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Commercial mail, or “bulk
mail,” is your best option if you mail in volume. In
order to claim these lower prices, you must have a minimum
quantity
and do some additional work to make your mail easier for
the Postal Service to handle.
ADVANTAGES
- A proven, cost-effective business tool
- Offers a lower price on postage for the work you perform
- Can accommodate a variety of business needs
- Gives your business or organization a professional image
with customers
- Can promote your business or organization name through
use of permit imprint, postage meter, or PC Postage technology
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Your incentive depends on the mailing service you choose and the work you do.
For example, if you mail 1,000 letter-sized flyers to everyone in your ZIP
Code advertising your business's sale, it would cost $0.42 per piece for
retail First-Class Mail postage, or $420.
If you mail 1,000 flyers using Standard Mail to everyone in
your ZIP Code by adding a barcode, sorting them by carrier
route, and depositing them at the Post Office designated by your business mail entry unit, you might pay as little as $0.137 per piece,
or $137.
COST
- The postage depends on the mailing service you choose and
the characteristics of your mailpiece.
- For any commercial mailing, you must do some of the work
the Postal Service would otherwise do. The work you do, such
as preparing, sorting, and entering your mailing, can lower
your postage costs.
- You must pay an annual mailing fee at each facility where
you enter mail. Different mailing services may require separate
fees. For example, First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Package
Services require separate $180 annual presort mailing fees.
- Other optional aspects of a commercial mailing, such as using
permit imprints, business reply mail, or mailing endorsements,
may require additional fees.
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CHOOSING
BETWEEN COMMERCIAL MAILING SERVICES AND RETAIL MAILING
SERVICES
Even if your mailing has the required number of mailpieces to qualify
for a discount price, you still have to perform some of the work the Postal
Service would normally do to receive the discount. When deciding whether
to undertake a commercial mailing, you should consider:
- Your technology
Your technology and equipment, such as computers and software, will
influence the discount services you can use and the time it will
take you to complete the work.
- Your budget
The amount of money you spend on a mailing is more than just the cost
of postage. You should also consider the cost of designing and printing
your mailpieces and obtaining a mailing list.
If you can’t dedicate the technology or time to
a commercial mailing, consider using a mail service provider
or retail mailing services, which lets you quickly prepare
and send your mailing. As your business grows, your resources
may allow you to take advantage of additional discounts.
MAIL SERVICE PROVIDERS
You can get help with commercial mailings from a business that specializes
in designing, preparing, and sorting mail. These businesses, typically
called “mail service providers”, can help you
with a single part of a discount mailing, or you can hire them to handle
the entire mailing, from creation to mail entry. Mail service providers
can help you:
- purchase or rent an address list.
- manage your address database.
- design and print your mailpieces.
- sort your mailpieces.
- reduce your postage.
- enter your mail into the mailstream.
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PLANNING A
COMMERCIAL MAILING
Several steps are involved in the discount mailing process. A successful commercial
mailing requires careful consideration of each step.
1. Choosing
A Mailing Service
Which mailing service you choose depends on the shape, weight, and content
of your mail, along with speed of delivery.
2. Choosing
A Postage Payment Method
The Postal Service offers four ways for you to pay for and apply postage
to your mailpieces.
3. Preparing
Your Mail
“Machinable,” “nonmachinable,” and “automation” are
the three ways the Postal Service classifies how mailpieces are prepared. These
classifications are based on the ability of your mailpiece to be processed on
Postal Service equipment.
4. Sorting
Your Mail
Sort your mail according to Postal Service standards.
5. Entering Your
Mail
The minimum requirement is to enter your mail at the business mail entry
unit (BMEU) or Post Office where you hold a mailing permit. You can receive
additional incentives by transporting your mail closer to where it will be
delivered.
This section explains the steps for completing a commercial
mailing. First choose a mailing service, then a postage payment
method. After you make these choices, prepare your mailpieces,
then sort them by Postal Service standards, and enter your
mailing at a postal facility.
For each step, you will need to complete the minimum level
of work required by the Postal Service. You may also choose
to complete higher levels of work to receive greater postage
incentives. In some cases, the characteristics of your mailpieces
will determine which prices and incentives are available to you.
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