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and request a representative meet with the command
official mail manager. The representative will arrange
for manually set meters to be exchanged for electronic
meters that can be remotely set. The local post office
will be informed that current meter licenses must
remain in effect. Do not apply for a new license. This
is not necessary and could cause problems.
Each activity desiring to set postage by phone
must have an established “Postage by Phone” account
number. For activities with more than one meter, a
master account number will be established. This
allows an activity to set all meters from one account.
The representative from the meter manufacturer will
provide USPS the CMRS lockbox address, and obtain
the “Postage by Phone” account number for the
OMM.
Activities will receive the new electronic meters
after all USPS regulations have been satisfied and an
account is properly set up. The meter manufacturer
informs the OMM when all requirements have been
met and then provides the account number.
T o p r e p a r e f o r a n i n i t i a l d e p o s i t , t h e O MM
determines how much postage will be needed for a
three-month period. When the account number is
known, an SF 1034 is completed by the OMM and sent
to the local paying authority. The initial, and
subsequent checks for postage will be made payable
to the USPS and sent to the address provided by the
meter manufacturer representative. The account
number is shown on the SF 1034 and the Treasury
check. For funds deposited by regular mail allow 5
business days for funds to be available. For overnight
delivery by Express Mail or private carrier, allow 2
business days. Use overnight mail for deposits only
when unplanned expenditures have depleted postage
funds.
The command OMM will accompany the local
meter manufacturer’s technician to the post office
where the meter(s) is/are licensed, and have the
meter(s) checked out of service. The OMM will
request the local post office to transfer the balance of
postage left on the old style meters to the postage by
phone account number. When the postage balance
from the old style meter(s) has/have been transferred
to the CMRS account, the OMM will set postage on
the meter. The meter manufacturer will provide an
instruction booklet that lists the step-by-step
procedures required to set postage by phone.
Meters should be reset at least quarterly. To reset
the meter(s), official mail managers will call the meter
3-10
manufacturer using the toll-free number provided by
the representative. Enough funds must be in the
account to cover the amount of postage that will be set
on the meter.
Centralized Automated Payment System
(CAPS)
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service
(DFAS) has agreed to use the Centralized Automated
Payment System (CAPS) as the standard method for
paying USPS. The benefits of using this type of
electronic system are as follows:
Reduces the cost of doing business
Availability of finds for use upon request within
2 business days
Ability for mailers to determine the balance of
and transactions in their individual CAPS
account
Eliminates the necessity of most local trust
accounts
Refunds
The command may receive refunds for spoiled
postage meter tapes or other unused postal services
previously paid. To process the refund, you should:
l
l
Q13.
Request the post office issue a check or money
order payable to the disbursing officer
Immediately upon receipt, when a cash refund is
received, take it to the DO for deposit as a cash
collection
What should be done with spoiled postage meter
tapes?
Requisitioning Postage
Metering Equipment
Department of Defense (DOD) activities use
postage meters at various locations overseas and
aboard ship when applying postage to DOD official
mail.
DOD commands using postage meters must have
a postage meter license. The command submits
PS Form 3601-A to the serving gateway postmaster to
get the license. The command requiring the postage
meter will submit a separate PS Form 3601-A for each
license it requests.
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