|
Bulk Mail Guidelines
ATTENTION: Many Bulk Mail Guidelines have changed. Please review carefully and Contact Us to ask questions.
Bulk Mail (Business Mail) is a cheaper way of sending out official UT Dallas mail. You do need to
follow a few guidelines though.
Standard Mail is mail matter not required to be mailed as First-Class Mail or Periodicals. Lower non-profit prices are available for Standard Mail but require specific authorization.
As an educational institution we are able to do so.
You MUST have a permit indicia imprint or on the envelope
in order to send out business mail.
Rules and Regulations |
Non-Profit |
First Class |
Number of Pcs |
|
|
Size and Weight Req |
|
|
|
Process |
Cheaper But Slower |
Costs More But Faster |
IMPORTANT INFO |
|
|
For Bulk Mail to work, there are rules to follow for the sizing, addressing, and weight
requirements as in the links given above. The other requirement is that the mail be put
in zip code order from smallest zip code to largest.
The most helpful way to sperate these is in separate mail bins or trays. You may request
a mail tray by calling 2319, 2779, or EMAIL US
.
Eligibility
|
-Mailings of 500 or more addressed pieces
-Sorted and marked as described below.
-All pieces must be machinable; see 201.1.0.
-Pieces mailed at card prices and pieces mailed at letter prices must meet separate
500-piece minimums.
-Each piece must include a complete delivery address with correct ZIP Code or ZIP+4 code. |
Endorsements
|
To Qualify for the Bulk Mail, the USPS requires certain addressing standards. For more information, Click HERE. Addresses on all pieces must be updated within 95 days before mailing through a USPS approved address update method (e.g., ACS, NCOALink, FASTforward, or the appropriate ancillary service endorsement except Forwarding Service Requested. 507.1.5). Return Service Requested is the most common. This must be placed under the Return Address (which should be at the top left of the mail piece). The department will incur the full price of the piece if it is returned for address correction. For an overview of the Move Update standards, see Quick Service Guide 230a. A certified process (233.3.6.2) must be used within 12 months before mailing to ensure accuracy of 5-digit ZIP Codes.
This is the most strict one now. There are many ways to take care of addressing standards but the usual way is Return Service Requested. This must be located under the return address. What this does it tell the PO that you decided to keep up with your own addresses and will promise to change them if they are returned to you. The downside is that you will spend .44 cents (or current first class letter rate) if they are returned to you. |
FAQS
|
| Q. What will my mailing cost me?
A. Depends on dimensions and design. Click Here to price your own.
Remember that this is just for estimate postage. There may be other factors that effect your
final postage.
Q. Does design have anything to do with price?
A. Design actually has a lot to do with your postage. Be careful not to go over the weight
requirements on mailings. Each ounce could potentially cost you big on each job. |
Authorization |
| Mail services will need a Cost Center, Name Of Mailing Department, Name Of Person In Charge Of Mailing, and an ECOM (Estimated Cost Of Mailing). This will ensure that there are adequate funds in our USPS account. |
Helpful Links and Guides |
Sizes for Letters |
 |
|
The following size requirements for letters:
|
Dimension |
Minimum |
Maximum |
Height |
3-1/2 inches |
6-1/8 inches |
Length |
5 inches |
11-1/2 inches |
Thickness |
0.007 inch |
1/4 inch |
|
|
|
|
To be eligible for mailing at the price for letters, a piece must be:
- Rectangular
- At least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inch thick.
- No more than 6-1/8 inches high x 11-1/2 inches long x 1/4 inch thick.
First-Class Mail letters that have one or more nonmachinable characteristics will pay a nonmachinable surcharge. Customers can be unpleasantly surprised that they must pay extra postage when, for example, they mail a square greeting card. The Postal Service charges extra postage because mailpieces that are rigid, square, or unusually shaped, often jam postal equipment and are difficult to process. This costs the Postal Service time and money—and may also damage your mailpiece.
Many mailers fold sheets of paper to form letter-size pieces or newsletters. Folded pieces, or folded self-mailers, can save time and money because you’re not paying for or stuffing envelopes. Folded self-mailers must be sealed or they will be subject to the nonmachinable surcharge. We recommend that you use wafer seals or tabs to close the open sides of folded mailpieces.
Here’s some good advice on tabbing: Put the fold on the bottom (the side below the address) and secure the opening at the top with a piece of tape, a tab or a wafer seal.
More about Folding and Tabbing a Mailpiece
There are special size requirements for mailing letters at automation prices. Contact your business mail entry unit for more information.
TIPS
-0.007 inches? How do I measure that? As a guide, an index card is thick enough. If in doubt, contact a mailpiece design analyst (MDA) near you. MDAs have tools for precisely measuring thickness and can tell you if your mailpiece is thick enough.
-What is high? What is long? Length is the side parallel to the address. Height is the side that is perpendicular to the length.
(all info copyright of USPS.com 2012) |
|
|
