If you have an account with the post office, we will be happy to print your organization’s indicia on a piece and have the post office withdraw the postage directly from your account. We will call you with the postage amount as early as possible so you can confirm there is enough in the account to cover the expense. If you do not have an account with the post office, we will gladly handle the postage for you and invoice the amount ahead of time so you can have a check ready before the mailing drops.
How much will my postage cost?
Masterpiece Marketing will typically work to get you the lowest possible postage rate. Here is a general overview of postage as put forth by the US Postal Service.
Postage rates depend on the following factors:
- Content: What class of mail is it?
- Size: How big is it?
- Shape: Is it a letter, flat, or parcel?
- Weight: How heavy is it?
- Distance: How far is it going?
- Quantity: How many pieces do you have?
- Nonprofit status: Does your organization qualify for nonprofit rates?
- Speed of delivery: Standard or First-Class Mail?
First Class Mail
First Class Mail does not have a minimum weight, but once a piece exceeds 13 ounces, it must be mailed Priority. The maximum letter weight is 3.5 ounces. To mail as a discounted First Class rate, the minimum quantity is 500 pieces. First Class Mail letter-size pieces that are square, rigid, or non-machinable are subject to a non-machinable surcharge. First-Class Mail includes cards, letters, flats, and parcels that weigh 13 ounces or less.
First Class Single-piece rate – This is the rate you would pay to mail a single stamped envelope. This rate applies to any First Class Mail with a quantity under 500.
First Class Presorted rate – A discounted postage rate that requires mailers to sort the mail pieces into containers based on their Zip Code destinations.
First Class Automation rate – Mail that has been CASS certified, barcoded, and prepared for the Postal Service’s high-speed mail processing equipment qualifies for this lowest rate. Automation rates are available for letters, cards, flats (large envelopes), and parcels. First Class Automation rate requires at least 500 pieces.
Standard Mail
Standard Mail does not have a minimum weight per piece, but the maximum is less than 16 ounces. To qualify for Standard rates, the minimum quantity is 200 pieces or 50 pounds of mail. Standard mail is typically for flyers, newsletters, bulletins, catalogs, and small parcels.
All Standard Mail rates are bulk rates, so there are no single-piece Standard Mail rates. Unlike First Class Mail, there is no separate Standard Mail postcard rate (cards are mailed as letters or flats). Standard Mail is for domestic mail only; you cannot send Standard Mail to international addresses.
Standard Automation rate – Mail that has been CASS certified, barcoded, and prepared for the Postal Service’s high-speed mail processing equipment qualifies for this lowest rate. Automation rates are available for letters, cards, flats (large envelopes), and parcels.
Non-Profit Discounts
Organizations that are typically eligible for nonprofit rates (a special class of Standard mail) include agricultural, educational, philanthropic, religious, and some others. Your organization must apply for nonprofit authorization directly from the US Postal Service before you can send out a mailing at this discounted rate. Masterpiece Marketing can walk your organization through that entire process if you do not yet have a non-profit authorization number.
How long will it take to hit homes?
Depending on a variety of factors, a bulk mailing can take 5-10 days to hit homes (although the post office can legally take over two weeks for a third class mailing if they are busy). The post office is especially busy near the end of the year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, so be sure to leave several extra days for mailing if you are sending a project out during these weeks. First class mail, on the other hand, costs more but has a faster delivery time.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Masterpiece Marketing is your partner in the mailing process and will work to save you money on postage!
