Mail Class & Postal Terms Glossary

BCC Software is dedicated to educating our customers, so that they can stay informed and successful. Whether you’re looking for a refresher or training new employees, we’ve provided a mail class and postal terms glossary you can reference whenever needed.

If you have any further questions or need clarification on anything, please contact Customer Support at 800.624.5234.

Sectional Center Facility (SCF): A Postal Service facility that serves as the processing and distribution center (PDC) for Post Offices in a designated geographic area as defined by the first three digits of the ZIP™ Codes of those offices. Some SCFs serve more than one 3–digit ZIP Code range.

Package Services: A mail class that consists of five products: (a) Single-Piece Standard Post, (b) Bound Printed Matter Flats, (c) Bound Printed Matter Parcels, (d) Media Mail and Library Mail, and (e) the international product Inbound Surface Standard Post service. Package Services is a market dominant product.

Bound Printed Matter (BPM): A Package Services product weighing not more than 15 pounds that consists of permanently bound sheets of which at least 90% are printed with advertising, promotional, directory, or editorial matter (or a combination of such matter). Examples include book, catalog, and telephone directory.

Customized MarketMail (CMM): An option that permits the mailing of nonrectangular and irregular-shaped Standard Mail pieces if the pieces meet certain physical characteristics and preparation requirements.

Media Mail®: A Package Services product that consist of books, sheet music, printed educational material, film, sound recordings, and computer prerecorded media such as CD-ROMs. Advertising restrictions apply. Media Mail prices are based on the weight of the piece without regard to zone. Single-piece applies to pieces not mailed at a 5-digit or basic price. Media Mail service is a market dominant product.

Parcel Select®: A product that consists of six price categories: Destination Delivery Unit (DDU), Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF), Destination Network Distribution Center (DNDC), Origin Network Distribution Center (ONDC) Presort, Network Distribution Center (DNC) Presort, and Barcoded Nonpresort. Parcel Select service is a competitive product.

Library Mail: A Package Services product for items sent to or from or exchanged between academic institutions, public libraries, museums, and other authorized organizations. Books, sound recordings, academic theses, and certain other items may be mailed at the Library Mail price if properly marked. Library Mail is considered a market dominant product.

For more information on mail classes and postal terms, you can visit the USPS website.