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New Pricing for Postal Products and Services

New Pricing for Postal Products and Services

On January 22, the price to mail letters to any location in the United States increased to 45 cents, the first price change for First-Class Mail stamps (Forever stamps) in more than two and a half years. 

Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 22, 2012, include:

  • Letters (1 oz.) – 1-cent increase to 45 cents
  • Letters additional ounces – unchanged at 20 cents
  • Postcards – 3-cent increase to 32 cents
  • Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.) – 5-cent increase to 85 cents.
  • Letters to other international destinations – 7-cent increase to $1.05

Prices also changed for other mailing services, including Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services and Extra Services

New domestic retail pricing for Priority Mail Flat Rate products include:

  • Small box — $5.35
  • Medium box — $11.35
  • Large box — $15.45
  • Large APO/FPO/DPO box — $13.45
  • Regular envelope — $5.15
  • Legal-size and Padded envelope — $5.30

For business mailers, there is good news for First-Class Mail Presort mailers. When the new prices went into effect on Jan. 22, the second ounce for presorted letters became free. “This gives companies expanded opportunities to advertise new services and products to their customers as part of bill and statement mailings,” said Paul Vogel, president and chief marketing/sales officer.

And new for all customers is a 3-month pricing option to rent PO Boxes, perfect for people on the move and others who need a PO Box for a short time period.

More information on the new pricing is available at
http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2011/pr11_factsht_pricechng_1018.pdf.

 

 

Every Mailing Address, No Mailing List Every Door Direct Mail™

Every Mailing Address, No Mailing List

Every Door Direct Mail™

 

Every Door Direct Mail from the U.S. Postal Service® lets your business send advertising mail to your desired audience without the need to acquire an address list or print specific names and addresses on your mail pieces. A letter carrier delivers your piece along with the day’s mail to every address on the route. 

 

Every Door Direct Mail provides your business with an efficient way to promote your services. It gets your marketing messages directly into the hands of consumers while reducing the mail preparation costs associated with the lists and printing. As a result, it could help you:

 

  • Target a location without an address list
  • Built more traffic
  • Find new customers
  • Increase revenue

 There are two types of businesses that benefit from using Every Door Direct Mail:

 

  • Retailers: Includes auto dealers, restaurants, furniture stores, community groups, supermarkets, sporting goods shops and department stores.
  • Service-based businesses: Includes attorneys, health-care professionals, banks, home-improvement companies, insurance agencies and real estate firms.

 Because Every Door Direct Mail from the U.S. Postal Service targets residences and businesses at the carrier route level, you can use it for smaller local mailings, regional initiatives, or large national campaigns. For example, a local pizzeria can use Every Door Direct Mail to send coupons to a surrounding neighborhood. Or a national retailer can target homes near a new store opening – or announce a sale at locations nationwide. If you only plan to do smaller mailings (fewer than 5,000 pieces) and you only need to reach your local marketing area, perhaps Every Door Direct Mail-Retail will work best for you.

 

With Every Door Direct Mail Retail, businesses can mail up to 5000 pieces per day with No Direct Mail or Permit Imprint Fee’s required and to make mailing easier the US Postal Service has launched a new shipping tool, the Simplified Mailing Process located at https://smp.usps.gov/.

With the Simplified Mailing Process software you can target your mailing by city, county or location and using our mapping software you can see the street locations your mailing will be delivered too.

 

Learn more at USPS.com/everydoordirectmail

 

Or contact your local U.S. Postal Service representative

Gary Couto

Business Solutions Specialist

707-778-5250

gary.l.couto@usps.gov

Bulk Mail

Welcome to Business Mail 101!

 

Welcome to Business Mail 101, information for beginning or infrequent mailers that will help you harness the power of mail for your business or organization. Over the course of the next few weeks, the U.S. Postal Service will introduce you to Business Mail, and how it can possibly reduce mailing costs for your company and increase business. Let’s begin at the beginning by explaining just what is Bulk Mail?

What is Bulk Mail?

The term "bulk mail" refers to larger quantities of mail prepared for mailing at reduced postage. In Business Mail 101, the term "bulk mail" means commercial First-Class Mail and advertising mail (called "Standard Mail" by the Postal Service). Commercial prices are available for other classes of mail, too. The Postal Service uses the terms "bulk" and "presorted" interchangeably.

Bulk prices are lower than "single-piece." "Single-piece" means that you pay the full postage price; when you put a stamp on a letter, you're paying the single-piece postage. Many mailers pay single-piece postage even though they are doing large mailings. Why? Because they don’t want to do any extra preparation work—they don’t have the time, or it’s just not cost effective for their business. Business Mail 101 will help you make smart choices about your own mail to determine if commercial prices are right for you.

There are many advantages to using bulk mail. The most important advantage is that bulk mailing prices are significantly lower than single-piece prices. That can save you a lot of money.

Next time on Business Mail 101 we’ll ask the question: Is Bulk Mail Right for You?

 

Until then if you have any questions about using Bulk Mail to give your business a boost, or want to learn more about saving on your mailing costs, contact:

 

USPS Sales and Shipping Specialist Gary Couto

Phone: 707-778-5250

Email: gary.l.couto@usps.gov

Or on the web at: http://pe.usps.com/businessmail101/

 

For other Postal questions, call 1-800-ASK-USPS or visit USPS.com.