Preparation Overview

Preparing your mailpieces according to Postal Service standards allows your mailpieces to be processed more efficiently.

In addition to weight and shape, the Postal Service classifies mailpieces by the way they are prepared. These classifications are based on how efficiently your mailpieces can be processed on Postal Service equipment. The Postal Service classifies all mailpieces into one of three categories:

• Machinable. If you prepare your mailpiece so that it has an accurate address and can be processed on Postal Service equipment, your mailpiece is “machinable” and eligible for “presort” prices.
• Nonmachinable. If your mailpiece does not meet the machinable standards, you may have to pay a higher postage price.
• Automation. If your letter-size or flat-size mailpiece is machinable and displays the correct barcode, you can qualify for lower, “automation” prices.

MACHINABLE MAIL
A mailpiece is machinable if it can be sorted on Postal Service processing equipment. Sorting machinable pieces is more efficient than sorting nonmachinable pieces. Machinable mailpieces must meet specific standards, including size, shape, and weight. Machinable parcels with barcodes are eligible for a barcode discount.

MACHINABLE MAIL DIMENSIONS

NONMACHINABLE MAIL
A mailpiece is nonmachinable if it cannot be sorted by Postal Service equipment. Higher postage prices may apply to mailpieces that do not meet machinable standards. Additionally, nonmachinable letters require extra steps when you sort your mail. Examples of a nonmachinable mailpiece include a:

First-Class Mail letter weighing 3.5 ounces or less, or Standard Mail letter weighing 3.3 ounces or less if the mailpiece:

• has an aspect ratio (length divided by height) of less than 1.3 or more than 2.5 (a square envelope has an aspect ratio of 1, making it nonmachinable).
• is over 4-1/4 inches high and/or 6 inches long and is less than 0.009 inch thick.
• is polybagged, polywrapped, or enclosed in any plastic material.
• has clasps, strings, or buttons.
• is too thin or too rigid.
• has a delivery address parallel to the shorter side of the mailpiece.
• contains items such as pens, pencils, or keys that create an uneven thickness.

Flat-size mail if the piece is not:

• rectangular
• flexible
• uniformly thick

Parcel Select parcel if the parcel:

• measures more than 34 inches long or more than 17 inches high or more than 17 inches thick.
• measures less than 6 inches long or 1/4 inch thick or 3 inches wide.
• weighs less than 6 ounces or more than 35 pounds (for books and other printed materials, the weight limit is 25 pounds).
• contains more than 24 ounces of liquid in one or more glass containers.
• contains 1 gallon or more of liquid in metal or plastic containers.
• is a metal-strapped or metal-banded box.
• is a can, roll, or tube.
• is an insecurely wrapped, unwrapped, paper-wrapped, or sleeve-wrapped article.
• is a metal or wood box.

AUTOMATION MAIL
Your cards, letters, and flats can receive significant postage incentives if they are prepared according to automation standards. Your mailpiece meets automation standards and qualifies for automation prices if it meets the specific addressing, barcoding, and design standards established for your mailing service and your level of sortation. There are no automation prices for parcels, but barcoded and machinable parcels may be eligible for lower prices. For more information about automation standards, refer to the Quick Service Guides, which provide a summary of the standards for automation cards, letters, and flats.

Barcodes for Cards, Letters, and Flats
To receive the automation prices for cards and letters, all of the pieces in your mailing must have a delivery point barcode, or an Intelligent Mail barcode. Automation flats must have a delivery point barcode or a ZIP+4 barcode. All barcodes must meet placement, size, and legibility standards. Software is available for printing barcodes from your address list.

Parcel Barcodes
For Package Services (Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, Library Mail), and Parcel Select mailings of 50 or more machinable pieces, parcels may receive additional incentives if they are prepared and barcoded based on the standards for your mailing service. Parcel Select DBMC machinable pieces require a barcode. Each piece in a barcoded parcel mailing must have a correct 5-digit barcode and meet certain placement, size, and legibility standards. For Standard Mail, the minimum volume needed to receive this discount is 200 pieces or 50 pounds. First Class Mail parcels may pay a surcharge if not barcoded.

Letters
The aspect ratio (length divided by height) must be between 1.3 and 2.5, inclusive.

Flats
To receive automation prices, your mailpiece must meet the standards for automation flats and:

• First-Class Mail cannot weigh more than 13 ounces.
• Periodicals cannot weigh more than 20 ounces.
• Standard Mail must weigh less than 16 ounces.
• Bound Printed Matter cannot weigh more than 20 ounces.
• Have uniform thickness.

AUTOMATION MAIL DIMENSIONS

ADDRESSING AND ENDORSEMENTS Accurate addressing and the proper use of endorsements helps us deliver your mail. Addressing for Commercial Mail Address quality is the key to automation compatibility, barcode accuracy, sorting accuracy, and carrier route coding, as well as the timely processing and delivery of your mail. Minimum standards for address quality for commercial mailing services include using accurate, updated ZIP Codes. Basic Address Quality Standards A. Delivery address information, including apartment number, placed on the same line B. Predirectional in delivery address line C. Correct spelling of street name D. Correct suffix for delivery address E. Secondary address information F. Correct spelling of city name G. Standard state abbreviation H. Correct ZIP Code Automation Address Quality Standards A. POSTNET or Intelligent Mail barcode (for automation discounts) B. Attention Line (Optional) C. Group, Department, Division Name (Optional) D. Business / Firm Name (Required) E. Delivery Address (Required) F. City, State, ZIP Code (Required)

You may use a Simplified Addressing format in lieu of customer name and address (e.g., “Postal Customer”) if you mail to all delivery addresses on a rural route or to all boxholders at Post Offices that don’t have city carrier service. Government agencies may also use the Simplified Addressing format for official mail sent to all delivery addresses on a city route or to all boxholders at any Post Office.

What Do the Endorsements Do?
Change Service Requested tells the Postal Service to dispose of the undeliverable mailpiece and to inform you of your addressee’s new location or why the mailpiece can’t be delivered. This service helps you eliminate inaccurate addresses from your address list.

Forwarding Service Requested tells the Postal Service to forward the mailpiece to the addressee’s new location or to return the mailpiece to you if the recipient has not filed a change of address order in the last 12 months.

Return Service Requested tells the Postal Service to return the mailpiece to you with the addressee’s new location or the reason why it can’t be delivered. This service is beneficial when you are sending valuable or personal items.

Address Service Requested tells the Postal Service to forward the mailpiece to the addressee’s new location or to return the mailpiece to you if the recipient has not filed a change of address order in the last 12 months. Additionally, you will receive a notice of the addressee’s new location or why the mailpiece cannot be delivered. This service is helpful when you want to get a mailpiece to the addressee and you want to keep your address list updated.

How Do the Services Work?
Simply place the name of the service you want to use directly below the return address or in another Postal Service-approved place on the mailpiece.

For more information, see Quick Service Guide 507d.

ADDRESS LISTS
You can achieve better results and avoid wasting postage on undeliverable mailpieces by checking the accuracy of your addresses.

Why Check Your List?
In order to reach as many of your customers as possible, you should frequently check the accuracy of your address list. Consider the following:

• 16 percent of Americans change addresses annually.
• 43 million people move each year.
• One out of every six families moves each year.

Requirements for Checking Your List
The Postal Service suggests that you check the accuracy of your address list at least once a year. However, in order to qualify for incentive prices, you are required to check the accuracy of certain aspects of your address list on a regular basis. To qualify for:

• Presorted prices, you must verify the 5-digit ZIP Codes at least 12 months prior to mailing.
• Automation prices, you must verify the complete addresses with CASS-certified software at least 180 days prior to mailing.
• Carrier Route prices, you must verify the Carrier Route information at least 90 days prior to mailing.

First-Class Mail Move Update
You must use an approved Move Update process in order to mail at presorted or automation First-Class Mail prices. Each address must be updated at least 185 days prior to the date of mailing by using one of these methods (effective 11/23/2008, the requirement will change to 95 days, and will also include Standard Mail). For more information about USPS approved Move Update processes, see QSG 230a.

Pre-approved Move Update Methods:

• Address Change Service (ACS)
• National Change of Address Linkage System (NCOA^Link)
• FASTforward
• Ancillary Service Endorsement except Forwarding Service Requested

Address Lists The Postal Service offers many ways to verify the accuracy of the addresses on your list. Mail service providers also offer Postal Service-approved products and services for list maintenance. For more information, see Address Quality. Checking List Accuracy Through the Postal Service Use the ZIP Code Lookup to check the ZIP Codes in your address list. Address Information System (AIS) viewer interactive CD-ROM provides the ability to view and print ZIP Code information. Mailing List Service. You can submit a printout of your address list to the Postal Service and any changes will be marked. There is a fee for this service, which is available through your Address Management System office. Contact your Post Office for more information. Checking List Accuracy Through a Mail Service Provider CASS-certified software. This service will take your computerized list and run it through special software that standardizes the addresses, corrects the ZIP Codes and any spelling mistakes, and adds the ZIP+4 codes. National Change of Address Linkage System (NCOALink). A licensed vendor will run your mailing list through software that updates addresses for your customers who have filed a change of address order with the Post Office. The advantage to using NCOALink is that you clean up your list before you mail. You also know in advance how much it’s going to cost (because a vendor charges by the address). With an ancillary service endorsement you get the same result (a corrected address) when you mail, but you won’t know how much you’ll pay in fees until after the corrections come back.

Although the Postal Service does not provide address lists, many outside vendors sell or rent lists. These lists usually can be tailored to allow you to reach a specific geographic area or a particular demographic group. If you buy or rent a list from a vendor, you will need to ask if the addresses are updated and correct. For additional information, see Mail Service Providers. For more address information contact the National Customer Support Center at 1-800-238-3150 or visit www.usps.ncsc.