The post office is changing the requirements for where you can place the address on a flat sized mail piece (Flats are usually larger than 6-18"x11-1/2")  For most of the magazine style pieces that we produce we will now be required to print the address upside down. 

The new location choices are:  Upside down or sideways on the bottom half of the front cover or right side up or sideways on the top half of the back cover.  The changes are a bit more complex than that, but that is the gist of the change.

We have a bit before this goes into effect, this won't be a requirement till March 29th, 2009.

 Federal Register Notices

Nothing final yet, but the Post Office is looking into changing some of the requirements for booklet style mailers.  If you do a large volume of these types of pieces, you may want to look in to this:

Federal Register Notices

• First-Class full rate 1oz mail will be 42¢ 
• No change in the First-Class Mail single-piece additional-ounce price.
• Lower additional-ounce price for presorted First-Class Mail letters.
• Lower pound price for Standard Mail saturation and high-density flats.

 Select prices 

Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, and International Mail prices will be announced in March.

The new ratefold is available here:  (PDF)

See usps.com/prices for additional information.

For a few years now First Class presort mailings have been required to meet a move update standard.  In November the USPS is extending the move update requirements to apply to Standard Mail.  They are also shortening the time frame for how recently the list must have been updated for moves from 185 days to 95 days.

The simplest way of meeting this requirement is to do one of the following:

• NCOA^LINK
• Ancillary Endorsements
• Alternative Addressing

NCOA^LINK electronically processes your file for people who have moved and provides updated addresses where available.  Most quality purchased lists have already received this processing.

Ancillary Endorsements such as "Return Service Requested" provide you with move information that you can then use to update your file so that you meet these requirements.

Alternative Addressing such as "or Current Resident" indicates that you do not wish the piece forwarded and excludes you from these requirements.

This will be a major issue for many direct mailers come November.  Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me to discuss your options.

 See Quick Service Guide 230a for more information.

A new Customer Support Ruling was released to clarify the mail preparation requirements for coins and tokens. 

If it shows through the window, it has to have a second covering on it.  I'm guessing they had one too many of them go ballistic in the high speed sorters.

(Full Text of CSR PS-328 Here)

The post office has made some adjustments to the mailing requirements for magnets. Read More »