By now, you probably know that on July 10, 2022, the United States Postal Service has increased the cost of postage to .60 per letter. Depending on your business and how often you send mail, postage and shipping costs can be a significant expense. Businesses of all sizes can benefit from keeping their postage costs as low as possible. Below we have listed a few ways you can help reduce postage costs and get more mileage out of the money you do spend on mailings.
1) Get A Scale. You can find some very inexpensive options at Walmart and Target, and weigh every piece of mail you intend on sending. Determine the exact amount of postage required to mail each piece, and follow suit. This is to ensure that you are not overspending on your postage.
2) Fold. If you’re mailing a document that weighs less than an ounce, fold it to fit in a standard business-size envelope instead of mailing it flat. Postage for the business size envelope is significantly less than the postage for mailing the same document in a 9 x 12 envelope.
3) Ride Along Free. When sending invoices by mail, insert promotional items with other products and services you sell. The ad gets to ride along for free as long as the weight of the paper it is printed on doesn’t increase the cost of the mailing into the next rate range of cost. This extra appreciation will be viewed by more people and can make your package matter a little more.
4) Stick to the Standards. Use standard-sized envelopes and postcards because you’ll be charged the extra postage for different shapes and sizes. The two most common sizes of envelopes are the 6-⅝ and the 9 envelopes. The 6-⅝ envelope has a size of 6x9.5 inches and a maximum enclosure of 5.75x9.25 inches while the 9 envelope has an 8.75x 11.25-inch size with an 8.5x 11.25-inch enclosure.
5) Watch Your Weight. If your designer asks for very heavy stock to be mailed, get a sample of the envelope and a piece of stock, and weigh items to find out how much it will cost to mail the piece. If the weight of the document increases postage, ask the designer to choose a lighter-weight option.
6) Send A Postcard. When sending mail, use a postcard instead of a letter. Mailing a standard-size postcard first class saves you an incredible 30% over sending a first-class letter. So when sending important mail, make sure to mail a postcard if you want to save.
7) Bulk Up. Use bulk mail if you regularly mail quantities of letters. Bulk mail is a term the Post Office uses for both first-class and advertising mail that is sent in bulk quantities. Items sent as bulk mail require a permit and cost less per piece to mail. Check with Hatteras Sales Representative for advice on what would work best for your company.
8) EDDM It, Darn It. Consider Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM). EDDM is a relatively new service from the Post Office which can save small local businesses money if they want to mail to residents in their service area. What it does is allow you to send mail to every mailing location in an area you specify, which can be narrowed down to just a mail carrier’s route, if desired. A “retail” version of this service can be used without getting a mail permit. Check with your Hatteras Sales Representative for more information on EDDM.
9) Clean House. Clean your house mailing lists to eliminate bad addresses and duplicates. When you mail to a bad address you lose the cost of the postage and the cost of the mailing piece. We can help you come up with an individualized plan to save on postage custom to your business.