions of individual parcels from your mailing list file. We will work to provide that capability in the future.
  
  The surcharge for irregular-shaped pieces for First Class Package Service will not apply to Ground Advantage, so we have removed that surcharge.
  
  
• The USPS July rate changes, effective July 9, are included in this update.
  
  
• USPS has issued new postage statement forms for use on and after July 9, and those forms are included in this update.
  
  
• Certified Mail service was an option for First Class Package Service, but is not an option for Ground Advantage, so we have dropped that option from the Extra Shipping Services screen.
  
  
• USPS dropped some low-usage combinations of extra shipping services, so those combinations can no longer be selected on the Extra Shipping Services screen.
  
  
• USPS has made routine changes to the postal routing lists. The revised lists are included in this update.
  

Software Improvements:

• We corrected a bug that would cause incorrect placement of information on the postage statement if the computer was set to a screen resolution greater than 100% (Windows only).
  
  
• We corrected a bug where the sample file was sometimes not installed. (Mac version with ARM processor only.)
  

Postal Updates:

• USPS now encourages shippers to include two small square barcodes, called Intelligent Mail Matrix barcodes, on their parcel shipping labels.
  
  
  
  
  While not currently required, these barcodes can provide more reliable scanning, especially on soft packages where the traditional barcode can become wrinkled and unreadable. We have updated the software to automatically include these new barcodes.
  
  One of these barcodes is located in the user area at the bottom of the label, which required that area to be made taller. That allowed us to increase the font size for the information in the user area to make it easier to read, but which reduces the amount of text that can be printed in that area.
  
  If you are using an "Order Information" column (in your mailing list file) to add information to the bottom of the label, make sure the text you are adding still fits in the space.
  
  
• USPS will now allow Signature Confirmation to be used for hazardous materials shipments, and we have updated the software to allow this option.
  
  
• USPS has made additional changes to how hazardous materials shipments are reported in the Shipping Services File, and we have updated the software to include those changes.
  
  
• USPS has made routine changes to the postal routing lists. The revised lists are included in this update.

Software Improvements:

• In the Windows version, we improved how the software windows are enlarged when using a screen resolution more than 100%. This should correct situations where some selections on the column matching screen were not visible and some text was the wrong size.
  
  
• In the Mac version, we added labels for the entries in the name and address blocks on the Statement Information screen.
  
  
• We fixed a bug that could cause an incorrect number of records to be reported in the Shipping Services File if an address in the mailing list file had spaces without any visible characters in the second line of an address.
  

Postal Updates:

• USPS has updated labeling requirements for shipments containing hazardous materials, which includes lithium batteries. The software has been updated to meet these new requirements. The Mail Categories screen now includes a checkbox to indicate if the shipment contains hazardous materials, and the customs label has been updated to require specific information about any hazardous materials (which are called "dangerous goods" on the customs label).
  
  
• USPS has tightened the requirements for the contents description on the customs label, in accordance with international requirements. While Postage Saver for Parcels does not generally support international shipments, the requirements also apply to shipments to U.S. possessions and military addresses, which the software does support. We have added warnings for descriptions that are not specific enough or are not in an acceptable format.
  
  
• USPS has released a corrected version of the 3605 postage statement form released in January. The corrected form is included in this update.
  
  
• USPS has made routine changes to the postal routing lists. The revised lists are included in this update.

Software Improvements:

• The software now rejects state abbreviations in a mailing list file that are longer than 2 letters, and we corrected the wording in the warning that appears concerning state abbreviation errors.
  
  
• On the column identification screen, we fixed a bug where the column name for the tracking number column would not auto-populate when using past tracking numbers to create serial numbers for replacement labels.
  
  
• We fixed a bug that caused optional endorsement lines not to be printed on customs labels.
  
  
• We added a warning when a starting serial number is entered on the Mail Categories screen that has too many digits for use with a 9-digit Mailer ID. Serial numbers with more than 7 digits can only be used by mailers with 6-digit Mailer IDs.
  
  
• We corrected a bug where a nonprofit mailer number could appear when the statement setup for a commercial customer was retrieved.
  

We hope you find these improvements helpful. Many of "our" best ideas come from our users, so please don't hesitate to let us know if you have suggestions or questions.

Thanks!