Can you lower mailing costs for your business? With postage increasing at least twice yearly, it seems like an impossible quest. However, with volume and postage optimization strategies, you can see them go down when you outsource.
Postage Keeps Going Up
The USPS typically increases rates twice annually. These changes don’t always impact every type of mailing, but First-Class letters have seen rates rise consistently. Currently, USPS is also charging a fuel surcharge.
What you are unlikely to see is a rate decrease. As the USPS modernizes, it does provide those with large quantities some significant breaks. You’re unlikely to qualify unless you outsource your transactional communications.
When you do, you can see some serious savings.
How Transactional Mail Companies Get the Best Rates
It’s not just the actual postage rates that can deliver savings. There’s much more to postage optimization.
Reducing Undeliverable Letters
You can lower your mailing costs by decreasing the number of undeliverable mail. This can be a source of waste, but professionals have tools to validate with scrubbing tools.
Such a solution combines proprietary technology and the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb). Data from the National Change of Address (NCOA) and Address Element Correction (AEC) also identify any incorrect addresses.
Addresses go through an assessment to find anything that’s incomplete or inaccurate. If scanning pulls up a new address for the recipient, it updates. Your savings could be substantial.
Letter Standardization
Do you currently have multiple envelope sizes? If so, that’s contributing to your costs. Ideally, you want every letter to be a #10 envelope. Also, paper weight matters. Automation systems require 3.5 ounces or less in weight.
Transactional printers have all this figured out for you and can help you transition.
Removing Inserts
With dynamic printing capabilities, you don’t need inserts stuffed into your envelopes. Every statement or document is customizable with messaging, typically reserved for inserts. If you can eliminate them, you don’t have to worry about going over 3.5 ounces.
Presorting and Commingling
Presorting and commingling are the undisputed champions of lowering mailing costs. Presort mail works with IMb scanning that segments letters by ZIP code. You can use presort for First Class and standard mail. Presorting happens before delivery to the post office.
Commingling categorizes letters by ZIP code using the IMb for automation, as well. It occurs after delivery. It’s even more precise than presorting.
Encouraging Customers to Go Digital
Lastly, you can create savings for letters that you never mail. You likely have electronic delivery as an option. Many prefer this, but others still want the hard copy. You can’t persuade everyone to go digital, but you could consider incentives.
However, you can’t send transactional communications through a standard email system. You need a platform with compliance and security.
Some key features of an e-delivery solution include:
- Sender certification, which identifies and resolves deliverability issues
- List validation, which corrects bad emails to prevent bounces
- Email authentication, which tracks the health of your e-delivery program
- Built-in compliance requirements
- Physical mail triggers if the system is unable to deliver the email
Lower Your Mailing Costs with PCI Group
We’re postage experts and also provide a secure, compliant email system for sending transactional communications. You can see improvements in deliverability for paper and digital statements.
Find out how by requesting a consultation today.
