By presorting, you’re doing some of the work the Post Office would normally do to prepare your mailpieces, which can result in significant postage discounts.
Why is Presorting Important?
Lower Costs - USPS Presort Mailing is available for Standard and First Class mail. Whether done in-house or using a service, businesses can save money by presorting, especially when sending mail in large quantities. For example, for a 1 ounce single-piece flat, the USPS charges $1.00 for processing, but the presort rate is .81 per piece - resulting in a savings of $0.19 per piece. As the example below shows, for a 10,000 piece mailing, the savings can be significant.
| Ounces | # of Mailpieces | Normal Rate | Presort Rate | Savings | Savings Total Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10,000 | $1.00 | $0.81 | $0.19 | $1,900.00 |
Faster Processing & Delivery - Presorting means less work for the Post Office, so mail is processed and delivered more quickly, efficiently and accurately.
Quicker Response Rates - Faster processing and delivery increases the likelihood that recipients will respond quickly to your mailpiece.
How Do I Prepare My Mailings?
Commercial mail is prepared in higher volumes at reduced postage. To receive commercial mail pricing, the USPS recommends taking the following steps to prepare your mail:
- Get a mailing permit (permission to mail) and pay an annual mailing fee for each class of mail (First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail).
- Pay postage using one of several convenient methods: precanceled stamps, metered postage or permit imprint.
- Determine the size, shape and weight of your mailpiece.
- Ensure that your addresses are accurate.
- Presort the mailpieces (separate or sort your mail by ZIP Code).
- Take your mail to the Post Office where you hold your mailing permit.
What are the Advantages of Presort Services?
Melissa’s CASS and PAVE Gold Certified Mailing Software allows you to easily process, presort and prepare USPS and Canada Post compliant mailings for maximum postal discounts. Our direct mail software and services can correct addresses, remove duplicate records, add missing data such as suite/apt numbers, and more. Based on your needs, you can choose the cloud-based Mailers Online or desktop Mailers+4.
Mailers+4 Desktop is ideal for bulk mailings and helps you prepare your mail for the Post Office by correcting, verifying and standardizing U.S. and Canadian addresses to postal standards - plus, it presorts your mailings to qualify for First Class and Marketing (Standard) Mail discounts. Mailers+4 eliminates duplicates to help you save money on printing and postage, and keeps your records updated so you can stay in touch with customers who have moved.
Learn More & Request Free Trial
Mailers Online is a flexible software as a service (SaaS), offering multiplatform accessibility and designed as a one-stop shop to prepare USPS compliant direct mail with minimal effort. Mailers Online can help you increase mail deliverability and navigate complex postal regulations with ease while achieving the lowest postage rates.
Learn More & Upload Your FileWhy Melissa?
As The Address Experts, Melissa has 40 years of experience specializing in data-driven solutions to help businesses clean customer data, generate new leads and attain better ROI. From software that includes postal presorting to list hygiene services, mailing lists and sales leads, Melissa has the tools you need to achieve direct marketing success.