Below are some common terms we use in our day-to-day discussions of mailpiece design and ways to save money on postage costs:
Address Change Service (ACS): An automated process that provides change-of-address information to participating mailers who maintain computerized mailing lists.
Automation-compatible mail: Mail that can be scanned and processed by automated mail processing equipment such as a barcode sorter. Automation mail will have lower costs because they are less labor intensive
Barcode clear zone: A rectangular area in the lower right part of a letter-size mailpiece that must be kept free of printing and symbols, except for the barcode itself. This requirement allows automated processing machines to read or apply a barcode.
Commingle: To integrate dissimilar mail (such as subscriber and non-subscriber copies or machinable and irregular parcels) into the same mailing. This is another way to seek out maximum postal costs savings.
Cooperative mailing: A mailing made jointly by one or more organizations authorized to mail at Nonprofit Standard Mail prices at the same Post Office.
Copalletize: To combine and present together on pallets mail from two or more different or separately produced mailstreams.
Machinable: The ability of a mailpiece to be sorted by mail processing equipment.
Nonmachinable: The inability of a mailpiece to be sorted on mail processing equipment because of size, shape, content or address legibility. This mail must be processed manually and not qualify for automated rates.
Presorted Standard: The postage price for Standard Mail pieces that are part of a mailing and that meet minimum volume and preparation requirements.
For more information on how we can handle your mailing needs while minimizing costs, visit www.BBsmartsolutions.com
