Sam on our vacation last summer in Charleston SC

I have had a lot of mailing information as of late, so I feel like doing something a little different today.  I did some baking this weekend.  That is something that I really enjoy doing when I have the time.  What prompted this baking episode is my Grandson, Sam, who is 11 years old.  Sam loves Boston Cream Pie and when he has a birthday or special occasion,  that is always his choice.  Last week I received a gourmet magazine and as I was thumbing through the recipes, I saw a very complicated recipe for Boston Cream Pie.  I decided that I was going to make Sam a really special cake. I won’t go into all the details but it involved real vanilla beans, heavy cream, a gourmet chocolate bar and a lot of eggs.  It took me three hours to complete the cake but it looked just like the cake in the magazine.  I was so excited for Sam to come over Sunday for his favorite dinner, shrimp and Boston Cream Pie.  Ken and I are really fortunate because Sam lives in Knoxville,  not far from our house. He ate a lot of shrimp and when the cake was served he ate about half of the cake  and declared that he was really full from eating all that grilled shrimp.  My husband and my daughter thought it was delicious but Sam did not seem to be all that impressed.  My mistake was in forgetting that a 11 year old do not have a very sophisticated taste.  He liked the store bought cake that did not have the vanilla bean etc. more than the cake that took me three hours to bake.

 The result is that I am going to make up a kid version just for Sam.  The cake portion will be the same, but for the filling it will involve vanilla pudding and lots of Cool Whip.  Now that is sure to please any 11 year old.  What was I thinking?

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A common mistake that people who are designing post cards make is putting a vertical line between the addressing area and their copy.  I guess the line is a throw back from the days when you bought post cards when you went on vacation and sent them back to your friends and family saying, “wish you were here”.  The line was used to allow  enough room on the post card for the address to be written.  However, since things at the USPS have become so automated it is a mistake to use the vertical line.  The USPS is moving to total automation in order to save money and move the mail through their system in a more efficient manner.  The addresses are read by OCR (Optical Character Readers) and the scanner is looking for bar-codes.  When the scanner comes across the vertical line it confuses the line for a bar-code.  You may pay higher postage if the line is used because it will not qualify for the lower bar-coded rates. There is a lot of area for copy that can be used on the addressing side of the post card.  I provide my customers with templates so that they know what area can and cannot be used. 

Another common mistake is putting a screened background in the addressing area.  This will disqualify the post card for barcoded rates unless a label is used, and that really defeats the purpose of putting the background on the card altogether.  If you want to use varnish or aquaeous coating on the post card, it is better to leave it off of the addressing area.  It may make inkjet addressing difficult as smearing can be a problem.  Barcodes that are smeared or not in correct alignment do not get discounted barcode postage rates.

It is really just following a few simple rules  and you have a post card that looks good, delivers your message and qualifies for postage discounts.

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In addition to the postal increases that go in effect on May 11, 2009, there are increases to per-piece charges, annual permit fees and accounting fees on Business Reply mail..  All annual mailing fees and the permit imprint application fee will increase to $185.00, and all annual accounting fees – account maintenance fees – will be $585.00.  The new fees apply only to first-time payments and renewals.  Customers with current fees paid will pay the new fees when they renew.  Money saving tip; The fees can be paid up to sixty days  in advance.   On the $185.00 fee that is a savings of $5.00 and on the $585.00 the savings is $20.00.

The increase on your reply mail if you hold the $185.00 annual mailing fee for reply will be .02 for every reply envelope that is returned to you. If you hold the $185.00 plus the $585.00 accounting maintenance the increase will only be .01 for every reply envelope that is returned to you.

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I have several things that mailers need to know that are coming up.  They are:

Standard Mail Move Update Postponed – The USPS has extended implementation of the Standard Mail and First Class Presort Move Update noncompliance charge from May 11, 2009 to January 4, 2010.  The charge applies to Standard Mail and First Class Presort mailings that fail to fully comply with the Move Update standards. Delaying implementation allows extra time for the USPS to provide Standard Mail and First Class Presort customers with additional feedback from their new postage verification systems.  This does not relieve mailers of their obligation to comply with the Move Update standard if they intend to claim automation or Presort prices.  In plain language what this means is the USPS does not have their equipment and systems in place in order to implement the noncompliance charges.  Mailers still need to clean up their lists and are required to sign a form 6014 Certification of Move Update Compliance. What this means for you is that you will not be charged a fine for noncompliance until January 4, 2010.  This applies to nonprofit mail as well.  As of January 7, 2010 the noncompliance charge will be 7 cents per piece for mailings that do not comply with the Move Update standards.  That does not mean 7 cents for just the bad addresses, it means you could be charged 7 cents noncompliance charge for the entire mailing. Mailing 5000? That could mean an additional $350.00 in postage.  A noncompliance report will not be given to you until after your mail has been delivered.  In other words, you will not have the option of picking up the mail and correcting your list because you won’t know until after your mail has gone.  I am sure you see how important compliance is in dollars and cents.

Intelligent Mail barcode (IMB) incentive of 0.3 cents will be available November 29, 2009 for automation letters and flats prepared and mailed using the full-service option.  As of now, our local Post Office is not prepared to implement full service.  Mailers who opt for full service must submit documents electonically and our Post Office is not equipped to accept electronic documentation.  Hopefully, the USPS will have the system in place by November 29, 2009.  At Burns Mailing & Printing, Inc. we are using the Intelligent Mail barcode.  It speeds delivery of our customers mail and we will be  ready when the incentives are available.

 Saturation Incentives: To encourage volume growth and continued use of saturation Standard Mail letters and flats, the Postal Service implements an incentive program for saturation mailers who increase their saturation letters or flats volume.  This increase can result from growth in total mailed volume or a growth within a defined market.  Mailers wishing to participate must submit a letter requesting participation to their district manager, business mail entry no later than June 11, 2009.

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