Again this year the USPS will be promoting the use of two-dimensional barcodes, integrating your mailpiece with mobile technology.

The program stipulations are quite different from the promotion run in 2011.  In 2012 the 2d barcode (or QR barcode as it is commonly known) must drive a recipient to one of two scenarios:

Barcode drives recipient to a personalized website (PURL)

• Web address must be unique for each recipient (www.strahm/kimberly@strahm.com)
• Content of personalized web page must be unique to each recipient
• Content could be based on data such as previous purchases, age, location or other demographic data

This means that you can’t simply have the barcode drive the recipient to an informational or general marketing webpage, even if it includes an offer.  You must create an individual, personalized landing page for each recipient.

Or

Barcode drives recipient to make mobile purchase

• Product or service advertised in mailpiece must be available for purchase through recipient’s mobile device
• Webpage must include “shopping cart” feature to complete the purchase of the product or service.
• E-bill payment or scheduled payments (weekly, monthly, etc) are not eligible.

The program period runs July 1, 2012 through August 31, 2012.  Registration begins May 1.

Eligible mail classes are presort and automation First Class letters/flats/postcards, Standard mail letters and flats, and Nonprofit Standard mail letters and flats.  Automation mailpieces must contain an Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb).

The discount for this Mobile Barcode promotion is 2% of the eligible postage.  The discount is calculated and applied at the time of mailing.  The discount must be indicated at the time of mailing, discounts will not be rebated. You must be registered prior to mailing; registration will be found on the USPS Business Customer Gateway.

A hard copy sample of the mailpiece, showing placement of the mobile barcode, should be presented to the USPS acceptance clerk.  Each mailpiece within a mailing must contain a mobile barcode, either on the outside of the mailpiece or within the envelope.  The mailpiece must also show text near the barcode instructing the recipient to scan the barcode.

A 2% postage savings can be significant.  Make sure you understand and follow all the rules and regulations for this promotion.  If you have questions or need guidance to ensure your mailpiece qualifies, speak with your print/mail vendor and/or your local USPS representative.

The Oxford Strategic Consulting (OSC) firm named the U.S. Postal Service as the best within the world’s largest 20 economies.  Under consideration were measurements such as public confidence in the service, number of mailpieces delivered, reliability and number of people served.  Data was collected over a three year period.

This may be surprising to some of you given the recent troubles of the USPS, but they beat out such postal services as Japan Post, Australia Post, Korea Post and Deutsche Post.

The report determined that the USPS delivers almost twice as many letters per employee as its closest competitor and more than 5 times as many as fifth place Deutsche Post.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a statement “We’re proud to lead the world in postal services and we will continue to deliver superior performance for generations.  Our best days are ahead of us.  I have no doubt the Postal Service will overcome its current financial challenges and endure as the world’s leading service.”

The USPS delivers to more than 150 million addresses, or approximately 40% of the world’s mail. And despite the growth of e-commerce, remains a viable source of fast, accurate deliverability.

In the news yesterday, it was reported that a nationally known company settled an allegation that they had not been meeting USPS Move Update standards.  The settlement was reported to be $1.5 million.

If you are claiming postage discounts, it is mandatory that your mailing list be Move Update compliant. This means you must update your list within 95 days of your mailing.  There are several methods available to vet your list to meet Move Update standards.

National Change of Address (NCOA) processing

The NCOA database is licensed by the USPS to a limited number of processing services, so there is no software you can buy to handle the process internally. The service usually adds very little to your processing costs and typically your mail house can provide the service to you.

You can request from the NCOA list processor a report showing all of the corrected address as well as any addresses that have changed but not filed a COA.  You must use the corrected addresses – don’t just say “hey I had NCOA run and here’s my documentation”.  And don’t neglect to update your database!

The good news is that because this process occurs prior to mailing, you save can money on both printing and postage.

Current Resident/Current Occupant

This is the least expensive Move Update method.  Simply adding “Or Current Resident”, “Or Current Occupant” or “Occupant” to your mailing address instructs the USPS to deliver to the address and ignore the name on the mail piece.  You can choose to eliminate the name entirely or add “Current Resident” on the same line or beneath the name line.

If you are mailing First Class, be aware that by using this method, USPS will not forward the mail or return to you if the person or business has moved.  Your mail is delivered to the designated address, period, and you will not be able to update your address list.

Address Correction Services

Several USPS address correction options can be used to meet Move Update requirements.  They include “Return Service Requested”, “Change Service Requested”, and “Address Service Requested”.  There are different costs and requirements for each service.  For more information regarding these services visit https://www.usps.com/business/move-update.htm

Don’t be blindsided by a fine.  Ask your mail house for assistance and keep your database clean!

If you need more information regarding Move Update standards, please feel free to reach out to one of Strahm’s qualified Customer Service Representatives.  They can be reached at (816) 756-2733 or by email at custserv@strahm.com.

On February 8, 2012 the USPS will be submitting to the Board of Governors a request to repeat last summer’s QR Barcode promotion.

We expect this year’s promotion to be slightly different.  The changes are based on best practices gleaned from the promotion launched in the summer of 2010.

Last year, mailers received a 3% postage discount on First Class and Standard cards, letters and flats by including a 2 dimensional Quick Response (QR) barcode.  The Postal Service’s goal was to engage more customers with their mail by tying interactive marketing with a customer’s mailpiece.  Ultimately, mailers would see a higher return on investment.

QR Barcodes allow a marketer to link the physical mailpiece to smart phone technology.  The marketer creates a QR code, which when scanned by a person’s smart phone, drives the consumer to online content, special offers or promotions.

There are several free QR code generators available on the internet.  One we particularly like is http://qrcode.kaywa.com.

A consumer needs to have a QR Barcode reader on their smart phone in order to scan the code.  These, too, are available on the internet for free.  With the ever growing popularity of QR Barcodes, more and more people are downloading these free readers to access online content.

Mailers will display the QR Barcode either on the outside or within all mailpieces in a mailing.  Again this year, we expect that the barcode must be used to “market, promote or educate” recipients.

As details are released, we will continue to update our blog community.

Once again, this is showing the Postal Service’s commitment to direct mail working in tangent with digital marketing.  The online world will continue to grow.  Mail can and should be a part of a marketer’s communication tool kit.

By now you’ve had a chance to review the new postage rates effective January 22, 2012.  If not, you can find the official USPS rate charts here:  http://www.strahm.com/USPSrates.html

Of interest is the new 2^nd Ounce Free pricing for First Class, automation, presort letters.

This allows you to mail up to 2 ounces at the 1 ounce postage rate.

This is a big “yippee” for commercial mailers, and specifically for those mailing bills and statements (transaction mail).

Transaction mail is typically high value, with an approximate 95% open rate.  Using 2^nd Ounce Free pricing, mailers can include special offers, separate marketing messages, announcements and notifications at no additional cost, up to 2 ounces.  The opportunities to use transpromo marketing are nearly endless – surveys, response devices, promotional offers.

This is not a limited time offer from the USPS.  It is only available for First Class, automation, presort letters.  If you are using the services of a mail co-mingler, you should be taking advantage of this 2^nd Ounce Free pricing.  Ask your vendor for details.

Go ahead – use that nice coated (heavy) paper stock!  Add a fancy insert to upsell your customers and prospects!  Include a survey to measure how you’re doing in your customers’ eyes!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first quiz last week. We were excited to see the number of responses we got and

we appreciate the time you took to play along.  Your personalized calendars will be sent to you this week.

The answers to the quiz are below.  But first I want to say a couple of things about the Postal Service.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the Postal Service and its current state.  Why is its deficit so great?  Should it be privatized?  But never forget, the United States Postal Service has a rich history and to this day provides great value for its services.

Every person in the United States, no matter who, no matter where, has equal access to mail service.  The USPS continues to be the only carrier that will deliver to any and all addresses – and they do it 6 days a week.

It costs no more to send a letter across the country, or to remote locations requiring access by mule (!), than it does to send a letter across town.  And compared to other countries, the cost of a First Class stamp is one of the lowest.

The service standard for First Class mail is 1 – 3 days, and Standard Rate mail is 3 – 10 days.  And you can get all of this service for a mere $0.45 for a one ounce letter (price effective January 22, 2102).

I urge you to take the time to wander through some amazing facts, figures and history of the Postal Service.

http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/welcome.htm

And now on to the quiz answers!

1. The Postal Service is: d. All of the above
2. Which is not a method used to move mail by the Postal Service? c. Bow and Arrow
3. The first Postmaster General of the Post Office was: c. Benjamin Franklin
4. Which one of the following is not an approved Move Update endorsement? d. Forwarding Service Requested
5. For automation rates on First Class Mail, addresses must be updated within _______ days prior to the mailing? c. 95 days
6. Which of the following is not a “best practice” when addressing a mailpiece? c. Right-justify every line in the address block
7. Flat-size mailpieces, regardless of class of mail, must be rectangular in shape, uniform in thickness and flexible. a. True
8. When designing a mailpiece, who would be a good resource for obtaining instructions to design automation compatible mailpieces? b. Mailpiece Design Analyst
9. Mail service providers can help you: f. All of the above

Test Your Mailing Knowledge

Today’s blog post is all about increasing and measuring your mailing knowledge.  There are 9 questions in the quiz and the answers to each can be found in our past blogs.

If you take the quiz before Thursday, January 19^th, you will receive a FREE PERSONALIZED 2012 CALENDAR!

Answers will be published in next Thursday’s blog, so don’t forget to check back to see how you did.

Simply follow the link provided below, answer 9 simple questions and we will mail you a calendar.

http://www.strahm.com/BlogQuizTYMK-site/landing.aspx?rid=$1

Good luck!

Nonprofit Standard Mail rates offer about a 40% savings over regular Standard rate postage.  But do you qualify for these rates?

In 1951 Congress created an exception for nonprofit organizations to mail at reduced rates for what was then called third-class mail.  In 1978 Congress authorized Standard Mail rates for Qualified Political Committees (QPCs).  Those committees consisted of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee; a national committee of a political party, and finally, a state committee of a political campaign committee.  No such eligibility was authorized for other committees such as local committees of a political party or candidate committees.

As part of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, voting registration officials were added to the list of those eligible to use the Nonprofit Standard Mail rate.

It is important to note that Congress, not the Postal Service, designates the types of organizations eligible to be authorized to mail at the Nonprofit Standard Mail rates.

You must obtain authorization to mail Nonprofit Standard Mail rates.  Complete PS Form 3624, which is available online at www.usps.com (click All Products & Services, then Forms & Publications), or at any post office.  You will be required to submit supporting documentation such as formative papers, articles of incorporation, constitution or charter, trust indenture, etc.  Your local Postmaster or Business Mail Entry manager can help answer questions about completing the form and documentation.

Aside from Qualified Political Committees and Voter Registration Officials, who else is eligible for these rates?

• Religious
• Educational
• Scientific
• Philanthropic
• Agricultural
• Labor
• Veterans
• Fraternal

Who is ineligible?

These and similar organizations do not qualify for the Nonprofit Standard Mail prices, even if organized on a nonprofit basis:

• Automobile clubs.
• Business leagues.
• Chambers of commerce.
• Citizens’ and civic improvement associations.
• Individuals.
• Mutual insurance associations.
• Political organizations (other than those specified above).
• Service clubs (e.g., Civilian, Kiwanis, Lions, Optimist, and Rotary).
• Social and hobby clubs.
• Associations of rural electric cooperatives.
• Trade associations.
• Government – State, county, and municipal governments are generally not eligible for the Nonprofit Standard Mail prices. However, a separate and distinct state, county, or municipal governmental organization that meets the criteria for any one of the specific categories listed in the eligible column may be eligible, notwithstanding its governmental status.

You can learn more about Nonprofit Standard Rate mailings, including eligibility standards, meeting requirements and matter that can or cannot be mailed at these special rates here:  http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/703.htm

All the requirements, paperwork and authorization may seem daunting, but if you qualify for Nonprofit Standard Mail rates, take advantage of that savings today!

By now you’ve probably heard of the terrific service USPS provides through Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes and boxes: “If it fits, it ships”.  Priority Mail Flat Rate certainly takes the hassle out of determining weight/destination for packages.

Any flat weighing over 13 ounces, and is required to mail First Class, is automatically considered Priority Mail.  However, any matter may be sent as Priority Mail, except matter specifically prohibited (certain hazardous material, etc).  If you use a USPS provided Priority Mail packaging, it must be handled as Priority Mail regardless of how you may configure or obliterate the Priority Mail markings.

Let’s get back to Priority Mail Flat Rate options.  The USPS will provide you, at no cost, Flat Rate packaging materials.  You have the choice of using flat rate envelopes, small boxes, medium boxes and large boxes.  Using this packaging, flat rate options offer one low price regardless of how much the package weighs or its destination.

Priority Mail offers 2 – 3 day service to most domestic locations.  There are no hidden fees or restrictions, including residential or Saturday delivery.  If you ship online, you are even eligible for delivery confirmation.  It doesn’t get much better than this for your shipping needs!

As an added bonus, by contacting USPS online at www.usps.com, you can request carrier pick up at your location at no charge.  You must have postage already applied to your package, and you can use either adhesive stamps or Click-N-Ship through USPS online.

Printing Click-N-Ship Labels

• Getting started
  1. To start printing professional shipping labels – with postage – simply log on at https://sss-web.usps.com/cns/landing.do.
  2. Customers will need to enter a username and password. They will be asked whether they want to set up the account for personal or business use.
  3. Provide name and company contact information.
  4. Customer can now create an address book, print and pay for shipping labels, and enjoy all of the other services of Click-N-Ship.

With the postage increase on January 22, 2012 the retail cost for each type of Priority Mail package is as follows:

Flat Rate Envelopes                 $5.15

Flat Rate Padded Envelopes   $5.30

Small Flat Rate Box                 $5.35

Medium Flat Rate Box             $11.35

Large Flat Rate Box                $15.45

APO/FPO Destinations           $13.45

Give Priority Mail Flat Rate mailing a try.  It’s convenient, simple to use, and cost efficient!

Tabs are a tricky requirement in preparing your mailing since there are so many variations based on size, shape or paper weight of your mailpiece, and the location of the folded or bound edge.  When in doubt, use extra tabs!

The purpose of tabs is to prevent unenveloped, letter size mailpieces from jamming in USPS processing equipment.  Closures of some type are required to meet eligibility for automation postage rates.

Tabs, wafer seals, cellophane tape, continuous or spot glue must not interfere with the barcode location (remember folks – it’s 5/8” from bottom and extends 4 ¾” from right edge of mailpiece), postage or required address information.

Self-Mailers

The most common unenveloped mailpiece is a letter size folded self-mailer. Self-mailers are great for notices, promotions and newsletters.  For this type of mail, the folded edge must be parallel to the longest dimension (length) and address of the mailpiece.

If you plan to keep the folded edge of the mailpiece at the bottom, you may use just one tab for closure.  Tab should be placed in the middle, top edge of mailpiece.

• Single folded sheet with one tab or wafer seal, minimum paper weight 70#
• Two or more sheets sealed with one tab or wafer seal, minimum paper weight 60#

The folded edge may be at top or bottom of the mailpiece if using two tabs for closure:

• Two tabs or wafer seals minimum paper weight 20#.  Tabs must be placed within 1” of both the left and right edges of the mailpiece.

The minimum thickness for a self-mailer is 0.009” for an automation compatible mailpiece.  This means that an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper, folded once to 8 ½” x 5 ½” may not meet the requirement.  Don’t get hit with extra postage, take your time to make sure you meet all requirements.

Double Postcards

A double postcard may have the folded edge at top or bottom.  The open edge must be secured with one tab in the middle.  The minimum paper weight for this type of mailpiece is 75#.

Simple Spine Booklets

This is where tabbing gets complicated.  There are so many configurations, each with their own requirements and paper basis weights.  Rather than risk muddying the waters, I have provided a link with the requirements and examples.  Scroll down the page to article 3.15.

http://pe.usps.gov/search/jsp/search/vv_docread.jsp?k2dockey=http%3A%2F%2Fpe.usps.com%2Ftext%2Fdmm300%2F201.htm%40PE_DMM300_HTML_5&serverSpec=56.0.145.56:9920&QueryParser=Simple&querytext=%283.15.5%3Cand%3Esimple%3Cand%3Espine%3Cand%3Ebooklets%29&dtype=2#hit0

Tabs are challenging but they bring a finished, professional look to your mailpiece and are a requirement if you want to take advantage of automation postage rates.

If you have any questions about designing your unenveloped mailpiece and where to place tabs, you are always welcome to contact one of Strahm’s Customer Service Representatives at (816) 756-2733.

Now go mail something!