The ABCs of USPS Compliance for 2024
Drawing upon our experience as coworking operators, here are insights into the recent USPS regulatory changes and compliance process.
- By Rose Rivera
- January 31, 2024
Since the United States Postal Service (USPS) updated its rules and regulations in July 2023, it has been the topic of discussion. From operators not knowing what to do next, to industry veterans trying to find out more about what the changes entail, there is a wide range of reactions. While some changes are pretty standard and straightforward, others are a bit more complex. It’s safe to say that ALL of these changes are incredibly important. With over a decade of experience as coworking operators, we’ve mastered the art of compliance and know a thing or two about staying ahead of the game. Here we’ll share some key information about the recent USPS regulatory changes and the compliance process.
Recent USPS regulatory changes
There has been a lot of mysticism surrounding the changes that were made to the USPS, in part because there aren’t many trusted resources about such a complex topic. Part of demystifying the CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agent) changes is explaining what all of it means, and why it exists.
The CMRA rule:
In simple terms, this rule is in place to safeguard mail, as stated in the Federal Register, Rules, and Regulations Manual:
“The sole postal purpose of the rule is to increase the safety and security of the mail. The rule is designed to benefit both businesses and consumers by reducing the opportunities to use the mail for fraudulent purposes. The rule is intended to ensure that mailers are confident that addresses provided by prospective customers are actually used by these customers, and that the mail will reach the recipient, rather than be returned to the sender.”
New Form PS 1583 Requirement:
Starting July 1, 2023, all new clients must use a new PS 1583 form, titled “Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent,” updated in April 2023. Whenever there’s a change in the information on the form (e.g., expired ID), both existing and new clients are required to submit a new 1583 form. (Need help filling out the new form? Use our cheat sheet.)
What this change means for you as an operator:
- Whenever there is a change, whether it is an address change or an expiry date on your renters’ ID, you must update the form and submit it to your postmaster, and then to the Customer Registration Database, or CRD, platform. This means you will now have to be “on top” of your internal compliance processes and conduct periodic checks to ensure the accuracy of your client’s information to maintain a compliant status.
Centralized Online Database for client information:
A new regulation, published on January 12, 2023, updated the CMRA process. Now, centers are required to submit client information to a centralized online database instead of relying on paper forms.
What this change means for you as an operator:
- Once the CRD is available in your region, you will have access to submit your digitized 1583 forms. It’s worth noting that the uploads are individual. We recommend not letting them accumulate. Instead, devise a system for a constant flow to avoid the need to set aside entire days just to complete this task.
A new regulation, published on January 12, 2023, updated the CMRA process. Now, centers are required to submit client information to a centralized online database instead of relying on paper forms.
What this change means for you as an operator:
- Once the CRD is available in your region, you will have access to submit your digitized 1583 forms. It’s worth noting that the uploads are individual. We recommend not letting them accumulate. Instead, devise a system for a constant flow to avoid the need to set aside entire days just to complete this task.
Keep in mind...
These changes took effect in July of 2023. The USPS implemented a 9-month grace period in place to allow CMRAs to begin the transition from the old compliance model to the amended changes. The sooner you do it, the better it will be in the long run. As we mentioned, the USPS CRD platform allows documents to be uploaded individually. We can deduce that it will be time-consuming, especially if you wait for all of your members to have updated 1583 forms to get on it.
How PilotoMail has prepared for these 2024 CMRA updates
At PilotoMail, we take pride in our unique understanding of how coworking and mailroom operators work. For over a decade, we have had first-hand experience with services and processes that, to put it simply, didn’t meet our high standards for efficiency. So, we set the bar high for a product that could help us maintain compliance and manage over 400+ pieces of postal mail on any given day (true story, you should see one of our mailrooms during the holiday season). That’s how PilotoMail was born. We are not new to compliance, and we are not new to building a system that is tailored to operators’ needs. We have already made changes to our platform to reflect the new 1583 form, and are implementing technology to recognize Identifications Expiry Date, making the process smoother for everyone.
Want to learn more about CMRA compliance and mail operations for your business? Head over to our compliance resources.
About PilotoMail
PilotoMail is a mail management platform that creates recurring revenue streams for mailrooms through postal mail handling automation, and virtual mailboxes for the remote workforce. Property managers, coworking spaces, mail centers & registered agents can handle large volumes of mail efficiently, comply with all postal regulations, and increase revenue from their existing footprint effortlessly.