An Introduction to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations


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	An Introduction to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations

	Introduction

	Retail Mailing Services

	Commercial Mailing Services
	»	Introduction
	»	Choosing a Mailing Service
	»	Choosing a Postage Payment Method
	»	Preparation Overview
	»	Sortation Overview
	»	Mail Entry Overview
	»	Example
	»	Nonprofit Standard Mail Eligibility
	»	Commercial Postage Prices
	»	Where to Go From Here

	Online Services

	Additional Info

	Reference

Commercial Mailing Services

Choosing a Mailing Service

The shape and content of your mail can determine which mailing services are available to you.

Postcards Dimensions
		minimum	maximum
	length	5 inches	6 inches
	height	3-1/2 inches	4-1/4 inches
	thickness	0.007 inch	0.016 inch

Letters Dimensions
		minimum	maximum
	length	5 inches	11-1/2 inches
	height	3-1/2 inches	6-1/8 inches
	thickness	0.007 inch	1/4 inch

For letters and postcards, length is the dimension parallel to the address.

First-Class Mail
Postcards and letters may be sent using First-Class Mail. This service is required for personal correspondence, handwritten or typewritten material, and bills or statements of account. It may also be used for any mailable item including advertisements and lightweight merchandise. This service is typically the fastest service offered with incentive mailings.

Standard Mail
Letters containing mailable items not required to be sent as First-Class Mail may be sent as Standard Mail. Standard Mail is typically used for advertisements and flyers. There are no postcard prices for Standard Mail, but postcards can be mailed at the letter-size price. Additional content restrictions must be met for authorized nonprofit mailers.

Periodicals
This service requires prior authorization by the Postal Service. Typical Periodicals are newspapers, magazines, and newsletters.

Content	Qualifiers	Speed¹	Postage	Service
The following items must be mailed as First-Class Mail: bills and checks statements of account handwritten materials typewritten materials personal information Generally, Standard Mail may be mailed at First-Class Mail prices.	3.5 ounces or less 500 or more pieces per mailing	1–3 days	$$	First-Class Mail
Materials such as: circulars advertisements solicitations for donation newsletters small merchandise printed matter not required to be mailed as First-Class Mail or Periodicals	3.5 ounces or less 200 or more pieces or 50 pounds or more per mailing	2–9 days²	$	Standard Mail
Authorized publications such as: newspapers newsletters magazines	1 or more pieces per mailing	1–7 days²	$	Periodicals
		1 Estimated time of delivery. 2 Except Alaska and Hawaii.

See detailed content restrictions for more information.

Flats Dimensions
		minimum*	maximum
	length	11-1/2 inches	15 inches
	height	6-1/8 inches	12 inches
	thickness	1/4 inch	3/4 inch

* Flats exceed at least one of these dimensions.
For flats, length is the longest dimension.

Flats must be:
• Flexible
• Uniformly thick
• Rectangular, with four square corners, or with finished corners that do not exceed a radius of 0.125 inch (1/8 inch).

First-Class Mail
Flats may be sent using First-Class Mail. This service is required for personal correspondence, handwritten or typewritten material, and bills or statements of account. It may also be used for any mailable item, including advertisements and lightweight merchandise. This service is typically the fastest service offered with incentive mailings.

Standard Mail
Flats containing mailable items not required to be sent as First-Class Mail may be sent as Standard Mail. Standard Mail is typically used for advertisements, flyers, and catalogs. Additional content restrictions must be met for authorized nonprofit mailers.

Periodicals
This service requires prior authorization by the Postal Service. Typical Periodicals are newspapers, magazines, and newsletters.

Bound Printed Matter
Flats can be sent using Bound Printed Matter. Contents are limited to permanently bound printed sheets of directory, advertising, or editorial matter, such as catalogs or phone books.

Media Mail
Small and large flats can be sent using Media Mail. Contents are limited to books, manuscripts, sound recordings, recorded videotapes, and computer-readable media (not blank). Informally called “Book Rate,” Media Mail cannot contain advertising, except books can contain incidental announcements of other books.

Content	Qualifiers	Speed¹	Postage	Service
The following materials must be mailed as First-Class Mail: bills and checks statements of account handwritten materials typewritten materials personal correspondence Generally, Standard Mail can be mailed at First-Class Mail prices.	13 ounces or less 500 or more pieces per mailing	1–3 days	$$	First-Class Mail
Materials such as: circulars advertisements solicitations for donation newsletters merchandise printed matter not required to be mailed as First-Class Mail or Periodicals	less than 16 ounces 200 or more pieces or 50 pounds or more per mailing	2–9 days²	$	Standard Mail
Authorized publications such as: newspapers newsletters magazines	1 or more pieces per mailing	1–7 days²	$	Periodicals
Permanently bound printed materials such as: advertising promotional material directory material editorial material	15 pounds or less 300 or more pieces per mailing (50 or more pieces for barcode discount only)	2–9 days²	$	Bound Printed Matter
Materials such as: books printed music videotapes (recorded) CD-ROMs (recorded) computer-readable media (recorded) printed educational charts	300 or more pieces per mailing	2–9 days²	$	Media Mail
		1 Estimated time of delivery. 2 Except Alaska and Hawaii.

Parcel Dimensions
	length	the longest side of the parcel
	girth	measurement around the thickest part of the parcel
	length + girth	cannot exceed 108 inches (Parcel Select cannot exceed 130 inches)

First-Class Mail
Small parcels may be sent using First-Class Mail. This service is required for personal correspondence, handwritten or typewritten material, and bills or statements of account. It may also be used for any mailable item, including advertisements and lightweight merchandise.

Standard Mail
Small parcels containing mailable items not required to be sent as First-Class Mail may be sent as Standard Mail. Standard Mail is typically used for lightweight merchandise. Additional content restrictions must be met for authorized nonprofit mailers.

Parcel Select
Matter not mailed as Package Services (Parcel Post, Bound Printed Matter, Media, or Library Mail). Generally used for shipping merchandise.

Bound Printed Matter
Small and large parcels can be sent using Bound Printed Matter. Contents are limited to permanently bound sheets of directory, advertising, or editorial matter, such as catalogs or phone books.

Media Mail
Small and large parcels can be sent using Media Mail. Contents are limited to books, manuscripts, sound recordings, recorded videotapes, and computer-readable media (not blank). Informally called “Book Rate,” Media Mail cannot contain advertising, except books can contain incidental announcements of other books.

Unusual Shapes and Sizes
Sometimes a mailpiece requires additional postage because it is a certain shape, weight or size that is difficult to process on mail sorting machines. To make sure you’re paying the correct postage, visit www.usps.com (click on “Calculate Postage”) or call 1·800·ASK·USPS.

The following are examples of parcel-size mail that will require extra postage:

Parcel Select nonmachinable surcharge:
• Length more than 34 inches or
• Height more than 17 inches or
• width more than 35 pounds (25 pounds for books and other printed matter) or
• Meets any Parcel Select nonmachinable criteria.

The non machinable surcharge doesn not aply to parcels mailed at oversize proces or parcels sent with special handling.

Parcel Select – Balloon Price
• Parcels that weight less than 20 pounds but measure more than 84 inches (but not more than 108 inches) in combined length and girth, are charged the applicable price for a 20 pound parcel (balloon price).

Content	Qualifiers	Speed¹	Postage	Service
The following materials must be mailed as First-Class Mail: bills and checks statements of account handwritten materials typewritten materials personal correspondence Generally, Standard Mail can be mailed at First-Class Mail prices.	13 ounces or less 500 or more pieces per mailing	1–3 days	$$	First-Class Mail
Materials such as: advertisements solicitations for donation merchandise printed matter not required to be mailed as First-Class Mail or Periodicals	less than 16 ounces 200 or more pieces or 50 pounds or more per mailing	2–9 days²	$	Standard Mail
Any mailable matter that is not required to be sent as First-Class Mail or Periodicals.	70 pounds or less maximum length + girth is 130 inches 50 or more pieces per mailing	2–9 days²	$	Parcel Select
Any permanently bound printed materials such as: advertising promotional material directory material editorial material	15 pounds or less 300 or more pieces per mailing (50 or more pieces for barcode discount)	2–9 days²	$	Bound Printed Matter
Materials such as: books printed music videotapes (recorded) CD-ROMs (recorded) computer-readable media (recorded) printed educational charts	70 pounds or less 300 or more pieces per mailing (50 or more pieces for barcode discount)	2–9 days²	$	Media Mail
		1 Estimated time of delivery. 2 Except Alaska and Hawaii.






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