United States Department of Agriculture 

Marketing and Regulatory Programs 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration 

Directive MRP 3050.2 6/25/09

COMMERCIAL PAYMENT FOR POSTAGE 

1. PURPOSE 

This Directive establishes the policy, procedures, and responsibilities for the Marketing 

and Regulatory Programs (MRP) agencies to pay for postage costs to the United States 

Postal Service (USPS) using the commercial payment process. 

 

2. AUTHORITY

 Federal Management Regulation, 41 CFR 102-192.55 (c) dated June 2002.

3. POLICY 

It is MRP policy to give programs the budget authority to maintain control and 

accountability of postage funds. 

4. BACKGROUND 

 

a. Conversion. The General Services Administration (GSA) issued the Federal 

Management Regulation interim rule (41 CFR parts 101-9 and 102-192) in the 

Federal Register, June 2, 2002, and directed that beginning October 1, 2003, all 

payments to the USPS must be made using commercial payment processes 

instead of the Official Mail Accounting System (OMAS). However, the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture received a deviation to this interim rule. Conversion 

could be completed in stages and GSA recommended that agencies begin with 

meter conversion. 

(1) By Decision Memorandum dated June 2007, MRP agencies decided to 

implement conversion by first converting meters. 

(2) All MRP meters were converted by December 2007. 

 

 (3) By Decision Memorandum dated June 2007, MRP agencies decided to 

 continue implementing conversion for all remaining methods of postage: 

 (a) Business Reply Mail (BRM). 

 (b) Permit Imprint. 

Distribution: AMS, APHIS, GIPSA Originating Office: MRPBS-ASD
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(c) Express Mail. 

(d) Postage Due. 

(e) Merchandise Return Mail. 

b. Benefits. The benefits of commercial payment of mail include the ability of 

 agencies and programs to: 

 (1) Track postage cost in real time. 

 (2) Manage postage cost more efficiently. 

 (3) Account for postage cost through their budgeting and accounting process. 

 (4) Identify opportunities to save money before they spend it. 

 (5) Identify instances of potential fraud. 

 

5. RESPONSIBILITIES 

a. MRP Business Services (MRPBS), Administrative Services Division (ASD); and 

the Financial Management Division, (FMD); will establish procedures for making 

payments to USPS for meter postage and other postage methods. Each method 

will feed the information into the Foundation Financial Information System 

(FFIS) and the Financial Data Warehouse (FDW). MRPBS, FMD, Minneapolis 

Accounting and Payments Team (APT) will match the vendor code, name, and 

banking information on file and make the payment. Each program’s financial 

manager is responsible for ensuring payments are made accurately and timely. 

b. MRPBS, ASD, Printing, Distribution, Mail and Copier Solutions (PDMCS); will 

coordinate the conversion processes with FMD; ASD, Procurement Branch; and 

MRP Programs. 

c. MRP Program Offices will: 

AMS: Cotton and Tobacco, Dairy, Fruit and Vegetables, Livestock and 

 Seed, Science and Technology, and Transportation and Marketing 

APHIS: Animal Care, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, Civil Rights 

Enforcement and Compliance, International Services, Legislative 

and Public Affairs, Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business 

Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Policy and Program 

Development, Veterinary Services, and Wildlife Services 
Page 3 

GIPSA: Federal Grain Inspection Service, and Packers and Stockyards 

Program 

 (1) Notify PDMCS of all postage meter activity, such as meter resets, meter 

 head changes, meters checked out of service, and meters acquired. 

(2) Notify PDMCS of permanent office closings and changes in office 

 locations. 

(3) Return meters to meter companies when their offices are permanently 

 closed or transferred to another agency. 

(4) Notify PDMCS when canceling BRM accounts in addition to their local 

post offices when accounts are no longer needed and before closing or 

relocating an office. 

(5) Pay for all costs for new equipment, conversion from penalty meters to 

 commercial meters, and postage. 

6. ACTION 

 a. Offices spending $1,000 or less in annual meter postage must consider more cost 

 effective solutions for postage. Options such as commercial stamps and Personal 

 Computer (PC) postage can be more cost-effective than meters for some offices. 

 PC postage allows the user to purchase and print postage with a stand alone 

 desktop computer. 

 (1) PC postage will be paid by the Government Visa purchase credit card. For 

 information about PC postage, logon to the following USPS authorized 

 PC Postage providers: http://endicia.com/

 http://www.pitneybowes.com/ or http://stamps.com/

 (2) Commercial stamps can be purchased at your local Post Office with a 

 Government Visa purchase credit card. 

 (3) The Budget Object Code (BOC) 2350 will be used for PC Postage and 

 commercial stamps purchased at the Post Office. This BOC is not to be 

 used for lease or purchase of equipment or supplies. The BOC for PC 

 service is 2570. The BOC for supplies (labels) is 2670. 

 b. Offices spending more than $1,000 annually for postage must use meters or 

 stamps. 

c. Field offices will call their meter companies to download postage. Program 

financial managers will be responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient funds 

in the accounts and adding funds as necessary. Postage on commercial meters 
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must NOT be paid with a Government Visa purchase credit card. An alternate 

method of payment is available and described below. Any questions should be 

referred to program financial managers. 

(1) Meters. 

 

(a) Order commercial meters for mailing machines.

(b) Verify meters are commercial meters. Commercial meter imprints 

 may not say “Penalty for Private Use $300.” 

(c) Acquire Postage by Phone account number from meter vendor 

sales representatives. 

(d) Complete Mailing Machine Payment Request and Mailing 

Machine Obligation Request documents and include Postage by 

Phone account number in box 2. Only those authorized to request 

obligations and payments may use these forms. 

(e) Email completed and signed forms to the MRPBS FMD, 

Minneapolis APT. Instructions on how to address the email are on 

the forms. Funds will be available for download to postage meters 

10-14 days after the forms are processed. 

(2) Other Postage Methods. 

(a) Business Reply Mail (BRM) and Merchandise Return Service 

(MRS). 

 

1 Identify inactive accounts. 

 2 Determine whether inactive accounts should remain open, 

 switched to low volume accounts or closed. 

3 Apply and pay for permits at the local post office by 

completing Postal Service (PS) Form 3615, Mailing Permit 

Application and Customer Profile. 

http://www.usps.com/forms/_pdf/ps3615.pdf

 An initial fee of $180 must be paid when a commercial 

permit is first obtained. A Government Visa purchase 

credit card may be used as payment for first time FEES 

ONLY. Once the account is established, fees must be paid 

thru the Centralized Account Processing System (CAPS) 

accounts. Two forms of identification, a copy of the annual 

permit fee receipt, and letter on official letterhead are also 

needed to apply. 
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4 Obtain copies of the annual permit fee receipt and official 

 letter from the MRP Mail Manager. 

5 Notify the MRP Mail Manager when the account has been 

opened. The MRP Mail Manager will link postage 

methods to the CAPS. Programs must complete the CAPS 

Account Obligation Request form and CAPS Payment 

Request and include CAPS and/or permit numbers. 

6 Email a signed copy to the APT Team in Minneapolis, MN, 

to fund CAPS accounts. Only those authorized may sign 

obligation forms. 

7 Fund CAPS account through Electronic Funds Transfer 

 (EFT). 

8 Create new camera copy for new commercial BRM 

 accounts with the statement “Official Business.” 

 Envelopes, labels, and tags will need to be reprinted with 

 the new permit number. 

9 Destroy all old envelopes, labels, and tags with old permit 

 numbers. 

(b) Permit Imprint. 

 

1 Apply and pay for permits at local post office by 

completing PS Form 3615. An initial fee of $180 must be 

paid when the commercial permit is first obtained. 

Purchase Card Management System (PCMS) cards may be 

used as payment for first time FEES ONLY. Once the 

account is established, fees must be paid through the CAPS 

accounts. Two forms of identification are needed to open 

Permit Imprint accounts. 

2 Notify the MRP Mail Manager when the account has been 

opened. The MRP Mail Manager will link postage 

methods to CAPS. 

3 Complete the CAPS Account Obligation Request and 

CAPS Payment Request forms and include CAPS and/or 

permit numbers. 
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4 Email a signed copy to APT Team in Minneapolis, MN, to 

fund CAPS accounts. Only those authorized may sign 

obligation forms. 

5 Fund CAPS account through EFT. 

6 Create new camera copy for new commercial BRM 

accounts with the statement “Official Business.” Envelopes 

will need to be reprinted with the new permit number. 

7 Destroy all old envelopes with old permit numbers. 

(c) Express Mail. 

 

1 Apply for Express Mail Corporate Account (EMCA) by 

completing PS Form 5639, EMCA Account Application 

and Payment Authorization. Completion instructions are 

included on the form. 

http://www.usps.com/forms/_pdf/ps5639.pdf

 2 Mail completed form to: 

 

Express Mail Corporate Account 

ATTN: EMCA Coordinator 8300 NE 

Underground DR Pillar 210 

Kansas City, MO 64144-0001 

7. INQUIRIES 

 a. Direct questions concerning this Directive to the MRP Mail Manager at 

 301-734-4482. 

b. This Directive can be accessed on the Internet at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/library, and on the AMS Intranet at

http://agnis/sites/amsissuances/default.aspx. 

/s/ 

Gregory L. Parham 

Deputy Administrator 

MRP Business Services