Postage & mailing

For any mailing of more than 200 pieces there are a few things you should be aware of.

There are generally three ways in which CCAD mail is sent: standard presort (this used to be called third class), first-class presort, first-class metered (scroll down for more detail).

CCAD’s mailroom can only mail items first-class metered. You do not want to send a mailing of 200 or more pieces first-class metered as it is the most expensive way to mail. This means your mailing must be sent either standard presort or first-class presort.

Presort basically means that the items are prepared for mailing before they go to the post office, including printed with an indicia (which denotes postage payment), labeled to strict post office standards, and sorted by zip code. This service must done by a print house, this is called fulfillment (scroll down for more on fulfillment). While fulfillment does get tacked on to your print bill, it saves the college money in the long run.

• Standard presort: is the most cost effective to way to send items. Standard is not only less expensive, but since CCAD has a nonprofit permit, we get an additional discount when we use standard mailing. Standard postage can be as much as half the price of first-class presort. Standard presort mailing takes anywhere from two to 10 business days for delivery and there is no return service. Whenever possible schedule your print project so that it may be mailed out using standard postage rates.
• First-class presort: takes two to five business days, and return service is provided. Nonprofits do not get a price break when sending first class. First-class presort should only be used when return services is necessary.
• First-class metered: This is basically when you stick a stamp on your mail or meter it to figure cost. It is the most expensive way to send mail, and should only be used for mailing under 200 pieces or under 50 pounds.

Fulfillment

If you are mailing more than 200 pieces you will need to pay for the print house to do fulfillment so that the items can be mailed bulk/presort. Fulfillment can include any or all of the following: inkjetting addresses, merging/purging addresses from different databases, adding zip plus four, wafer sealing, sorting, delivering to post office, folding, inserting into envelopes, inserting envelopes into self-mailers, etc.

It is important that you give the print house instructions concerning your mail list, including how the addresses should appear, de-duplicating, and specifically asking them to presort. When pulling your mail list together consult with your database management person to ensure that all the pertinent information is included. If you are not sure what the pertinent information should be e-mail the Communications Office for help.