For businesses that produce transactional print and mail, many components make up the entire workflow. After printing, inserting, and sealing, the mail stream is the next stop. In most cases, these communications use USPS services. Depending on the type of letters, regulatory requirements on delivery, and other factors, the type of USPS mailing will vary. So, what are your options? And how can a transactional print and mail company ensure on-time, accurate delivery? Let’s find out.
USPS Services for Transactional Print and Mail
There are a variety of services available through USPS for transactional letters.
USPS First Class
The most common is First Class mail and packages. The majority of your transactional mailings will fall into this category. Most of these first-class mailings are national, allowing for presorting, commingling, and automation. As a result, full-service mailing companies gain a guaranteed postage rate. Completed packages also receive a bill of lading when leaving the company’s facility, which provides individual tracking.
USPS Priority Mail®
When mail needs to move fast, Priority Mail is available, with guaranteed delivery of one, two, or three days. USPS bases the postage costs for this selection by weight and zone.
USPS Certified Mail
USPS Certified Mail is also an option. Some of your communications have specific timeframes for delivery that you must ensure and be able to verify. A transactional print and mail company is a highly automated environment, and certified mail fits into these workflows. No forms or stickers are necessary. Instead, each piece has proof of mailing manifest, in-route letter tracking, and final electronic return receipts (ERR).
Sending letters certified through your provider provides more features, including mailability to P.O. boxes and automatic record creation in an archive.
No matter what USPS services you require, you are likely to save significantly on postage when outsourcing to an organization with a high volume. They also leverage postage optimization strategies, as noted above, such as presorting and commingling. Another tactic they apply is address hygiene, which locates addressees who have moved before print and mail production. This process reduces waste from inaccurate or incomplete addresses.
Tracking Mail Sent Via USPS
USPS mail tracking offers complete visibility of the process, from when it enters the mail stream through delivery. Each letter has a tracking number, and you can monitor these through the USPS website. In most circumstances, you’d have to do this manually.
Alternatively, you can access the information at full-scale without the extra effort and hassle using our online dashboard trakPCI. Part of this secure portal is PCI Pinpoint, which tracks each letter by using the USPS IMb (Intelligent Mail® Barcode). Daily processing disclosures are also available. You’ll have full transparency related to when communications enter the mail stream through delivery. Within trakPCI, you can also review data around postage totals and costs in real time.
Additionally, for any letters requiring certification, you can view certified electronic delivery confirmation. It includes delivery confirmation, legal proof of receipt, and the addressee’s digital signature.
Get the Best Rates and Ensure Compliance with USPS Services from PCI Group
We are a high volume processor of transactional mail and we are postage experts. This allows us to qualify for the best rates across USPS services. With advanced tracking measures, you’ll always have the most accurate information regarding jobs. For transactional mail, you have to conform to compliance requirements regarding receipt. Having access to data daily allows you to have an audit trail should a complaint arise.
Capitalize on savings while improving compliance, accuracy, and quality by outsourcing with us. Learn more about our solutions by requesting a free consultation.
