1. If you mail using First-Class postage without presorting discounts, nothing changes for you.
   
   
2. If you are looking to take discounts by presorting your database, you must use Standard mail (which includes Non-profit mail) or discounted First-Class. All Standard mail and any discounted First-Class mail must be CASS certified (Coding Accuracy Support System). CASS certification ensures that the physical address exists. Those that pass CASS will be eligible for automation discounts and those that don’t will go at the non-discounted First-Class rate. Multi Media Services can provide CASS certification for your lists.


3. If you are OK with a person other than the name in your database receiving your mailing then you can add “or current resident” or “or current occupant” to the second address field in your database and you can qualify for all automation discounts, without having to go through the next step.

It is important to keep clean lists because each returned piece will cost around $1 and an unclean list could cost more in returned pieces than the original postage!

4. If you require that a specific person receives your mailing then you must use one of the Move / Update services as of November 23, 2008. This “Move /Update” requirement is for all Standard (this includes Non-profit and Bulk) mail and all First-Class discount mail that must go to a specific person. There are four main ways to comply with the move update requirements.


• “NCOA” (National Change of Address) service: NCOA ensures that the person whom you are mailing to resides at that physical address. Multi Media Services can register your company with the US Postal service using USPS Form 6014 and run your database through the NCOA. This service will go back 48 months and match the physical person and the current physical address. Your database will be modified to reflect any changes. Multi Media Services can then provide you with a list of all changes so that you can update your database. NCOA must be run every 90 days with the same database or with every unique database. This is the cleanest way to mail and provides the largest discounts.


• “Return service requested” service: Place this ancillary service endorsement on your mail piece in specified locations (see below) and, If your piece is undeliverable, the mail piece is returned to you with the new address or reason for non-delivery. There is no charge for First-Class mail. The charge for returned Standard mail will be the appropriate single piece First-Class rate for that piece (for example: $.42 for a #10 envelope under 3.5oz.). To comply with the Move / Update process, you must make the address changes before remailing.


• “Address service requested” service: Place this on your mail piece in specified locations (see below) and if...
  
  ...your client moved between 1–12 months ago, the mail piece is forwarded at no charge unless forwarded out of town and a separate notice of the new address is provided and an address correction fee of $.75 per piece is charged. To comply with the Move / Update process, you must make the address change before remailing.
  
  ...your client moved between 13–18 months ago, the mail piece is returned with the new address attached; no charge for First-Class mail. Standard mail will be charged a weighted fee (appropriate single piece rate x 2.472 per piece or approximately $1.03 for a #10 envelope under 3.5oz.).
  
  ...after month 18 or if undeliverable, the mail piece is returned with reason for non-delivery attached; the same charges for months 13-18 apply.


• “Forwarding service requested” service: Place this on your mail piece in specified locations (see graphic below) and if...
  
  ...your client moved between 1–12 months ago, the mail piece is forwarded at no charge unless forwarded out of town. To comply with the Move / Update process, you must make the address change before remailing.
  
  ... your client moved over 12 months ago, the mail piece is returned at no charge with the new address attached for First-Class mail. Standard mail will be charged a weighted fee (see above).

Without an endorsement, any undeliverable Standard mail piece will be discarded. First-Class pieces will be treated as forwarding service requested.

The savings, per piece, with discounted First-Class mailing vs. regular First-Class is between $.05 and $.095. The average savings, per piece, with discounted standard rates vs. non-discounted First-Class are between $.15 and $.25.