At the almost midpoint between the implementation of the USPS’s new January 2023 rates and the rates we know will be proposed to take effect in July, now is good time to review what cost saving options are available to businesses using both the postal service as well as other carriers. Venture Solutions expects the proposed rates will be announced in April, so we will watch closely for those and provide details of what mailing products will be included in those rates once they are released.
There is still time to review the list of USPS promotions and see what discounts you might qualify for ahead of the expected rate changes. Mailers can receive a 4% discount on eligible mail when they pair a Ride-Along Image and a Representative Image of their mailpieces through Informed Delivery. The interactive Ride-Along Image enhances the mail experience for recipients and gives them compelling calls-to-action in their email inbox. Full color Representative Images replace a scanned image of the mailpiece for an even higher quality preview of their incoming mail. These images integrate your physical mail with digital marketing campaign efforts, generating more consumer impressions, greater brand recognition, and higher engagement rates from multiple delivery channels. Registration for this promotion opens on June 15, 2023. If you have questions about which of your mail products qualify and how to go about receiving approval for your campaign materials, reach out to our team at Venture Solutions.
Registration for the new Reply Mail IMbA promotion opens May 15 and is available for eligible Qualified Business Reply Mail™ (QBRM™). Static barcodes used on pre-approved QBRM™ qualify for a 3% discount while serialized barcodes qualify for a 6% discount. Our mailing experts will help you figure out the intricacies of determining which of your First-Class Mail™ pieces qualify for these discounts and what kind of barcode is best suited for them. They can also guide you through the QBRM™ permit application, Enterprise Payment Account setup, and promotion registration processes.
Mailers interested in registering for this promotion should be aware of the latest updates in Service Type Identifiers (STIDs). In February, the USPS notified mailers that hardcopy address correction notice options would be removed for Full-Service and Seamless Acceptance mailers, effective July 9, 2023. Some STIDs currently used by mailers will be eliminated on that date, while others will require changes to the COA notification process. If you are currently receiving hardcopies of address correction notices and are concerned about how this new change may affect you, our mailing experts are available to answer any questions.
|
STID |
New Process Effective |
|
Full-Service First-Class Mail STIDs Impacted |
|
|
036 |
Eliminated |
|
041 |
Eliminated |
|
260 |
Changed |
|
270 |
Changed |
|
Full-Service Marketing Mail STIDs Impacted |
|
|
037 |
Eliminated |
|
043 |
Eliminated |
|
261 |
Changed |
|
271 |
Changed |
|
Full-Service Bound Printed Matter Mail STIDs Impacted |
|
|
466 |
Eliminated |
|
352 |
Eliminated |
|
265 |
Changed |
|
351 |
Changed |
For any mailers currently using in-house mail meters, the USPS will be decertifying all postage meters using IBI (Information Based Indicia) technology effective June 30, 2024. Instead, they will be adopting a new IMI (Intelligent Mail Indicia) standard which will allow them to receive more detailed transaction data in real time and will enable more operational automation, enhanced security, and improved postage accuracy. If you are concerned about your technologies falling out of compliance with this new standard, please send us any questions you have. Our staff have a solid understanding of the upcoming changes and can explain what options are available to you.
We also can help with your occasional package shipping needs when you need to send customer documents that aren’t suited for postal mailing. Venture Solutions has deep negotiated discounts with most carriers and can coordinate one-time shipments when needed for items like bulk shipments of W2s or checks requiring overnight delivery. Our Venture Access™ online portal gives you real-time tracking updates every step of the way so you can have better visibility, all in one place, for such sensitive, expedited documents.
Coordinating all your different mailings and shipments can be a logistical nightmare, but Venture Solutions takes all the difficult parts of those processes off your hands. Our team is here to offer their expertise and make mailing your customer communications as simple as possible.
