Proposed Postage & Regulation Changes Loom
August 17, 2011
For those of us in the mailing industry, and especially for our customers, new proposed changes from the United States Postal Service could mean increased production and postage costs.
The proposed change most people will hear about is the request to increase postage in most classes of mail by an average of 4%. If you're buying stamps, that means about a 2¢ increase in postage. If you are sending out your next direct mail marketing campaign, a fundraising letter, or your monthly invoicing, it could mean an increase of about $2/100 pieces of mail. While certainly not a dealbreaker, it does begin to chip away at mailing budgets that are already very tight for most companies.
The proposed regulation change most people will not hear about is the one we at MMS are most concerned with.
The USPS is constantly evaluating ways to make the flow of mail, or the "mail stream" in more technical parlance, through their machines more efficient. The newest proposal to increase efficiency would basically alter regulations dictating how a folded self-mailer (eg. a newsletter without any staples that's been folded and had tabs applied to it) would be prepared and considered acceptable for automated mailing (eligible for discounted postage rates, in English).
Basically, if you are currently sending mail that has tabs on it this proposed change would require more tabs, in different locations, and significantly increase our production costs. Oh, and you'll be paying that 2¢ more per piece, too.
While we understand and laud the USPS for it's continual effort to increase efficiency, changing regulations like these place an undue burden on the very people they rely on for their business: direct mailers and their customers. As with any proposed regulation change from the USPS, there is a commentary period where anyone can express their opinion on the proposal. As the leader in direct mail for Western North Carolina, MMS, and our trade association MFSA are doing everything we can to voice our opposition to this change in order to keep our mailing and production costs lower for you, our customers.
If you are currently sending folded self mailers on a regular basis, our knowledgeable staff can work with you on developing alternatives that could save you money even if the proposed changes do not go through. Contact us today to get started.
We will continue to monitor the progress of these proposed changes and keep you informed on the outcome.
