USPS changes 5/31/15

[jmestep]

Is this anything to be concerned about?

May 31, 2015 USPS Web Tools will be implementing modifications and additional features to the U.S. Postal Service APIs. The following changes may especially impact shipping systems:
• Origin ZIP Code required for Priority Mail International to Canada
• Modified special services
• Modified service IDs
• Modified available mail classes for Merchandise Return Services
Detailed release notes are available on the Web Tools home page at USPS.com/webtools under the Web Tools Announcements section. Included in the release notes are the URLs of the staging environments, which are now available to developers for testing.

[compunerdy]

I think they constantly change things so that someone has a reason to have a job...

[Katie]

With 3 weeks notice....nice

The 14 page document covers a lot of changes. Still digging through it all.

(THIS CHANGE IS PENDING REGULATORY APPROVAL AND MAY NOT OCCUR ON 5/31
UPDATED NOTES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED ONCE APPROVAL OR REJECTION HAS OCCURRED

This statement is repeated multiple times throughout the document. I wonder how this is supposed to work? Do we make the change and hope that it will be approved or wait until we get another update from them? This is ridiculous.

[mazhar]

I checked the PDF document outlining updates and then did some Google searches. Seems like folks at http://www.endicia.com/usps/postage-rate-change/2015 did some brainstorming summarized the update Highlights

Key Highlights or Changes:
Starting Sunday May 31, 2015, at 12:01AM:

• Priority Mail International for Canada will switch to zone based pricing – there will be 7 pricing zones versus the previous single rate for the entire country.
  The USPS will reduce the $0.01 electronic postage / meter discount to $.005 for First-Class Mail Letters (up to 3.5 oz).
  
  Proposed, pending approval: First-Class Mail Parcel (Retail) becomes First-Class Package Service (FCPS), which would add a Retail pricing tier to the existing Commercial Base and Commercial Plus pricing tiers for FCPS.
  
  USPS Tracking becomes free for Library Mail and Media Mail and thus USPS Tracking is included for all domestic mail classes at no additional cost with the exception of Standard Mail which has a cost of $0.36 per piece.
  
  USPS will require a signature at delivery for all USPS insured shipments with an insured value of more than $500, up from $200; Signature Confirmation is included at no additional fee

Mostly seems like these updates are related to rates with at least two changes that would need handling in ablecommerce. First we will have to send Origin Zip code for priority mail international when destination is Canada. Secondly we may need to consider the relabeling of First-Class Mail Parcel to First-Class Package Service in USPSMETHODS.csv file under App_Data folder. Will do some more research to figure out if anything else needs to be taken care off.

[Katie]

A patch is available for AbleCommerce Gold.

Please see http://help.ablecommerce.com/index.htm# ... y_2015.htm for more information.

Thanks,
Katie