Tabbing / Wafer Sealing

Choose from white, clear, and translucent tabs.

Where do you put tabs? Why do you need tabs? How many do you need? How important are they?

Tabs, also known as wafer seals, are small round adhesive stickers that are used to hold a mailpiece closed. It is important to have your mailpieces sealed properly so that the piece will not be damaged in the mail stream by the USPS high speed processing machines.

Any mailpiece that has been folded and is seeking automation rates will need tabs. If your mailpiece has the opening at the top, your piece will need one tab placed in the center. If the opening is at the bottom, then you will need two tabs. If your mailpiece is oversized or does not meet postal requirements, then you may need more than one tab. Contact BCD Direct Mail Services to find out more!  We can get your offer to potential customers faster and save you money on postage.

Request a FREE estimate by calling us at (302) 328-2070 or emailing steve@bcddirectmailservices.com 

USPS® Proposes Intelligent Mail Full Service Requirement for Automation Prices

The United States Postal Service^® (USPS^®) plans to retire the POSTNET barcode in January 2013 and require the use of the Intelligent Mail barcode to achieve automation discounts. As the next step, the USPS published a Federal Register Notice on Friday, April 20, 2012, regarding the implementation of Intelligent Mail Full Service for qualification of automation discounts in January 2014, and is asking for comments from interested parties.

The proposal
The USPS is proposing that use of the Intelligent Mail Full Service option be required in order for mailers to achieve automation prices on letters, postcards and flats, effective in January 2014. Use of the Intelligent Mail Full Service option requires not only use of unique Intelligent Mail barcodes on mailpieces, but also on trays, sacks and containers (such as pallets) as well as submission of electronic documentation. Included in the plan is additional information required in electronic documentation (eDoc) to support the By/For relationship and replacement of the 10/24 transition tray label with full use of the 24-digit Intelligent Mail Tray Label.

Benefits of IM use
The USPS has a goal of providing 100% visibility of the mail by 2014, and to do this requires the unique barcode requirement included in Full Service. This visibility will help the USPS improve processing efficiency and service performance. The USPS also feels that there are mailer benefits to making this move:

• Unique barcodes enable the Postal Service to provide mailers with comprehensive information on the status of mailings as they progress through the postal system.
• “Nesting” information provided by the mailer enables the tracking of the individual pieces and trays based on scans performed on larger containers.
• Visibility allows mailers to more effectively respond to customer inquiries on the status of valuable bills, statements, catalogs, and publications.
• Full service mailings receive access to free address change information and tracking information from mail entry to final destination.
• Waiver of annual mailing fee for permits where all postage statements contain 90% or more Full-Service pieces.
• eDoc combined with Full Service unique barcodes will provide access to Seamless Acceptance and eInduction.
• Full-Service also provides the “Mail Anywhere” model which allows for the use of a single permit at any PostalOne! site for mailings containing 90% or more Full-Service pieces (applies to First-Class, Standard, and Bound Printed Matter).
• Many mailers find the visibility information provided by Full-Service mail useful in planning their own operations, in assessing the success of advertising campaigns, and in improving their own customer interaction. Knowledge of where a mailpiece is located in the postal network and when that piece should be delivered can prove useful in communicating with customers.

The USPS also anticipates benefits internally by making Intelligent Mail Full Service a requirement for automation prices:

• Visibility into the flow of mail through the postal network, enabling enhanced diagnostics of service performance.
• Scan information on containers, trays and pieces allows the USPS to measure the number of hours and minutes between operations. This data has been used to identify operational bottlenecks and that has enabled the USPS to significantly improve service for commercial First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Periodicals.
• The ability to provide real-time alerts to USPS operations enabling them to respond and avoid possible service failures.
• Advance notification of volumes and makeup of commercial mail, enabling improved resource planning.
• Accurate tracking of mail volumes as they move through the postal network, again enabling improved management of operations and resource planning.
• Simplified mail acceptance processes.
• The ability to measure service performance for each Full-Service mailer.

For more information, or to receive a more thorough explanation of this USPS change, please comment below.

Five Easy Pieces: Five Guidelines for Eco-Friendly and Cost-Effective Mail Management Practices

Thanks to Joe Freeman, Océ Business Services for this valuable information.

Many of the world’s enterprises, large and small, are committed to environmental sustainability by launching innovative programs. A significant number of these initiatives are not only reducing energy consumption and waste, but also saving money – a critical element of any corporate strategy in today’s challenging economy. To help promote these goals in the document management arena, Océ Business Services periodically shares our insights on implementing sustainable and cost-effective practices across the document lifecycle, which spans document creation through disposal. Five Easy Pieces There are several mail management practices that can help companies reach both their environmental and cost-reduction goals. From the sustainability perspective, these practices can significantly reduce the use of paper, thereby saving trees, fuel in shipping the paper and physical space to store it. From the financial perspective, respondents participating in Océ industry surveys have indicated that mail and shipping practices have a high impact on reducing costs, driving faster time to market and improving operational efficiency. Following are five mail management practices that can help organizations improve the environment as well as drive the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of their operations. House list hygiene Companies can lose a substantial amount of money by not updating their mailing lists. It’s estimated that two percent of all mail is returned and the total cost of re-mail is $3.50 to $4.50 per mail piece. The need to update is a constant challenge because about 15 to 20 percent of consumers and businesses move every year. The solution: save money and paper by regularly updating mailing lists to limit duplication and waste. Make sure that addresses are correct before the mail goes out, and when a mail piece is returned undelivered, update the database as soon as possible before the next mailing cycle. Consistently updating databases can have a significant, positive impact on sustainability and cost-reduction initiatives. Document design dividends Paying attention to document design can reap solid dividends. For example, printing on both sides of the paper (duplex printing) can substantially cut paper use and reduce mailing costs. Simply decreasing the margin and font size can reduce the number of pages in a document. Additionally, variable data and document composition tools enable companies to combine two documents/ mailings into one. One example of this approach is TransPromo, in which a document is created that combines a piece of transactional printing, such as a bill statement, with promotional or marketing content – all in one document. Defaulting to duplex While mentioned earlier as an element of document design, duplex printing is a major cost-effective and sustainable practice worthy of additional mention. Most multi-page documents don’t require the text to be printed on one side of the page. Newspapers, magazines and books use both sides. Companies can decrease paper use by up to 50 percent by making duplex printing the norm, a move that can also help the environment. Océ implemented a green campaign as a joint effort to help a financial services company client reduce paper usage. Through initiatives such as moving print production to copiers that can print on both sides of a page, the company acknowledged that Océ helped it significantly reduce paper consumption and realize thousands of dollars in cost savings.” Certified paper trails The United States Postal Service (USPS) recommends that when sourcing paper, make sure it comes from forests managed with practices certified by independent, third-party organizations such as the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI). SFI forest certification promotes responsible forestry practices. To be certified, forest operations across the United States and Canada must be audited against the SFI forest standard. While this sourcing practice focuses mainly on sustainability, it does have business benefits. By choosing SFI-certified products, a company can use its buying power to improve forest management while sending a clear signal to customers it cares about forests. Greening direct mail In a sustainability campaign, the USPS asked “How ‘green’ in your direct mail?” Organizations have many opportunities to lessen the environmental impact of direct mail, which accounts for 2.3 percent of landfill waste. One way to spare the environment is the inks. Companies can look for agri-based inks and use them whenever possible as well as opt for less ink usage/coverage (fewer colors mean fewer chemicals). Working with the right business partners also can help. Companies can seek out partners located nearby in order to minimize transportation, reducing cost and using less fuel. Two other initiatives include finding vendors that use renewable energy sources and using print-on-demand technology instead of printing large quantities and warehousing them until they’re needed. Any organization can implement these strategies – internally or with an outsourcing partner – to benefit the bottom line as well as the environment. As many companies are demonstrating every day, green business can also be good business.   For more information, please contact us at (302) 328-2070 or emailing steve@bcddirectmailservices.com

Mailpiece Design!

The most basic component of any mailing is the mailpiece itself. A single mailing may consist of hundreds or millions of mailpieces. A properly designed reply mailpiece qualifies for the best postage rate possible! Properly designed reply mailpieces help you avoid unanticipated costs, and delays in delivery.

The informative links on this page will help you understand the Postal Service’s reply mailpiece design requirements. They will help you design reply mailpieces that qualify for postal discounts. These links will aid printers, graphic artists, form designers, and envelope manufacturers. They are also useful for small and large businesses handling their own mailing campaigns. If you affect the design process, explore these informative links.

We can get your offer to potential customers faster and save you money on postage.  Request a FREE estimate by calling us at (302) 328-2070 or emailing steve@bcddirectmailservices.com!

What are the Postal Regulations for 10-inch Envelopes?

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has specific regulations for the size and weight of mail that can be processed automatically; that is, mail that is “machinable.” Mail may incur a surcharge in the form of additional postage if it requires hand-processing. While there are no regulations that apply specifically to a 10-inch envelope, an envelope of that length does fall within their range of acceptable lengths, but it must meet other requirements as well.

Dimensions

An envelope measuring 10 inches from the edge nearest the return address to the edge nearest the postage stamp, must also measure a minimum of 4 inches from the edge above the addressee to the edge below the addressee in order to be machinable. A 10-inch envelope that does not meet this additional 4-inch requirement must be hand-processed, and may require additional postage.

Weight of Envelope and Contents

The USPS restricts the combined weight of an envelope and its contents to 3.5 ounces for machinable, first-class mail.

Postage and Address

Postage is higher for nonconforming and international mail.

The front of a 10-inch envelope must have a place where the address and all postal markings are clearly visible to postal workers. The address and stamp both must be on the same side. The stamp is to be located in the upper right hand corner of the envelope and the address to which it will be delivered should be placed approximately in the middle of it.

Corners

Corners may be rounded within limits.

The USPS accepts envelopes with square or slightly rounded corners.

Nonmachinable Mail

If your 10-inch envelope will not go through the automatic processing machine, you may have to pay additional postage for hand-processing. Bulky or rigid letters are conditions that will cause your envelope to require hand-processing. An envelope must have some bend to it in order to make it through the machine.

Postage Calculation

The price of first-class mail is based on ounces. Fractions of ounces are rounded up to the next full ounce. If your 10-inch envelope, including contents, weighs 1.1 ounces, the USPS will charge you the same postage as they would for an envelope weighing 2 ounces.

For more information and details on the USPS Domestic mail regulations, please click here.  For a quote or more relative information about our services, please contact us today.

The benefits of direct-mail postcards

The primary benefit of direct mail is exactly what the name implies: It is direct. Your postcards are delivered only to prospects that fit a certain demographic or customer segment, and they are likely to want or need what you have to offer. Unlike other forms of direct mail, printed postcards do not require any opening and unfolding and have the best chance of grabbing immediate attention. They’re also the least expensive form of direct-mail marketing and typically have a high response rate.

You should have your postcard professionally printed and mailed to ensure that your company maintains a credible appearance with your audience. Postcards are very economical to print and mail, plus, bulk mailing your promotional pieces will save additional money. Since your primary goal is to achieve a high return on investment, postcards offer the best opportunity to boost response for a relatively low fee.

Your postcards must stand out from the competition, and using a large size or adding a gloss finish can help you accomplish this. Ask BCD Direct Mail Services for advice.  We’l be happy to assist you in making your campaign successful.

When done correctly, advertising with direct-mail postcards is an easy process that can yield big results. Remember that repetition sells, so it’s a good idea to plan for four postcard mailings spread out during a two-month period. You’ll also want to test different variations of the same campaign throughout a small segment of your target audience. By tracking your results, you’ll soon realize what works — and what doesn’t — so you can continue to develop profit-turning campaigns.

For more information on the USPS direct mail guidelines for post cards and other mail pieces, please click here.

Direct Mail Statistics

Did You Know?

Return on Investment: Direct Marketing v. Non-Direct Marketing

• In 2008, every $1 spent on direct marketing advertising resulted in $11.63 in direct marketing driven sales, on average. Conversely, every $1 spent on non-direct marketing advertising resulted in average sales of $5.24.
• By 2013, direct marketing ROI is expected to improve to $12.30 per ad dollar spent. Non-direct marketing ROI is expected to remain flat at $5.23 in sales per ad dollar spent.

^{Source: The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), The Power of Direct Marketing, 2008-2009.}

Direct Mail Drives Consumers to Contact Businesses
The 2008 DMNews/Pitney Bowes survey on consumer attitudes and behaviors related to direct mail finds that:

• Close to 40% of consumers surveyed have tried a new business for the first time because of information received via direct mail.
• Nearly 70% report renewing a relationship with a business after a period of time because they received a direct mailing or promotional item.

Direct Mail in the American Household

• More than 80 percent of households either read or scan advertising mail sent to their household
• When asked about their intended response to advertising mail, 27 percent indicate they will respond or might respond to standard class mailings (e.g., catalogs) and 19 percent state they will or might respond to first-class mailings (e.g., credit card offers). The higher the income, the higher the average number of potential and definite responses
• Nearly seven out of 10 respondents like getting mail about new products from companies they do business with.

For more information how Direct Mail and Co-distribution can help grow your business, please contact us or comment below.

Commingling – What you don’t know about this mail optimization tool could cost you time and money!

More than 10 years ago, commingling was introduced to marketers as a way to reduce postage costs and get mail in-home faster. The monetary benefits of commingling are numerous—highest possible automation discounts, deepest penetration into the postal system, lowest postage expense—yet concerns about how it works cause some to turn away from savings opportunities.

Commingling works because the U. S. Postal Service offers tier qualification and work-sharing discounts.

Simply put, the less the USPS has to handle your mail, the bigger the discounts you earn. The benefits of commingling are not just monetary, however. Commingling also reduces cycle time and handling by the Postal Service, so mail moves faster through the system and arrives in-home both quicker and in better shape.

Your testing program benefits from commingling in two ways. First, even small test cells earn the highest level of postage discounts. Second, analysis of test panels is more accurate because these cells are processed and delivered with your control mail, eliminating delivery variables that might impact response rate.

Commingling sometimes is confused with combining and copalletizing.

It’s critically important for marketers to understand the differences. Combining or copalletizing mail allows for destination entry discounts for drop shipments to Bulk Mail Centers and Sectional Center Facilities. Combining is the manual consolidation of mail trays onto single destination postal skids.

Combining impacts destination entry discounts only.

Commingling Defined Commingling goes a step further than combining—merging programs from multiple marketers into one mailstream, increasing SCF penetration and enhancing the accuracy of test panels, because they become part of the control package mailstream. In other words, commingling is the automated sorting of multiple mailstreams into a common mail tray. Commingling upgrades your tier qualification and provides destination entry discounts.

Commingling is effective because of USPS requirements to achieve fivedigit discount rates. To qualify, mailers need a minimum of 150 pieces per ZIP code. Commingling improves the chance for ZIP codes to attain the 150-piece threshold. Here’s what happens in a typical mailing:

• Three-cell mailing with 150 pieces total for ZIP code 03458.

• 50 pieces in each cell for ZIP code 03458: All mail in 03458 will be charged at the three-digit sort rate.

• Commingling the three cells into the same tray: All 150 pieces qualify for the lower five-digit rate.

Commingling Savings:  Understanding how commingling works and how it differs from combining is critical to understanding the potential value and savings. Here is an example of the commingling process at work on a hypothetical program:

• Marketer’s files (by package) are individually presorted to determine postal qualification without commingling;

• Marketer’s files (by package) are prepared in BMC and SCF sequence;

• Projects (by package) are individually imaged and processed in the lettershop. Mail is processed using high-speed delivery point barcode scanners (DBCS), the same equipment used by the USPS to process mail. DBCS equipment scans the POSTNET or Intelligent Mail Barcode on each piece and directs each piece to one of 294 pockets; and

• The result is multiple mailings— including small runs, small versions and test panels—become a single mailstream for highest postal qualification.

In a typical stand-alone presort of 50,000 to 100,000 names, 37 percent qualify for the basic rate, and 60 percent qualify for three-digit discount rates. None of this mail qualifies for five-digit discounts. As part of a commingle presort of 3 million pieces, however, 77 percent of these same names qualify for five-digit discounts, and 19 percent qualify for three-digit discounts, delivering enormous savings over the stand-alone presort.

It’s important to fully understand the mechanics of commingling and work closely with your vendor to determine when commingling is the right solution for your program. It’s also vital to understand the nuances of commingling to ensure that you’re asking the right questions to find the best vendor for your program.

For example, you may be told that mailings with a high percentage of five-digit postal sort-qualified mail do not benefit and actually cost more to mail when commingling charges are applied—even if commingling raises the percentage to 100 percent.

Because of such possibilities, it’s important to understand the business rules your vendor applies to ensure that you benefit from commingling. Your mail should not be commingled unless there is a benefit from commingling, such as dramatically improving SCF penetration that results in cost savings or preserving the integrity of your testing program if you have complex versioning with very small cells across a wide geography.

Commingling Myths and Facts Timing may be referred to as one of the pitfalls of commingling. There is a perception that commingling delays mailings because it requires additional coordination time, and three- to fiveday delays to combine participants’ mailings for a commingling run are common. There also is concern that if one large marketer’s mail is detained for any reason, this common delay could be extended, or any savings forgone if the participating marketers mail without the other planned marketer’s mail volume in the commingle.

To avoid an unpleasant surprise regarding the timing of your mail, be sure your vendor’s commingle process is real-time and that there is no additional coordination time required for commingling. Look for a vendor who does commingle runs at least three times a week so a missed commingle means a delay of less than 48 hours.

It’s also important to understand what happens if one customer in the commingle makes a change that impacts the planned commingle. Your vendor should be able to rerun the presort in a matter of hours, not days, so there is no impact on your mail date.

And then there’s the myth that participating in commingling means a lack of flexibility. The perception is that once a commingling run begins, it cannot be stopped because all jobs are interdependent and preplanned to run together in a certain sequence to gain any postal discounts. Other marketers’ changes or delays will impact your mail.

In fact, a commingle run can indeed be stopped once it begins.

BCD Direct Mail Services is able to rerun the presort in as little as two hours so mail is not delayed. Commingling actually provides an additional advantage when a client identifies a problem after the presort. In one instance, IWCO Direct was able to save a financial services client more than $70,000 by using commingling equipment to identify and isolate product that needed to be pulled out of the mailstream. Commingling equipment allowed IWCO Direct to automate a process that would have taken days by hand and been highly inaccurate and expensive.

Commingling and Intelligent Mail
The USPS’ Intelligent Mail vision to capitalize on the value of information about mail continues to move closer to reality. Intelligent Mail products and services rely on the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) to uniquely identify each mail piece. The Postal Service is introducing new Intelligent Mail options this May.

The “Full Service” option requires marketers to use the IMB on all mail pieces. The content of the IMB must remain unique for a 45-day period. The containers used to transport the mail (trays and pallets) must bear tray labels and pallet placards with the designated style of IMB for that container. Each container also is uniquely identified, and that uniqueness must be maintained for 45 days as well.

In addition to the unique barcodes, all mailing documentation and postage statements for Full Service Intelligent Mail must be presented to the Postal Service electronically. In exchange for the additional barcoding and documentation, the Postal Service will provide marketers with information on when the mailing was received at the postal facility where it entered its network.

The USPS also will provide marketers with feedback on address quality, particularly move update information.

What does this mean for commingling?

The truth about commingling is it drives postage optimization, in-home targeting and predictability of delivery, as well as enables marketers to maintain a robust testing program while mitigating rising costs for producing and mailing control packages.

Comment below for more information.

Direct Mail ’101′

Presorted Standard

Third Class mail, or what has been traditionally referred to as Bulk Business Mail (BBM), has been reclassified using the term Presorted Standard mail. The Postal Service offers huge postal discounts for Presorted Standard mail. In many cases, the rates are about one – half of First Class single piece rates. For Presorted Standard mail to be accepted at the BMEU, the Bulk Mail Entry Unit, the pieces of mail presented must be identical in size and weight. This includes letters, flats, postcards, tri-folds, magazines, and brochures. The minimum number of pieces required to qualify for a Presorted Standard mailing is 200 pieces. While there are no guaranteed delivery standards for Third Class or Presorted Standard mail, typical delivery time once the mail has been presented, verified, and postage paid at the BMEU is between 7 – 14 days.

Is Presorted Standard right for you? Ask the mailing professionals at BCD Direct Mail Services to determine if Presorted Standard BBM, Bulk Business Mail, is a good fit for your direct mail needs.

Presorted First Class

Presorted First Class mail is another opportunity for your business to take advantage of postal discounts from the United States Postal Service. Many of the same rules and regulations apply from Presorted Standard mail regulations, but there are some noticeable differences. First, while the postage rates are lower than First Class single piece rates, they are not quite as low as the Presorted Standard rates. Second, the minimum piece requirement for a Presorted First Class mailing is 500 pieces, as opposed to the 200-piece minimum for Presorted Standard. Finally, yet importantly, the delivery time for the mail to be delivered once it has been presented, verified, and postage paid at the BMAU is 1 – 3 days. Presorted First Class mail is an excellent way for your business to take advantage of postal discounts for time sensitive mail.

Thought about postal discounts?
At ABC Direct Marketing, we presort your data to the lowest available postal discounts. This means that before we inkjet your mail, our USPS certified postal software has presorted and coded your data using presorts like Mixed AADC, Basic, Five Digit, Three Digit, and/or Carrier Route. These postal terms my not mean a whole lot to you, but believe me when you are dealing with large quantities of mail, this presorting process can add up to postal savings in a hurry! In many cases, the money you save in postage is greater than the money you would pay a service like BCD Direct Mail Services to prepare your mail. Now that is a win – win; save money AND have the professionals at BCD Direct Mail Services inkjet, code, and deliver your mail in the process. It does not get any easier than that!

In addition to presorting discounts, our USPS certified postal software adds a delivery point barcode to the address. This means that the mail becomes “Automated” and the post office recognizes “Automation” mail and rewards it with postal discounts. Only USPS certified postal software can “Automate” your mail and at BCD Direct Mail Services we have the technology and will pass these automation postage savings directly to you!

What types of data does BCD Direct Mail Services accept?
For our mailing software to presort, verify, duplicate check and standardize addresses, we can accept Excel, Access, and/or tab or comma delimited text files. If you are not sure if you can export or save your data in either one of these formats, give us a call and we can help you. Many times it is not as difficult to save your data in one of these formats as you might think.

What is Bulk Mail? Is it Right for You?

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.

What Are Commercial Prices?

The Postal Service offers lower prices for bulk mailings because you do some of the work that otherwise would have to be done by the Postal Service (for example, sorting the mail by ZIP Code or transporting the mail to a different postal facility). Everyone benefits from this “work-sharing.” Mailers make an investment in time and technology, the Postal Service’s costs are reduced and you pay less postage.

Minimum Quantities for a Bulk Business Mailing

To qualify for certain postage discounts, you must mail a minimum number of pieces:

• 500 pieces for First-Class Mail.
• 200 pieces (or 50 pounds of mail) for Standard Mail, Standard Marketing Parcels or Parcel Select Lightweight parcels.
• 50 pieces for Parcel Select.
• 300 pieces for Presorted or Carrier Route Bound Printed Matter.
• 300 pieces for Library Mail.
• 300 pieces for Media Mail (formerly called “book rate”)

For more information or to engage our services, please contact us today at (302) 328-2070.    To see what our clients have to say about BCD Direct Mail Services, click here!