Discount Mail

I'm working with an established church that does not yet use the post office's discounted mail rates. I knew they existed, but didn't fully understand how to get them. It's really not that difficult, and is significant.

The US Postal service describes it this way:

"Your discount depends on the mailing service you choose and the work you do. For example, if you mail 1,000 letter-sized flyers to everyone in your ZIP Code advertising your business's sale, it would cost $0.41 per piece for retail First-Class postage, or $410.

"If you mail 1,000 flyers using Standard Mail to everyone in your ZIP Code by adding a barcode, sorting them by carrier route, and depositing them at the Post Office designated by your Business Mail Entry Unit, you might pay as little as $0.135 per piece, or $135."

One source says that churches can qualify under special non-profit rates if they mail more than 200 pieces more than 4 times a year. For most of the USA, if you are getting the word out to your neighborhood, there will be more than 200 pieces. Except in the most remote rural areas, everyone could participate.

To qualify, you must be a recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit, not just a church. And you will need to make application by filling out Form 3624, Application to Mail at Nonprofit Standard Mail Rates. Turn it in at the Post Office where you intend to mail from. (For more information about nonprofit rate eligibility and how to apply, see Publication 417, Nonprofit Standard Mail Eligibility.)

p.s. -You will probably want to contract with a mailing service who can presort based on zip code regions and can affix bar codes to the item. Some of the services I have looked at give good rates for printing, sorting and mailing all at once.