The Postal Service gives
discounts to those who automate their mailings. To qualify for such
savings, the Post Office does have certain requirements. While many of
these requirements will be handled by your mailhouse (sorting
documentation by PAVE
certified software, CASS
certification of barcodes, and bar coded tray or sack tags), there are
some things that businesses should be aware of before designing their
mail piece.
First Class mailers must
demonstrate that they have updated the addresses in their mailing lists
within 180 days or 6 months prior to the mailing date. The four U.S.P.S.-approved
updating methods include:
Address
Change Service (ACS)
National
Change of Address (NCOA)
FASTforward
Ancillary
Service Endorsements
- Automated selfmailers may
have to be tabbed
or sealed shut depending on the design and class of the piece.
- Any letter-size reply cards
and envelopes (including business reply,
courtesy reply, and metered reply
mail) provided as enclosures must be automation-compatible and bear
a Facing Identifcation Mark (FIM) and correct barcode for the
address to which the piece is returned. To view the exact specs of a
courtesy reply, click here. To view the
exact spec of a business reply, click here.
- Mailpieces must be
flexible. Generally, small coins or credit cards firmly affixed to
the contents of the mailpiece are acceptable if the mailpiece and
its contents can bend easily around an 11-inch drum. Rigid items,
such as pencils, keys, large coins, etc, cannot be sent with
automation mail.
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