Double-postcards are effective because they’re relatively cheap, simple to print and make it pretty easy for your target audience to reply back to you (meaning, they tear off the one half and mail it back).

We produce a pretty healthy amount of double-postcards for clients and one recent mailing prompted us to write this blog post.

It was your standard double-postcard (folded dimensions of 4 1/4 height by 6 inches width, wafer-sealed closed), but tucked inside was a yellow, folded business return envelope…and the BRE was glue-tacked down so it didn’t fall out.

The client we produced this for is a magazine publisher so obviously they’re trying to increase cash/check orders (called pay up). This technique, however, is applicable to most any company using a double-postcard to sell a product or service.

It also makes the double-postcard a little puffy which further increases the odds of the recipient opening and reading the mail piece because they want to see what’s inside.

It might be a mail piece worth testing for your company.

Lastly, here are some postage stats regarding a double-postcard (current as of 12/4/2007):

It mails out at the first-class postcard rate of roughly 22 cents per piece if the one half is a returnable reply card. Otherwise, it mails out at the standard-class letter rate of roughly 25 cents per piece.

So by designating one half as a reply card, you save roughly 3 cents per piece on postage, and the delivery is both quicker and better (first-class versus standard-class).

In the case of the mail piece above, one half was a reply card that you tear off, but since it had a BRE tucked inside, it had to mail out at the standard-class letter rate.

The mailing was just sent out, so no results just yet…but if the client agrees, we’re going to feature them in an upcoming direct mail case study newsletter.

Popularity: 33% [?]

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Tags: Double-Postcards, Postage, USPS

The Nonprofit Times recently reported that the USPS will not be pushing forward with a rate case to increase postal fees for nonprofits.

Instead, the USPS’s Board of Governors voted to proceed with the new pricing regulations set by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, which caps future price increases at the rate of inflation.

The USPS will now measure its annual price increases according to the seasonally-adjusted Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all urban consumers.

To read the story in full, please visit:

http://www.nptimes.com/07Nov/news-071119-1.html

Popularity: 29% [?]

Tags: Nonprofit Direct Mail, Postage, Postal Rate Case, USPS

Today’s blog entry is about the much talked about Intelligent Mail Barcode.

The Intelligent Barcode, formally called the 4-state customer barcode, is the newest attempt by the post office to make both them and their customers more efficient in preparing and handling the mail. It also offers additional features such as enhanced tracking and ACS services.

Some of the Features and Benefits That Make the Intelligent Barcode Unique are the Following:

• Combines multiple services into one barcode – these can include: OneCode ACS (Address Change Service), postNET barcode, OneCode Confirm Service Type ID # (what class of mailing) and unique piece identifier.  
• With the OneCode Confirm, you have the ability to track every single mail piece using the unique piece identifier. For example, if you want to see if John Doe received his mail piece, you have the ability to track that piece using his unique piece identifier up to the delivery point sorter.
• It consists of 65 bars (postNET was 62) and can include up to 31-digits worth of information.
• The post office is currently using the Intelligent Barcode for First-Class Mail (confirm and ACS services, flats only) and Standard Class (confirm service only).
• Frees up more real estate on the actual mail piece by combining what used to be 4 lines of the address block into 1.
• And lastly, this barcode will be required by 2009 to get automation rates. 

What Makes up the Intelligent Barcode?

Barcode Identifier: This a 2 digit field that will be used to encode the presort identification that is currently being read manually from the Optional Endorsement Line.

Service Type Identifier: This is a 3-digit field which tells the sorting equipment exactly what service is required for that piece of mail. For example, if you would prefer the OneCode ACS service, the identifier would be 080.

Customer Identifier: This is the BEI that is assigned by the post office to the mailer.

Sequence Number: This is the unique piece identifier which is assigned to each record in your mailing.

Routing Code: This is the 11-digit delivery point, or Zip+4, with other delivery information.

If You Would Like More Information, Please Visit:

http://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution

Popularity: 36% [?]

Tags: Intelligent Mail Barcode, Postage, USPS