Commingling Mail
How to Use Commingle Mail to Save on Postage and Increase Mailing Speed?
“We want to send smaller mailings to our target audience but need to keep the costs low. Is that possible?”
At PostGrid, we get many queries like such, and our constant answer is commingling mail with other companies! But why?
- This method allows you to streamline your mailing activities so you may control the volume based on your needs.
- It lets you get discounted rates even if you send only a few items to your prospects from time to time.
- You can commingle mail any time you need and speed up deliveries.
Some clients think commingling their mailers with other businesses can result in their mail arriving the same day as their competitors. But that can happen anyway because you cannot control when others send out their items. So, why not save tons on postage in the bargain?
This blog explains everything you must know about commingling mail and how to use it!
Let’s get started!
What Is a Commingle Mailing?
It means combining your direct mailpieces with items from other sources to become eligible for discounted shipping rates. You may need to undertake several steps during the process, like presorting, labelling, bundling, etc.
Imagine a scenario where you must send 500 items to different cities in Oaklahoma. The postage rates can cost you a lot if you don’t commingle mail items! However, what if you segment and bundle your items with other USPS trays already going to those cities?
You guessed it right! Such type of commingling mail solutions helps you speed up the delivery process, which is why companies use them to:
- Conducting time-critical promotions.
- Sending confidential or sensitive items, like checks and invoices.
- Mailing tax documents urgently, etc.
However, you need to become eligible for commingling mail to avail of the benefits. There are guidelines regarding the minimum volume of items, preparation, sorting, and the schedule for dropping off the items.
Also, you may need to attach Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMBs) for tracking your mailers in real time. Thus, it isn’t easy to apply for this service, but you can employ commingled mail services like PostGrid to assist you.
How Does Commingling Mail Work?
Typically, your direct mailers go through several postal outlets before they reach the destination Sectional Center Facility (SCF). Unlike during commingling mail, this process takes several days and the work of several employees, which USPS recovers by charging you a postal fee.
Here is how the USPS delivery infrastructure works if you don’t use commingling direct mail services:
- You drop off a mail item at the Post Office, or a carrier takes it there from the mailbox.
- The local Post Office accepts the mailpiece, enters the details in its system, and forwards it to the local SCF.
- Then, the postal employees scan it and send it to the regional Network Distribution Center (NDC)
- There is another scan before the item goes to the destination NDC.
- Finally, the next stop is the destination SCF (which is the most crucial point of the network and the place where commingled mail services send your items directly).
- Then, your mail item gets to the destination Post Office from where a carrier delivers it to the recipient’s house.
As you can see, your mail items go through at least six stops before reaching their destinations if you don’t commingle mail beforehand. It is convenient for USPS because it needs to perform several tasks, like sorting your mailers, tagging, etc.
However, commingling mail helps you to do most of the work for the postal services, so they don’t need to stop at so many places!
Commingling allows you to combine your mailers with others to meet the USPS minimum requirements for discounted mailings to targeted localities. It involves:
- Mixing your mail items with mailers of 100 different companies.
- Sorting the mailpieces by ZIP codes.
- Tagging them using IMBs.
- Bundling the items into USPS trays using ZIP code groups.
- Delivering these bundled trays directly to the destination NDC or SCF.
Hence, you may find it hard to commingle mail on your own. Thankfully, PostGrid helps you apply several methods to mail faster and cut postage, like dropshipping, commingling, etc. Hence, you can enjoy the benefits without doing anything in-house!
There are two ways of commingling direct mail, and they are:
- One-pass commingling: In this approach, businesses use shipping input data files to decide the best presorting technique for their mailers. Then, they sort individual mailpieces using these files and the necessary equipment (similar to the USPS sorting machines).
- Two-pass commingling: In the two-pass approach of commingling mail, you first sort the mailers according to their destination addresses. Then, segment them further according to the destination ZIP codes.
Your method must depend on the type of mailers you send and their volume! Working with an expert commingled mail services provider like PostGrid can help you determine the best approach and conduct it well.
Benefits of Commingling Mail
There is more than one advantage of using commingling for your commercial mailings, including:
Speedy Deliveries
National mailing can take 12 to 14 business days, depending on your selected service. But, you don’t need to wait for so long if you commingle mail with other companies. It is like a collective decision of several businesses to use this cost-cutting technique and distribute the advantages.
Getting your mail to its destination is a surprisingly lengthy process! As discussed earlier, the mailpiece passes six different postal facilities if it has to travel more than a few blocks. But, pre-organizing and commingling direct mail items allow you to bypass these stops and reach the delivery addresses more quickly.
Thus, you can reduce your delivery times by at least two to five days by eliminating various transportation stages in the middle.
Discounted Postage Rates
The Post Office charges you a specific shipping fee to recover the costs of mail sorting, processing, bundling, etc. Also, it tries to recover the expenses of running several facilities to help segment your mailers and re-route them to their destinations!
But, by commingling mail, you perform the sorting, tagging, and grouping activities before you insert your mailers into the USPS network. Hence, all the postal services are left to do is transport your items from the destination SCF to the final Post Office and mailing addresses. USPS saves hundreds and thousands of dollars when companies adopt commingling mail, and it passes these savings as discounted postage.
Easier Budgeting
Often, it is hard to determine mailing rates because there are several factors you must consider, like weight, size, mailing distance, etc. However, PostGrid’s commingled mail services can help you get per-piece pricing, making budgeting simpler to understand.
Your mailers might need to fit the commingling mail minimum volume requirements and specifications. Also, the discounted rates you get depend on your eligibility, for example- the weight and size of your packages, etc. But, PostGrid can help you prepare your items accordingly without putting in extra effort—with the click of a few buttons!
Excellent For Multi-Panel Mailings
Bulk mailers can divide their mailpieces into different panels more effectively when they commingle mail items regularly.
For instance, a business that ships 200,000 mailpieces using four panels pay postage based on every 50,000-piece tray. But, when they combine the four panels, it pays postage according to the 200,000 mailing lot. Hence, they can save more on postal fees and ship more systematically.
Which USPS Mailing Classes Can You Use For Commingling Mail?
Every nonprofit and commercial organization can commingle First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail items.
First-Class is one of the most commonly-used classes by individuals and companies. Also, it is cheaper than the Priority Mail options, making it a better choice for commingling mail and frequent shipments.
But, some people argue that First-Class Mail is expensive compared to other options like Library Mail, Retail Ground, etc. However, please note that First-Class Mail has more flexibility to send different mailers and is faster than other options.
Also, USPS delivered 50.7 billion First-Class Mail pieces in 2021, making it one of the most popular and effective mailing classes. Thus, it makes sense to commingle mail to increase the speed and bring down costs.
USPS also allows commingling mail items for the Marketing Mail option because businesses use it for bulk mailing. Hence, they may need to send thousands of mailpieces to different locations—and benefit from presorting and bundling with other panels going to the same destinations.
Additionally, Marketing Mail has slow delivery times ranging between five and 20 business days. By commingling mail items, bulk mailers can reduce this timeframe and get their mailpieces in the recipient’s hands faster. Also, businesses can avail of more discounts, letting them increase their mailing volume over time to expand their reach.
Why Do You Need PostGrid’s Commingled Mail Services?
Below, we discuss the several steps you need to fulfil to commingle mail and how PostGrid helps you through all of them:
Data Preparation
The first stage is to prepare your data to make commingling mail easier for your shipping tasks. Your addresses must be flawless—valid, correct, and deliverable! Moreover, it is best to segment mailing lists according to location and other factors.
However, it isn’t always possible because businesses prepare their databases with multiple primary and secondary sources. Also, they might not have the time and resources to update it often.
PostGrid’s commingled mail services allow companies to build targeted mailing lists and cleanse their existing databases. Thus, they can move ahead with their mailing campaigns confidently!
Produce Mailpieces and Schedule a Campaign
Next, you must draft and print your items for commingling mail and delivery. It takes hours and days for a business to print mailers in large volumes, package, label, and assemble them. With PostGrid, you make a few selections on your device, and it gets your items ready on your behalf. Hence, you can skip all these steps and sit back!
Also, PostGrid takes care of the dates for your campaign according to your preferences and schedules the commingling direct mail whenever you want.
Commingle Mail Items and Drop Them Off
Then, you must presort your mailers according to the USPS instructions and drop off the bundles at the assigned postal facility. You are responsible for getting the items to the destination NDC or SCF, no matter how far it is.
Again, PostGrid can take this legwork off your shoulders and do it for you! It can do everything from presorting according to ZIP codes and adding IMBs at breakneck speeds.
Mailing Tracking and Analytics
Our clients can track their commingling mail activities from start to finish. They can check when our printers get their items ready for shipping and when the mailers reach the USPS network. Furthermore, they also get delivery updates and stay informed at all times!
Here is what a client of PostGrid said to one of our account specialists recently:
“PostGrid is a lifesaver when talking of high-end campaigns at low rates. I cannot believe how easy direct mailing has become for my businesses using your direct mail dashboard. And I cannot wait to launch another campaign next month.”
By offering commingling mail solutions, industry-best rates, and advanced features, PostGrid allows companies to reach their customers affordably and effectively!
Conclusion
Businesses have a million ways to save costs and increase their revenue. But, it takes a lot of planning and effort to set up such cost-saving mechanisms. PostGrid’s direct mail solutions help them skip to the good part by eliminating all the additional tasks!
Our commingled mail services help you avail yourself of all the benefits discussed in this blog! Also, you can ship any items you want to any part of the world—letting you make prompt business decisions and beat your competition.
Request a demo to know more about how PostGrid’s direct mail API lets you commingle mail and improve your ROI.
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