No Rate Changes for 2010!

Great news! The Postal Service will not increase prices for market dominant products for Calendar Year 2010.  This includes First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Single-Piece Parcel Post.

Changes in pricing for competitive products – Priority Mail, Express Mail, Parcel Select and most International products – are under consideration.  A decision will be announced in November on these services.

This is good news for all of us.  As we begin preparation for our 2010 budgets it’s nice to know the postal rates for the primary classes of mail is remaining the same.

For additional information go to www.usps.com.

What is NCOA?

The National Change of Address (NCOA) is part of Move Update requirements the Post Office implemented November 2008.  We all are looking for ways to maximize the return on investments (ROI’s) and one way to do it is to have your mailing list processed through NCOA.  If someone has moved and submitted their Change of Address (COA) to the Post Office the NCOA process attempts to match up those on your mailing list with the NCOA database.  When it finds matches it automatically updates your mailing list to the most current address on file.  This enables your mail piece to get delivered to the right person at the right address.  Incorrect addressing leads to delays in processing your mail.

For more information on processing your list through NCOA give us a call.  We’ll be glad to help.

First versus Third Class?

Many people wonder if they should mail first or third class.  What’s the postage cost difference and requirements between them and how do I choose what’s best for me?

For individuals who mail in small quantities (less than 200 pieces) there’s not much we can do to save you on postage except to bring it to us and prepay, we’ll knock off $.02 per letter for First Class mail ($.42 versus $.44).  If you have larger quantities then we may have some options to help save money.

To receive a First Class Discount you will need a minimum 500 pieces of mail.  As an example, a 500 piece mailing of a 1oz. (or less) letter could see your postage range from $.31 – $.38 per piece.  This is based on a simple sort and your mailing meeting certain postal requirements.  However, this alone would save you $30 – $65 in postage.

For a Third Class Discount you only need a minimum of 200 identical mail pieces.  Again, as an example, a 500 piece mailing of a 3.3oz. (or less) could see your postage range from $.19 – $.27 per piece.  This example shows you could save $85 – $125 in postage.  Also, as you may have noticed, you only need 200 identical pieces and the weight can be up to 3.3oz instead of the 1oz. for first class.

There are ways to even get steeper postage discounts which we’ll discuss on another post.

Which one should I choose?

Depends on what you’re mailing and your budget.  If, for example, you are sending out a “Grand Opening” flyer to your customers then I’d suggest mailing them out Third Class.  If you have a monthly statement to mail out then you have to go First Class but if you have at least 500 then we can possibly get you some postal discounts.

There are many variables & options available so it would be best to give us a call at 605.721.5779 to further discuss your particular mailing situation.

Postal School

Every Second Thursday at noon, from September through May, we offer postal school.  At this “school” we aim to inform our customers the latest news with the post office along with mail piece design to give you the best discounts. We even provide lunch. Call 721-5779 to reserve your seat.

First versus Third Class?

Many people wonder if they should mail first or third class.  What’s the postage cost difference and requirements between them and how do I choose what’s best for me?

For individuals who mail in small quantities (less than 200 pieces) there’s not much we can do to save you on postage except to bring it to us and prepay, we’ll knock off $.02 per letter for First Class mail ($.42 versus $.44).  If you have larger quantities then we may have some options to help save money.

To receive a First Class Discount you will need a minimum 500 pieces of mail.  As an example, a 500 piece mailing of a 1oz. (or less) letter could see your postage range from $.31 – $.38 per piece.  This is based on a simple sort and your mailing meeting certain postal requirements.  However, this alone would save you $30 – $65 in postage.

For a Third Class Discount you only need a minimum of 200 identical mail pieces.  Again, as an example, a 500 piece mailing of a 3.3oz. (or less) could see your postage range from $.19 – $.27 per piece.  This example shows you could save $85 – $125 in postage.  Also, as you may have noticed, you only need 200 identical pieces and the weight can be up to 3.3oz instead of the 1oz. for first class.

There are ways to even get steeper postage discounts which we’ll discuss on another post.

Which one should I choose?

Depends on what you’re mailing and your budget.  If, for example, you are sending out a “Grand Opening” flyer to your customers then I’d suggest mailing them out Third Class.  If you have a monthly statement to mail out then you have to go First Class but if you have at least 500 then we can possibly get you some postal discounts.

There are many variables & options available so it would be best to give us a call at 605.721.5779 to further discuss your particular mailing situation.