Standard Mail (also called Bulk Mail) is an effective means to reach a large audience at an affordable rate. It is a discounted class of mail offering substantial savings (example: 500 pieces of 1oz #10 envelopes would cost $220 First Class, but would cost approximately $56 with Standard Mail non-profit rate).
Standard mail describes a service that has no promised delivery standards but is usually delivered in a week or two within the continental United States and usually not more than five days within a radius of 500 hundred miles. The University has a Permit #49 with the Post Office to prepare standard mailings, which allows us to process large mailings at about 1/3 the cost of First Class mailings. See eligibility requirements below for Standard Mail.
Standard Mail Eligibility Requirements
The majority of Standard Mail at 麻豆国产AV is mailed at the nonprofit rate using the below indicia. Periodically, departments will want to advertise or cooperate with another organization to share the cost, risk or benefit of mailing. In these cases, the Presort Standard indicia is to be used. If you are not sure, please call the Mail Center (757-683-3673) for clarification.
- Each Standard mailing must contain a minimum of 200 addressed pieces (or 50 pounds of addressed pieces). The Mail Center will supply mail trays or tubs upon request. Do not put standard mail in U.S. Mail collection boxes.
- All pieces in the mailing must belong to the same processing category (i.e., all the same size envelope). If permit imprint (indicia) is used, all pieces must be identical in size and weight. No hand-written material or personal messages are permitted. No staples permitted.
- Each mailing must be merged and submitted as a single mailing rather than separated groupings.
- All pieces must be faced in the same way with the address showing, in ascending zip code order. Overstuffed envelopes cannot be processed by the mailing machine; therefore, they must be sealed and the indicia stamped or printed in the appropriate place.
- Each piece must have a complete return address, including the appropriate budget code. Each piece which cannot be put through the meter must have the indicia printed or rubber stamped on prior to submission.
- All Standard Mail must include the appropriate U.S. Postal Zip Codes. Only mail destined for delivery in the United States and United States Territories is acceptable.
An authorized non-profit organization may NOT loan its permit to other individuals or organizations, except when those individuals or organizations have received authorization to mail at the special rate at the same post office. Noncompliance violates postal regulations and jeopardizes the University's special status as a nonprofit organization. When in doubt, call the Mail Center to ask which indicia to use for your mailings.
Policy for Standard Mail
Standard Mail mailers must demonstrate that they have updated their mailing list within 95 days prior to the date of mailing. To assist our many departments in maintaining mailing lists, the University has contracted with Rocket Communications to meet the regulation changes for Standard Mail.
Rocket Communications
Rocket Communications will electronically process your mailing list against the U.S. Postal Service National Change Address data base. The charge for this service is a $35 service fee, plus $2 per thousand addresses. For example, a mailing list of 10,000 addresses would be $35 Service Fee plus $20 ($2 per thousand addresses) for a total of $55. You will be provided address corrections that must be made to your mailing list prior to mailing. Once corrected, your mailing list meets U.S. Postal Service regulations for 95 days. Your mailings can be assembled and processed as you have done in the past.