Mass Mailing Resources
These resources are provided for departments, offices, and student organizations to explain how mass mailing and postage processes work.
Simple Postcard Regulations:
1) Avoid dark and neon colors when creating postcards and flyers. The post office may refuse to mail dark or neon items (it causes problems with equipment).
2) Never use acronyms or abbreviations for departments or units in the mailing address or return address sections.
3) Folded fliers sent through the US Mail must be put in an envelope or printed on card stock. The flier should also be tabbed according to US Postal Regulations.
4) In order to prevent glossy fliers and postcards from being returned for postage, as the postage smears, a label must be placed where postage should be printed on them.
Address Cleaning:
You may be able to reduce your department postage costs or undeliverable mail using special services from the Mail Center. Mailing lists numbering over 100 addresses can be ‘cleaned’ to check for address changes, typos, and undeliverable mail for no charge. Mailings of identical pieces to groups of more than 200 may be able to cut postage costs in half by using bulk mail. Bulk mailing does take longer (3-8 days as opposed to 2-3 days) and has strict preparation requirements, contact Kory Figura at least three weeks prior to your anticipated mail piece arrival date for details.
Bulk Mail Regulations:
The term “bulk mail” refers to a process where large quantities of identical mail pieces are sent, compliant with postal regulations, in a way that affords the sender a significant cost savings, less than half of first class. To mail at bulk standard rate:
- There must be at least 205 unique addresses to the mailing.
- Each piece must contain the same items (number of pages, weight of material).
- A return address, non-profit Wartburg College indicia, and service endorsement must be included on the address side of the piece.
- The piece must comply with other mailing standards in regards to paper color, thickness, weight, and contents (also see Postcard regulations).
- The addresses of the mailing must be processed and updated through a list cleaner.
- The mailing must be presented with compliant IMPB bar codes, in postal order, banded and sorted according to regulations
Note: there is no separate bulk standard rate for postcards, but single thickness cards otherwise compliant with postcard regulations can be up to letter-compliant size (up to 11” long and 6” high) and mailed at bulk standard letter rate. Please contact Kory Figura in the Mail Center for more information, and prior to printing pieces for mass mailings.
Understanding Postage:
Postage is determined by weight and size. Click here to view current postage rates.
– An oversize postcard bumps to a letter.
– An oversize letter (by weight) incurs additional $0.21 per ounce.
– An oversize letter (by thickness, length, or width) bumps to a large envelope.
– An oversize letter (by pliability) bumps to a package.
– An oversize large envelope (by thickness, length, or width) bumps to a package.
– An oversize large envelope (by weight) bumps to a Priority Mail package.
– An overweight package bumps to a Priority Mail package.
– Whether priority mail is cheaper as a flat rate or as a base rate is dependent on where the item is going and whether we can get it into the cheapest flat rate packaging.