Mail Service Details:

Discount mail, or “bulk mail,” is your best option if you mail in volume. In order to claim these lower rates, 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 discount 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 $0.39 per piece for retail First-Class postage, or $390.
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 that handles their delivery, you might pay as little as $0.127 per piece, or $127.

COST

• The postage depends on the mailing service you choose and the characteristics of your mailpiece.
• For any discount 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 $160 annual presort mailing fees.
• Other optional aspects of a discount mailing, such as using permit imprints, business reply mail, or mailing endorsements, may require additional fees.

 CHOOSING BETWEEN DISCOUNT MAILING SERVICES AND RETAIL MAILING SERVICES
Even if your mailing has the required number of mailpieces to qualify for a discount rate, 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 discount 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 discount mailing, consider using a mail service provider or retail mailing services, which let you quickly prepare and send your mailing. As your business grows, your resources may allow you to take advantage of additional discounts. Discount rates are not available for Express Mail or Priority Mail.

MAIL SERVICE PROVIDERS
You can get help with discount mailing from a business that specializes in designing, preparing, and sorting mail. These businesses, typically called “mail service providers” (see page 76), 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 rate.
• enter your mail into the mailstream.

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