In our last article, we discussed the many benefits of direct mail campaigns, from how they connect you with new customers to how they can improve your business for just a few cents per shipment. However, we also mentioned that to take advantage of bulk shipping prices, one must comply with several usPS rules and regulations for bulk shipments. To give you a better idea of the steps required to prepare bulk shipments, here`s a list of the various certifications, assessments, and processes that bulk mail must follow before arriving at the mail: From the U.S. Postal Service: What is Bulk Mail? Is it good for you? The term “bulk mail” refers to larger quantities of mail that have been prepared for shipment with reduced postage. In Business Mail 101, the term “mass mail” refers to first-class commercial mail and promotional mail (called “USPS Marketing Mail” by the postal service). Commercial prices are also available for other postal classes. The postal service uses the terms “bulk” and “pre-sorted” interchangeably. The savings could be reinvested in additional marketing or other areas where your business could use an increase in its budget. Perhaps you could afford to send this postcard to about 100 other potential customers. Or maybe two or three mailings that are a few weeks or months apart, rather than just one to promote your product, and use the power of repetition to increase your brand`s visibility. Mass mail is a term used by the USPS to define the quantities of mail sufficient to receive a mass discount. It costs the USPS less money to process and deliver bulk mail when it`s pre-sorted by zip code™, and they pass those savings on to shippers who do the pre-sorting work for them. If your shipments meet the following requirements, you may be eligible for reduced postage rates: Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) certification verifies all addresses you send and ensures they are correct.
It corrects street and city typographical errors, confirms carrier routes, checks postal codes and creates an accurate barcode for the place of delivery. A third party can do this for you, or you can purchase CASS-certified software to perform the exam in-house. The USPS requires address data to be CASS certified within 180 days of the date of shipment. How to Make a Bulk Mail: Below is an overview of what you need to do to qualify for standard mail prices for a typical letter or postcard shipment: Mail Services maintains UCSB`s nonprofit standard mail license, which can be used by any UCSB department for shipments if the content and design requirements of the U.S. Postal Service are completed. Since the postage rate for standard nonprofit mail is significantly reduced, the requirements to be eligible for the plan are extended and the rules are strictly enforced by mail Services and the U.S. Postal Service. Or, if you had a marketing coin that qualified as flat and 1 ounce, it would cost $1 to ship it in first class, compared to as little as 16 cents at the mass mail rate. The USPS claims that mass mail is typically 35 to 65 percent cheaper than top-notch postage for sales flyers, promotional postcards, newsletters, or brochures. Discounts vary depending on the destination, size and type of mail. One of the main reasons why most businesses opt for a professional direct mail service that manages their mail in bulk is that it takes a long time to meet all USPS requirements. Processing bulk shipments in-house also requires an investment in equipment such as software, as well as an in-house “expert” who is the USPS connection and is familiar with the postal service process and changes in terms of bulk mail fees and rules.
To be eligible for standard (bulk) mail rates, postal items must: After the post office has completed all necessary checks and updates and has been sorted into containers provided by the post office, the required containers and documents are delivered to the post office. Swiss Post processes him. If a third party processes bulk shipments for you, they will make arrangements to pick up the mail or, if you prefer, make sure to drop it off at their office. We understand. The world of postal logistics is surprisingly complicated. If you`re small and just starting out, you might want to hire a post office or pre-sort office to help you comply with USPS regulations. If you send enough to use mixing, your MailSmart Logistics account manager will be happy to work hand in hand with you to maximize your savings on all your direct mail while minimizing the work you have to do yourself. Companies that want to cut costs – that would be most businesses, wouldn`t they? — can save a lot of postage by sending their qualified marketing items in bulk instead of top-notch mail.
The cost of qualified nonprofit standard shipping or standard regular shipping is based on: Below we have described in detail these requirements for bulk shipments. All standard shipments (bulk shipments) must be printed with an approval imprint in the upper right corner of the package. The evidence shows the U.S. Postal Service that the appropriate postage for the shipment is paid in advance. Fees The current price of a USPS bulk mail authorization is $245.00 per year. If you use printing stamps (circumstantial proof) compared to a post office or pre-cancelled stamps, you must also pay an approval fee for printing. Bulk direct mail offers significantly lower postage for a large number of shipments with the same printed material. All bulk shipments must meet the USPS requirement.
Call us at 805.893.3595 if you are considering bulk shipping so we can answer your questions. Have all your standard shipments (in bulk) prepared by an external supplier, a mail order company. The mail order company sorts the shipment in a special order by postal code, prepares the necessary documents and delivers them to the post office and other preparatory services. If you want to significantly reduce your postage costs on a large shipment, you should consider sending it to standard mail, which is the term mail for “bulk mail.” Using standard mail saves a for-profit business at least 38% on top-notch postage prices, and savings of up to 55% are possible if you use blending or drop shipping to deliver mail to inbox units near the final destination of the post office. Nonprofits save even more by using standard mail – standard rates for nonprofits range from 55% to 80% below top-notch postage rates. Learn more about how to maximize your bulk shipping savings. Within 90 days of shipment, addresses must be compared to the USPS National Change of Address Database (NCOA). It`s good protection because so many Americans travel every year. The NCOA updates the addresses of those who have recently moved.
A third party can easily check your email list for you, otherwise you`ll have to invest in software to do so. Call us to discuss mass mail in more detail. We can help you calculate whether it makes sense to hire a direct mail processor like Bluegrass to do the work for you. We can calculate how much you would save from discounted mass shipments based on previous shipments or your plans for this year`s marketing campaign. Not sure how many mail shipments are eligible for bulk rates or how to apply for a USPS bulk mail authorization? Here is the latest news about USPS bulk mail and pre-sorting requirements. At Towne Mailer, we review all bulk shipments to make sure they meet all USPS requirements – and we can help you modify your design to make your part more efficient overall. To learn more about our direct mail services or to ask a question of one of our team members, contact us today at 877.882.6245. Even if your business meets the minimum requirements for bulk shipments, it may not meet the minimum required by postal code to receive the largest pre-sort discounts.
This is one of the reasons why large and small volume shippers can benefit from pre-sorting services. A pre-sorting service provider summarizes or “mixes” all of its customers` shipments to get the best possible discounts for everyone. The USPS offers great discounts on marketing emails. The discounts are certainly deserved because the sender or, in most cases, a professional courier service like Bluegrass has to do all the preparatory work for the shipment. This pre-shipment job is much more complicated than sticking a stamp on an envelope and therefore almost always – it makes sense for a third-party provider like Bluegrass to do this for customers. Once your application is accepted, the USPS will give you an approval number and assign you a sender ID. You`ll need your approval number for each bulk shipment you send and your 9-digit® sender ID to prepare your Intelligent Mail (IMb) barcodes, if applicable. There`s no doubt that mass mail is a great way to save money, especially if you do a lot of marketing mail. But because the time it takes to prepare this mail is not the time that all companies have, it is often better to have a professional to do it for you. Your business will still benefit from a good portion of the savings made without having to spend time processing and preparing for bulk shipping As you can imagine if your business sends a lot of mail — 500 direct marketing letters per month or a quarterly newsletter to your charity`s supporters — sending these parts at mass mail rates can save a lot of money. Marketing Mail® is experiencing a renaissance – and for good reason.
No form of digital communication beats mail response rates by mail. The trick is to make it profitable, as well as your other commercial shipments. This is where mass shift rates come into play. But before you can realize these high-volume savings, you must first meet all the requirements of the U.S. Postal Service® for bulk shipments. Keeping up with these details and the ever-changing USPS regulations is one of the reasons why many companies are turning to a pre-sorting service for their bulk sending needs. A postal code is required for all shipments of the supplier`s standard (in bulk). This number authorizes the U.S. provider and post office to use the UCSB standard permit account.
Send a completed postal control form and a sample of your mail to Mail Services.