Bulk Mailing / Campus Distribution

Bulk Mail is the term used to describe Nonprofit First-Class or Standard mail that is sent at a discounted rate. There are USPS requirements that must be met to qualify for discounted rates. See list of requirements below:

Standard Mail
(bulk mail)

• Minimum 200 or more pieces that are identical in shape and weight
• No personalization
• No Advertisement

First Class

• Minimum 500 or more pieces that are identical in shape and weight

Mailings must meet a number of design and processing requirements to qualify for bulk mail rates. To ensure your bulk mailing meets these requirements contact Mail Services early in the design process. Mail Services works closely with University Communications and Marketing on mail piece approvals when they are designing any mail piece. If you are working with an outside design firm or are designing the mail piece yourself you are required to contact Mail Services staff or management to get a mail piece approval.

Address Correction Service

If mail cannot be delivered as addressed, address correction service allows the sender on request, using the appropriate ancillary service endorsement to obtain the addressee's new (forwarding) address (if the addressee filed a change-of-address order with the USPS) or the reason for nondelivery. Address corrections and notices are not provided for customers who file a temporary change of address or for individuals at a business address. Address correction service is available alone or in combination with forwarding and return service. For detailed information on undeliverable mail and Ancilliary Service Endorsements, visit the USPS webpage. If you have further questions regarding un-deliverable mail or Ancillary Service Endorsements please contact mail services.  Address correction service is a fee based service if you aren't going to update your database with the information provided by the USPS don't but an Ancillary Service Endorsement on your mail piece.

Additional mailing services

Tab Sealing - Mail Services provides automated application of tab seals to the edges of folded mail pieces that are sent without an envelope. There are additional tabbing requirements which are based on size and thickness of the mail piece. Tabs on booklets must be at least 1-1/2 inches in width and must not contain perforations. Tabs may be made of opaque paper, translucent paper, vinyl or plastic. Cellophane tape may also be used as a closure. For additional USPS tab requirements see the USPS DMM 210 for Physical Standards of a mail piece.

Folding and Inserting - Mail Services provides both machine and hand inserting.

Addressing - Direct Ink-Jet impressions or labels - Mail Services can print your database directly onto the mail piece or create labels that can be applied to the mail piece using an automated process.

Mail Processing - Mail Services uses Satori Bulk Mailer 5 addressing software to process mailing lists. Bulk Mailer utilizes a USPS-certified database to clean and standardize address data. This process corrects spelling, abbreviations, city, state and ZIP code entries and validates the address. NCOA Link is also run at the same time using real-time updating via the internet. NCOAlink database covers the previous 18 months of updates. New address change information is added weekly. Since new address changes are done on a weekly basis there is still going to be a 3% error rate. This software is updated monthly to ensure accurate information. All databases should be submitted to Mail Services using our online mail requisition. If you have trouble using the online requisition please submit your database to [email protected].

Campus Distribution - Mail Services provides both labeled and general distribution of printed material for a fee. Contact Mail Services to confirm the quantity required for a full time faculty and staff general distribution. If you are interested in a labeled distribution you must supply the mail room with the database so that each piece can be labeled. For staff distribution lists contact UHR, for faculty contact AHR. Mail Services doesn't keep any of these lists on file you must send your database if you want a labeled distribution.

*DMM - Domestic Mail Manual is the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service which is available at DMM 300.