| Business Reply Mail Facts
PREPAID POSTAGE
CONTACT: Walter Oberstar, 624-8803 obers002@umn.edu
Use Business Reply Mail (BRM) when you want to pay postage on mail sent back to you. It is used in a variety of scenarios but the one we see the most is surveys. You can send out a large sample and encourage a greater percentage of response by paying the return postage. This means you don't have to apply postage to every return envelope you send out.
Addressing & Mailing maintains a business reply permit that is available to University departments. The strength of using one central permit is that as the number of envelopes goes up, postage costs go down. If each department had its own permit, depending on volume, they could pay as much as $.60 above the postage for each piece received.
Business Reply formats need to be preapproved by Addressing & Mailing Services prior to being printed. It is also important, that when a cufs account number is changed on a business reply project, that we are notified as soon as possible. Contact Walt Oberstar 624-8803 obers002@umn.edu.
There are two formats to consider when using BRM
Generic format: Qualified Business Reply Mail-QBRM
Certain projects are eligible to use a highly standardized generic format (QBRM) that is handled by Printing Services. The post office offers a discount for using this format. To be eligible, a project must be a post card, a one ounce envelope, or a two ounce envelope; and all of the responses must be the same weight. To assure consistency in the printing format we highly recommend that it be printed at Printing Services.
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It uses one of three different zip codes depending on the weight. The upper left portion of the envelope has an address, along with a numeric code that identifies the department that is sponsoring the reply piece.
The charges for this option are:
| |
Post Card |
One Ounce Envelope |
Two Ounce Envelope |
| Zip Code |
55455-9817 |
55455-9819 |
55455-9820 |
| Postage |
.247 |
.397 |
.565 |
| Business Reply Fee (Post Office) |
.05 |
.05 |
.05 |
| Campus Mail Fee |
.11 |
.11 |
.11 |
| Total |
$ .407 |
$ .557 |
$ .715 |
In addition there will be a $5.25 accounting fee applied to each Dept ID number billed each month.
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Non-generic format: Non-Qualified Business Reply Mail
If a project does not qualify for the generic format, then a second option is available. If it is not printed at Printing Services, we can provide formatting instructions and camera ready stats for the bar codes and facing identification marks. The Post Office charges a slightly higher handling fee for this option.
The charges are as follows:
| |
Post Card
|
Envelopes
|
| Zip Code |
55455-9940 |
55455-9940 |
| Postage for first ounce |
.27 |
.42 |
| Postage for additional ounces |
N/A |
.17 |
| Business Reply Fee (Post Office) |
.08 |
.08 |
| Campus Mail Fee |
.11 |
.11 |
| Total |
$ .46 |
At least
$ .61 |
In addition there will be a $5.25 accounting fee applied to each CUFS number billed each month.
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A postcards minimum standard height is 3 1/2 inches and length is 5 inches.
The maximum standard height is 4 1/4 inches and length is 6 inches.
The aspect ration (length divided by height) MUST BE between 1.3 to 2.5 inclusive (Please see non machinable surcharge information).
A postcard cannot be folded.
A letters minimum standard height is 3 1/2 inches and length is 5 inches.
The maximum standard height is 6 1/8 inches and length is 11 1/2 inches.
The aspect ration (length divided by height) MUST BE between 1.3 to 2.5 inclusive (Please see non machinable surcharge information)
All pieces not meeting the minimum size standards are non mailable!
Pieces exceeding maximums for 1st class mail will be charged a surcharge by the USPS.
Regardless of the format used, the envelopes follow the same path. They are received by Addressing & Mailing at our facility in room 175 PSB. We record the number of envelopes received for each department and forward the envelopes to the department through campus mail. Business Reply mail, using the central permit, takes two days more than ordinary first class mail to be delivered to the final destination. We bill the postage and handling fees to the customer cufs account on a calendar month basis.
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