Efficiency saves time and money when mailing

It costs more to send a letter now via the U.S. Postal Service than it did a month ago. But an increase in postage is just one of several things that can increase the cost of mailing letters, packages and parcels. Incorrect addresses, incorrect postage, use of special mail services and use of express mail services can quickly raise the cost of getting a piece of mail from one place to another.

UNT Mail Services has several pointers to help faculty and staff avoid paying more than necessary and minimize the time it takes to distribute items through the mail.

• Make sure the address to which the mail is sent appears in the window of the envelope.
• For bulk mail, arrange envelopes so all flaps are unsealed and all facing up before leaving them with the mail service.
•  Be sure all manila envelope flaps are sealed.
• Include a UNT return address.
• Include an account number on all mail.
• Make sure handwritten addresses are legible.
• Be sure metered mail pieces with an international address include the name of the country.
• Mail items early to avoid sending mail express. The cost to send express mail increased 50 cents per pound.
• Try to avoid any special services such as certified mail, return receipt or registered mail. The certified mail service increased 50 cents, the return receipt service went up 25 cents and the registered mail service increased $1.25.
• If 200 or more pieces are to be sent, the mail can qualify for bulk mail rates which just went down from 16.9 cents per letter to 15.5 cents per letter. Automating mail will decrease the cost even more.
• Update mailing lists as often as possible to avoid address correction service fees. Address corrections start at 60 cents and increase depending on the correction notice received.

The UNT Mail Services will presort first-class mail for departments that are not sending enough pieces to qualify for automation. Automation requires at least 500 pieces of mail. Mail can be sorted at a discount of 2 cents by Mail Services. All mail must be received by Mail Services by noon in order to be mailed the same day at the discounted rate. Otherwise, mail can be held until the next day, or it can be mailed the same day at the full rate of 34 cents.

The cost of a letter stamp is not the only postage rate that changed at the first of the year, and some rates actually decreased. Postage for a 1-ounce letter went up from 33 cents to 34 cents. The cost of mailing a 2-ounce letter remains at 55 cents. The cost of mailing a 3-ounce letter went down from 77 cents to 76 cents, and all rates for mail that weighs between 3 ounces and 13 ounces went down.

Priority mail rates went from $3.20 to $3.50 for all mail weighing between 13 ounces and 1 pound, and it costs $3.95 to mail via priority mail items weighing between 1 pound and 2 pounds.

BY MICHELLE HALE mhale@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT sets fourth annual Equity and Diversity Conference
• UNT kicks off Black History Month celebration
• Second Spring Vision 2015 Forum scheduled March 1
• New program to help fill teacher shortage
• Conference concerts feature world premieres
• Merchandising school wins international award
• Five TAMS students named semifinalists in national Intel science competition
• UNT faculty member receives NEA Creative Writing Fellowship
• Parent education conference planned
• Answerline