STANDARD MAIL
Standard Mail includes mail formerly classified as third class mail and as fourth class mail.
Third class is referred to as Standard Mail.
Fourth class is referred to as Package Services .
STANDARD MAIL
Standard Rates are considerably lower than the first class single piece rates because Standard mail must be presorted and delivered to the post office. Addressing & Mailing offers presorting and delivery services for all University units. Standard Mail typically consists of circulars, booklets, catalogs, photographs, drawings, books, and other printed items weighing less than 16 ounces each. There are two categories in Standard Mail: Nonprofit Rate and Presort Standard Rate. The post office does not guarantee delivery of Standard Mail within a given time period. Generally, delivery within the metropolitan area is within three-five business days; deliveries to the East and West Coasts can take up to ten business days.Nonprofit Standard or Presort Standard mail has two size categories, letter and non-letter. Letter pieces must be no larger than 6 1/8"x11 1/2" or less than 3 1/2"x5" (See Appendix B) ( See information on non machinable surcharge). All other mail is considered non-letter for rate purposes.
Typical Standard Rate mailings include:
- Circulars and printed letters that are being sent to more than 200 people.
- Printed matter weighing less than 16 ounces. Printed matter means paper on which words, letters, characters, or figures (except bills, account statements, or actual personal correspondence) have been reproduced by any process other than handwriting or typewriting. This classification includes regular printed matter, books and sheet music, and publishers' periodicals. Not acceptable as printed matter are articles of stationery; stamps; framed photographs and certificates; photographic negatives and slides; films; sound video recordings; punched paper tapes or ADP cards; and playing cards.
QUALIFYING FOR STANDARD RATES
To qualify for Standard rates, a mailing must meet the following requirements:
- Mailing must have a minimum of 200 pieces or 50 lbs.
- All pieces must be separately addressed to different addresses.
- All addresses or labels must face in the same direction.
- Each piece must be identical in size and weight (but not necessarily in content).
- Material to be mailed must have been produced by means other than handwriting or typewriting. (Mechanical reproduction of a typewritten original is acceptable.)
- Pieces must be rectangular and at least 3 1/2" x 5" ( See information on non machinable surcharge).
- Each piece must have a ZIP Code. (International mailings cannot be done at Standard rates.)
- Mail must be presorted and bundled according to Postal Service regulations.
- Mail must be delivered to the permit section of the post office with the prescribed Postal Service form.
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NONPROFIT STANDARD RATE
Most University units qualify for Standard service at the special Nonprofit Standard Rate, which is lower than the regular Presort Standard Rate. The University is classified by the post office as a nonprofit organization and holds a permit for mailing at nonprofit Standard rates. The post office recognizes any University department listed in the official University Student and Staff Directory as having nonprofit status. If your organization is not listed, call Addressing & Mailing for more information. Only organizations classified by the Postal Service as nonprofit groups may mail at this lower rate. Presort Nonprofit Standard current rate information is in Appendix C.
Standard rates are determined by the amount of time and handling presorting saves the post office. These savings are passed back to you in the form of discounted rates. All Standard mail must be presorted to a certain degree before it is delivered to the post office. Mailings can be presorted at three levels: basic, three/five digit, and automated.
Addressing & Mailing provides these presorting services:
- Basic Presort
- Three/Five Digit Presort Level: Each piece of mail must be part of a group of 10 or more pieces sorted to the same 3/5-digit ZIP code.
- Carrier Route Presort Level: Your mail must be sequenced according to a preset delivery scheme for each carrier route. Each piece must be a part of a group of 10 or more pieces sorted to the same carrier route and must be automation compatible. Mail is delivered to several postal stations (to obtain destination discounts of .022¢ up to .027¢).
- Postnet bar-coding on automation compatible mail to obtain postal discounts. For more specific guidelines, call Addressing & Mailing.
USING PERMITS
All Standard material may be sent by permit (or it may be metered). University units may use the all-University permit, registered with the Minneapolis post office. Because Addressing & Mailing Services is responsible for all mail sent under the University's permit, we strongly suggest that you prepare all Standard mailings through Addressing & Mailing. The post office prefers that University departments or organizations use the all-University permit number. If a unit wishes to have its own permit, however, it can make arrangements with the post office by calling 349-4741. Permit holders pay a one-time fee for a permit number and an annual Standard Mail fee. They must deposit money for postage in advance of a mailing or a check at the time of mailing; otherwise, the post office will not accept it.
When using the University Permit through a mailer other then Addressing & Mailing an accounting fee is charged for the control and balancing of postage. Contact Addressing & Mailing before a mailing is processed to insure the proper procedures are followed.
PERMIT INDICIA
All mail that is paid for by permit must bear information, called an indicia, designating which rate it is being mailed at. The three indicia formats usually used by University units are shown below. To download a "TIF" of the indicia, "right click" on the images below and choose "save target as" or "save link as", then save the file on your hard drive.
   
The permit indicia must be obliterated on any pieces circulated through the United States Postal Service, in any way other than as part of a standard mailing. Matter that bears an indicia may not be mailed in combination with another piece or enclosed in an envelope unless the indicia is crossed out. You may affix a postage stamp or postage meter tape over the indicia for First Class mailing.
USING THE NONPROFIT INDICIA
If you use a return address with the indicia, it must be that of the organization authorized to mail at the nonprofit rate. If there is no return address, the name and address of the organization must appear in a prominent position in the message. For example, a University department using the all-University permit must include both its own name and the words "University of Minnesota" in a return address if there is one; if there is no return address, this identification must appear in a conspicuous place in the text.
Cooperative mailings by two or more organizations that hold nonprofit permits must identify the name and address of one of the organizations. Cooperative mailings may not be made at the nonprofit rate if one or more of the cooperating organizations is not entitled to the special rate.
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Package Services
This class of mail includes merchandise, printed matter, mailable live animals, and all other matter weighing 16 ounces or more which is not included in First Class, Periodical, or Priority Mail. Within this class there are several categories such as Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, Media Mail,Books, Film, Music, Manuscripts and Sound Recordings.
Bound Printed Matter
Previously known as the Catalog Rate, this is the category of Package Services that weigh at least one pound and not more than 15 pounds and is based on zone and weight
- Consists of advertising, promotional, directory, or editorial material, or any combination of these. (Content must not be in the form of full sentences, as in a report.)
- Is securely bound by permanent fastenings such as staples, spiral binding, glue, stitching, etc. Loose-leaf binders and similar fastenings are not considered permanent.
- Consists of sheets, at least 90 percent of which are imprinted other than handwriting or typing with letters, characters, figures, or images, or any combination of these.
- Does not have the nature of personal correspondence, and is not handwritten or typewritten.
- Is not a book eligible for mailing at the Special Standard rate (see below).
- Is a book that would be eligible for mailing at the Special Standard rate except that it includes advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books that either
- 1) is not permanently bound in the book itself or
- 2) does not form an integral part of the book itself.
- Is not stationery, such as pads of blank printed forms.
SEALING, FOLDING AND TABBING
Mail pieces that are not sealed on all four sides may need additional design considerations to insure that they will run on the USPS high speed equipment. The fold should be on the bottom edge. The top should be sealed with glue, taped or tabbed within an inch of the corner, and if it is an automated mailing the USPS requires that it be sealed.
To insure that you are designing, folding and sealing your mail pieces correctly, you may contact Addressing & Mailing at 626-0222, or Printing Services at 625-9500.
Care must be taken to follow the requirements if you are going to seek an Automated Discount rate for your mailing.
Click here for a "Placement of Tabs and Seals guide"
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BULK BOUND PRINTED MATTER
A mailing qualifies for Bulk Bound Printed Matter rates if it consists of 300 or more pieces of bound printed matter and may contain non-identical weight pieces only if correct postage is affixed.
Current Rates for Bound Printed Matter
An item's rate depends partially on the zone to which it is sent. The farther the zone lies from the Twin Cities, the higher the postage. For current rates for Bound Printed Matter, call Addressing & Mailing at 626-0222.
MEDIA MAIL
Items that qualify for the Media Mail (formally called the Book Rate or Special Standard Mail) are: Books at least eight pages long,16mm or narrower-width films, film catalogs, printed music, objective test materials, sound recordings, video recordings, manuscripts, play scripts, educational reference charts, medical information, computer-readable media, and guides. Parcels must be marked "Media Mail." Enclosures, such as envelopes and order forms, are permitted. You do not have to obtain a special permit to use this rate class. Current Rates for Media Mail are in Appendix C.
LIBRARY MAIL
Library Mail is a reduced-rate service intended for the circulation of instructional materials by mail. It is Package Services Mail with rates based on weight without regard to zone. The following items may be mailed as Library Mail when they are loaned or exchanged between schools; colleges; universities; public libraries; museums; herbariums; and nonprofit religious, educational, scientific, charitable, agricultural, labor, veteran, or fraternal organizations:
- Books consisting wholly of reading matter, scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations, and containing no advertising other than incidental announcements of books.
- Printed music bound or sheets.
- Bound volumes of academic thesis in typewritten or duplicated form.
- Periodicals, bound or unbound.
- Sound recordings.
- Other library materials in printed, duplicated, or photographic form or in the form of unpublished manuscripts.
- Museum materials, specimens, collections, teaching aids, printed matter and interpretive materials intended to inform and to further the educational work and interests of museums and herbariums.
The following items may be mailed as Library Mail and are not required to be on loan or exchange:
- 16mm or narrower-width films, filmstrips, transparencies, slides, and microfilms. All of these must be positive prints in final form for viewing.
- Sound recordings.
- Museum materials, specimens, collections, teaching aids, printed matter, and interpretive materials intended to inform and to further the educational work and interests of museums and herbariums.
- Scientific or mathematical kits, instruments, or other devices.
- Catalogs of the materials listed in the above three categories and guides or scripts solely for use with such materials. Books may be mailed by publishers or distributors at the Library Rate to schools, colleges, or universities if they contain no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Colleges, schools, universities, and public libraries may not return books to publishers using the Library Rate.
No permit is required for using Library Mail. The marking "Library Mail" must appear on the address side of each package. The address must list the organization first, then the name of the individual.
CURRENT LIBRARY RATES
Current Library Mail Rate information is in Appendix C . |
