We’re firm believers that direct mail is not dead, its merely entering the final stages of a metamorphosis into the perfect solution to support:
- Social media marketing campaigns
- QR codes;
- interactive television promo campaigns; and
- Website landing-pages.
So when our friends at Ecoprint reminded us that postal rates will change on April 17 AND we needed to update our The Intelligent Mail (IMb) barcodes for new designs of reply envelopes, we took notice.
Roger Telschow, President of Ecoprint, tells us that “the price of a first class retail stamp is staying at 44-cents, but presorted (bulk) rates will go up a bit. The overall increase will still be capped by the rate of inflation since the last rate change, 1.7%.”
Here are the high points of this rate increase:
- Retail First Class: First ounce stays at $0.44, but second ounce goes to $0.20
- Retail Postcards: Up a penny to $0.29.
- Retail Letters to Canada and Mexico increase to $0.80
- Presort Standard (Bulk) mail goes up on average of 1.7%, with parcels and some flats going up more than letters.
“Another note,” says Roger, “The Intelligent Mail barcode deadline for presorted mail and reply envelopes has been extended. We’ve already been using the more efficient IMb barcode, which is replacing the older Postnet barcode, so no worries on your outgoing mail. However, you should definitely change your Reply Mail Envelopes so they carry the new IMb barcode. Do this for any new printing of reply envelopes (for now, we can still use your old ones). For readers who are not MKCREATIVE clients, “[you] may need help to get the new artwork,” says Roger.
Contact a USPS Mailpiece Design Analyst for more information:
New York (4 Districts)
Long Island District – ZIP Code #s 005, 115, 117-119
Manager, Business Mail Entry – (631) 755-2930
Manager, Business Service Network – (631) 755-2900
New York District – ZIP Code #s 100-102, 104
Manager, Business Mail Entry – (212) 330-4227
Manager, Business Service Network – (212) 330-4426
Triboro District – ZIP Code #s 103, 110-114, 116
Manager, Business Mail Entry – (718) 348-3760
Manager, Business Service Network – (718) 321-5704
Westchester District – ZIP Code #s 105-109, 124-127
Manager, Business Mail Entry – (914) 697-7013
Manager, Business Service Network – (914) 697-7284
The Mid-Atlantic Region
DC and Suburban Maryland, Michael Henretty – (301) 499-7312
Suburban Virginia, Toni Michael – (703) 207-3646