Effective September 8th, 2009, the USPS is set to update the requirements for booklet tabbing. If you mail out these types of mailers, it’s crucial you know what these changes are.
Our new video below tells you everything you need to know in only 2 minutes.
CLICK HERE for a pdf containing additional information on these new tabbing requirements.
On March 29th, 2009 the new USPS addressing requirements for flats went into affect. Flats are defined as direct mail measuring 11.5″ (w) x 6.125″ (h) up to a maximum size of 15″ (w) x 12″ (h).
To make things simple, we’re going to recap the new requirements and then point you to a couple of PDFs that contain additional information. This recap comes straight from the PDFs linked to below.
3 New Requirements for Standard & First-Class Mail:
1./ Mailers must address each piece using a minimum of 8-point type. Each character must be at least 0.080 inch high.
2./ If the mailpiece bears a POSTNET or Intelligent Mail barcode with a delivery point routing code, mailers may use 6-point type in all capital letters. Each character must be at least 0.065 inch high.
3./ On all automation pieces, the characters in the address must not overlap, the address lines must not touch or overlap, and each address element may be separated by no more than five blank character spaces. (A blank character space can equal the width of the widest letter used in the type.)
1 Additional Requirement For Standard Mail Only:
1./ Mailers must place the delivery address in the “top half” of the mailpiece (at the time of this writing, every piece of USPS literature we have says this is NOT a requirement for First-Class flat mail).
For more detailed addressing information, click below on the class of flat direct mail you send out.
The USPS will be updating the current ‘Move Update’ regulations effective November 23rd, 2008. The update will affect both non-profit and for-profit mail as well as First Class and Standard Class mail.
They are changing the time period by which a ‘Move Update’ needs to occur — it will now be within 95 days of the mail date. Previously, it was 185 days.
All mailers will need to fill out a 6014 form at the time of processing to show your mail house. You should also supply proof that a ‘Move Update’ did occur.
A ‘Move Update’ is usually done via what’s called NCOAlink during which the mail file is updated with any changes of address that have been filed with the post office.
This is an attempt by the USPS to decrease the amount of “Undeliverable As Addressed” mail they handle each year. In 2004, UAA amounted to 9.7 billion pieces of mail, which resulted in $2 billion dollars of extra costs for them.
If this regulation is not complied with, there will be a penalty imposed by the post office. This is what our USPS rep told us:
“For First Class, the mailing will be charged at the single piece rate. For Standard, it has not been decided yet. A seven cent penalty has been discussed but is not written in stone.”
If you have any questions about the new ‘Move Update’ regulations, please contact Matt Cote: matt (at) ballantine.com
