What Does it Mean When Mail is Presorted?

As spring cleaning season kicks into full gear and businesses reevaluate their business practices, many are evaluating the benefits of presorting mail. This service allows companies to group their mailings together by zip code, reducing postage rates by up to 20 percent. In order to qualify for the discounted rate, mailings must contain at least 500 pieces of letter-size mail or 50 pounds of flats and be NCOA updated and CASS certified before submitting them to the USPS.

Presorting involves gathering a large batch of mail and running it through software to sort them by zip code, grouping like items into trays for the USPS to pick up. This saves the Postal Service time and money, allowing them to pass along savings in the form of discounted rates on mail. It also helps to ensure that all mail is processed accurately and meets physical specifications for automation, reducing errors and wasted postage.

Standard Mail

While most organizations would consider Marketing Mail to be their primary type of mail, many also send standard business mailings such as circulars, advertising, newsletters, catalogs or bulletins. Standard Mail (formerly called bulk or 3rd class mail) is a low-priority service that does not offer guaranteed delivery times. In order to qualify for the discounted postage rate of Presort First Class, mailers must also have 500 or more pieces or 50 pounds of flats and follow strict preparation requirements including being CASS certified, NCOA updated and containing Intelligent Mail barcodes on all pieces.