How to Save Money With Bulk Mailing Services

When you need to send a large volume of mail pieces, referred to as bulk mailing, you need to meet USPS guidelines and complete tasks like presorting your items and adding Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMBs) in order to qualify for reduced postage rates. These discounts can be 35 to 65 percent lower than first-class rates for sales flyers, promotional postcards, newsletters and brochures.

Bulk mailing is any domestic mailing that meets USPS guidelines for size and shape, and includes a minimum of 200 identical pieces or 50 pounds of weight. It must also be CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) certified, which fixes street and city misspellings, confirms carrier routes, and checks zip codes for accuracy. You can either hire a third-party to CASS-certify your addresses, or buy software to do the review in-house.

After your list has been processed and corrected, your pieces must be sorted into USPS-provided trays or sacks. If your pieces are flat or have unique shapes, they must be rubber-banded together into specific bundles before putting them into the USPS container. Once your bulk mail has been sorted, you can drop it off at the post office or ask your third-party to arrange a pickup and delivery for you.

Some third-party services offer postage savings on bulk mail by handling all steps in the process for you. This can be much cheaper than paying for a Postal Service permit, and it’s easier than sorting, addressing, printing, and dropping off your own mail. To learn more, read our article on How to save money with postage stamps.