Bulk Mail

Please stop by or call us with questions or for details on how to use UNC Charlotte's Bulk Mail Services.

Addressing Design Guide for Bulk Mail

New Address Standards for Commercial Flat-Size Mail

New Address Standards for Commercial Letters and Postcards

What is bulk mail?

Bulk Mail, also known as Direct Mail, is a classification of mail that meets certain requirements to qualify for discounted rates. Rates are dependent on content, size, shape, weight, mailing distance, quantity.

The qualifications for bulk mail generally depend on the class of the mailing. All bulk mail however must be completely uniform except for the destination address.

Send bulk mail for the lowest price

Allowing Mail Services to assist you, even before your direct mail communication is designed, will ensure the best price. USPS guidelines for "machineable" mail continue to change with improved technology and it’s our job to stay current on those changes. Mail that does not comply with machinable guidelines loses any discount and can incur additional charges. Consulting with us early in design can save time and money.

Bulk Mail Savings Example

Business mail postage is calculated based on the volume of mail to be delivered to a specific Zip code. So if, for example, 125 mail pieces are to be delivered to the same zip code, those pieces qualify for a discount rate of $0.089 cents, as opposed to the usual $0.44 cents. The savings for every 100 pieces thereafter could be as much as $35.

Bulk Mail Requirements

Quantity Minimums:
  • 200 pieces (or 50 lbs of mail) Standard Mail
  • 500 pieces First-Class Mail
  • 50 pieces Parcel/Packages
  • 300 pieces Presorted Media Mail (book rate)
  • Mail must be identical in content and material.
  • Preparation in compliance to USPS preparation guidelines.

Non Profit Mailing

Generally, UNC Charlotte mail is nonprofit in nature. However, mailings for programs may not be nonprofit if the program will earn an excess of funds greater to operational costs. We check all eligibility requirements prior to processing mail.

Use of the University "Postage Paid" Permit

UNC Charlotte’s pre-paid postage permit imprint — or indicia — belongs to Mail Services and cannot be used without express permission.

Using an off-campus Mail House

Permission to use the University’s Postage Paid Permit must be obtained by printing companies and mail houses for each mailing, even those that have previously used the permit. This protects the University from unnecessary and unexpected charges.

Correspondence bearing the indicia must also be brought directly to UNC Charlotte Mail Services where the permit is held, and cannot be dropped in a collection box. There are other restrictions too, so to be safe, Mail Services recommends that in addition to securing permission to use the permit on a specific mailing, you also allow us to imprint it (as opposed to having the indicia directly affixed from a printing press or copier).

Please do not risk additional charges or penalties against the University’s bulk mail permit. Contact Mail Services before preparing your bulk mailing, preferably before it is printed. Only then can you be sure that approval to use the permit has been secured and that your communication will be sent quickly, for the very best price.

More Reasons Why Mail Services Should be Your Bulk Mail Service Provider

United States Postal Service regulations and size restrictions have changed and grown increasingly stringent. USPS enforcement of these rules has also increased. As a result, bulk mailings are an area where departments can unknowingly waste money. Penalties of two to 15 cents per piece add up quickly, potentially costing the University tens of thousands of dollars per year.

The best way to keep mailing costs to a minimum is to contact Mail Services before your communication is designed. Here’s why:

  • New USPS regulations facilitate automation. Sizes/types of correspondence that were sent without penalty or delay yesterday may not fare as well today. When hands have to touch it, price goes up, expedience goes down.
  • Size seriously matters. Many common finished-size pieces no longer conform to dimension restrictions for the lower rate classes. One-quarter inch can significantly change the price to send.
  • How a piece is folded or fastened can affect the rate. Saddle stitching (staples at the fold or spine) can make a brochure, newsletter or catalog unsuitable for USPS machines and therefore, more expensive to deliver.
  • Mail Services has the latest USPS measurement templates and personnel specifically trained in bulk-mail processing. We can advise you what size would be most economical so you can layout the printed communication accordingly.
  • Bad addresses cost money. Mail Services can help prevent returns by cleansing your mailing list. USPS has now required every agency mailing out standard mail to verify addresses first. Mail Services has acquired advanced software to provide address verification and address correction at a steeply discounted price.

Mail Services' expanded bulk mail processing center is capable of processing Bulk/Direct Mail from 200 to 50,000 pieces. Turn around time is 12 hours for smaller orders (less than 5,000 pieces); larger orders completed in 24 to 48 hours.

If your mailing will require inserting, please use either Number 9 or 10 sized letter envelopes, or 9.5 x 12 sized flat envelopes, with a sealable flap located on the short side. If needed, Mail Services can even provide envelopes.

Services Include:

  • Storage of any sized materials for immediate printing
  • Mailing list merge (consolidation)
  • Address list validation
  • Indicia printing
  • LaserJet printing (Return Address, Delivery Address, & endorsements)
  • PostNet bar coding
  • Duplicate purge
  • Move Update
  • Folding,
  • Inserting
  • Labeling
  • Tabbing
  • Sealing
  • Geocoding
Other mail and bindery services provided include:
  • Matching address to recipient addressed letters, (as in a mail merge)
  • Inserting letters and brochures into an outer envelope
  • Inserting magazines, letters, or reply cards
  • Folding brochures
  • Folding brochures and pairing with letters, magazines, reply envelopes, reply cards, and sealing.