Postal Rates and Information
Domestic Mail Rates:
(If questions contact the LETU Mail Center or USPS)
| Rate | |
|---|---|
| Single Piece (First Class) | |
| 1 oz letter | .45 |
| 1 oz flat | .90 |
| 1 oz parcel | 1.95 |
| Additional ounces | .20 |
| Surcharge Letter Fee | .20 |
| Post Card | .32 |
| Priority Mail (1 lb.) / Not Flat Rate | Varies by Distance |
| Flat Rate Priority Mail Envelope - Regular | 5.15 |
| Flat Rate Priority Mail Envelope - Legal Size & Padded | 5.30 |
| Flat Rate Priority Mail Box - Small | 5.35 |
| Flat Rate Priority Mail Box - Medium | 11.35 |
| Flat Rate Priority Mail Box - Large | 15.45 |
| APO/FPO Flat Rate Priority - Large | 13.45 |
| Express Mail (Flat Rate Envelope) | 18.95 |
| Certified Mail | 2.95 |
| Return Receipt | 2.35 |
| Delivery Confirmation: First Class Parcels | .85 |
| Priority Mail | .75 |
| Media Mail (1 lb) | 2.47 |
| Library Mail (1 lb) | 2.35 |
International Mail Rates:
(International rates beyond 1 oz. vary based on USPS zones)
| Canada/Mexico | All Others | |
|---|---|---|
| Single Piece (First Class) | ||
| 1 oz letter | .85 | 1.05 |
| Post Card | .85 | 1.05 |
Move Update Information
The United States Post Office has established a rule that all standard (bulk) mail addresses must be updated against their national database of current addresses within 95 days prior to mailing. This means that any mailing processed to take advantage of the cheaper Standard Mail pricing must have all addresses purified using one of several different methods. Mailings sent without this address cleansing will be subject to adjusted charges and penalties.
The primary reason the post office is giving for this change is their attempt to reduce the amount of undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail that they process every year. In 2004, the USPS handled 9.7 billion pieces of UAA mail at a cost of $1.8 billion (source: May/June 2008 issue of MailPro). The change, formally called Move Update, will remove a significant amount of UAA mail from the mail stream. It will also reduce the amount of postage the University wastes annually due to out of date addresses.
What this means for the University's mail procedures is that we must require any mailing sent via the lower standard mail rates to have been cleansed through any of the processes prior to arriving at the Mail Center. This does not affect regular first class mailings. Feel free to continue to mail these as you would normally. In November, we issued a new Postal Form that includes an area for departments to sign off on the address updating procedures used on a mailing. Without this signature, we will not be able to process standard mail.
A number of methods to meet the new Move Update Standards exist:
- National Change of Address Linkage System (NCOAlink) processing
- Fast Forward MLOCR (Multiline Optical Character Readers) processing
- One Code ACS (Address Change Service) in conjunction with an Intelligent Mail barcode and a mailer ID
- Address Change Service used with an appropriate on-piece ancillary service endorsement
For more information on the Move Update process, go to:
http://www.usps.com/ncsc/addressservices/moveupdate/moveupdatemenu.htm
Please read up on these processes using the above link if you plan on mailing anything with discounted Standard mail rates. Each department should become familiar with these standards and use the method that best works for them. As each department manages its own address databases, each will be responsible for choosing which method works best for them.
We will not be able to do any Standard mailing without having first met these requirements.
If you have more questions than these sites can answer, please feel free to call the Mail Center at any time (4193). We will work with you to help you determine the best way to lower the University's postage costs. We also have information on a few programs that do this address cleansing. There are many out there.
