Effective January 29, 2023, the Postal Service will implement the following changes to Critical Entry Times (CET) for certain categories of Periodicals Mail.
| Periodicals Mail (Origin and Destination) | Current CET | CET Effective January 29, 2023 |
| No Bundle Sort Required5-Digit/Scheme Container | 11:00 | 08:00 |
| No Bundle Sort Required5-Digit/Scheme Container | 14:00 | 08:00 |
| Bundle Sort Required3-Digit and Up Container | 11:00 | 08:00 |
As a result of these CET changes, a uniform CET of 08:00 will be applicable to all Periodicals Mail not palletized as direct 5-Digit Carrier Route pallets.
Mailers are requested to complete, effective January 29, 2023, any needed adjustments to their schedules for tendering the above mail to the Postal Service in compliance with the new CET.
To make FAST appointments, mailers should log in to their Business Customer Gateway (BCG) Account > Mailing Services menu, scroll down to “Schedule a Mailing Appointment (FAST)” and click on “Go to Service.”
Available hourly Appointment slots will be displayed, within the appropriate FAST screen, for making appointments from 00:00 through 23:00 daily.
These changes were reviewed by the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) in Docket No. N2022-2, and the PRC issued its Advisory Opinion in this matter on November 30, 2022.
