Choosing Your Postage Options
You Have Options in Applying Postage to Your Mail Leaving NPC.
When you use NPC for mailing, you can choose from almost any option for postage application available through the United States Postal Service. NPC has a USPS employee on-site to get every mailing right. We also have experts on staff dedicated to understanding changes and options surrounding postage and mail processing.
Choosing your postage option often goes beyond price and application. You may want to consider how the piece looks, how it feels, and how it reflects your company.
Stamps
Don’t discount the effect of everyday stamps! When quality and a personal touch are needed, nothing works better. When using stamps, don’t forget:
- Plan ahead: A large quantity mailing likely will require stamps to be ordered
- Ask about automation: NPC can automate the affixation of stamps to your envelopes
If you’ve decided to use stamps, you have two choices in the types of stamps to apply:
Regular First-Class Stamps
- Most personal touch
- Variety of stamp designs available from the USPS
- Letter and postcard rates available
- No minimum quantities
- Postage is paid for when stamps are purchased
- Most expensive option
Pre-Cancelled Stamps
- Make it look like first-class mail
- Mailing permit required
- Comes in coils of 500, 3,000, or 10,000 (minimum to purchase)
- Three choices (different designs available for each type)
- Presorted First Class
- Presorted Standard/Bulk Mail
- Nonprofit Standard
- Postage is paid for when stamps are purchased
Click here for more information and a graphic of pre-cancelled stamps.
http://pe.usps.gov/text/qsg300/Q604b.htm
Metered Postage
Widely used for business-to-business correspondence and more impersonal business-to-consumer applications, metered postage is an option that is convenient to use.
- Can be less expensive than stamps depending on quantity
- Uses a standard USPS-authorized indicia
- Bulk mailing permit required
- Postage is paid for before application to your mail piece
- NPC applies postage either directly onto the piece using ink or through an adhesive tape affixed to your mailing envelope
Click here for more information and a graphic of metered mail.
http://www.usps.com/businessmail101/postage/postageMeter.htm
Preprinted Indicia (Permit Imprints)
For high volume mailings, permit indicia are the most convenient and popular ways to pay for postage.
- Commonly used for bulk mail
- Can create your own for a more customized, personal feel
- Need to set up a postage account at the Post Office where you’ll be depositing your mail. When working with NPC, this is often at the local post office in Claysburg, but can be anywhere if you plan on drop shipping your mail or transferring to a Bulk Mail Center (BMC)
- Postage is paid when NPC enters your mail into the mail stream; the total postage cost is then automatically deducted from your account with the USPS
- Postage is printed directly onto your mailing envelope
- Most cost-effective option for production
- NPC can use your own indicia or our indicia
If using your own indicia, postage payment comes directly from your account at the time mail pieces are accepted into the mail stream
If using NPC’s indicia, postage payment must be pre-made to NPC for deposit into NPC’s USPS account
This is an example of NPC’s indicia.
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
CLAYSBURG, PA
PERMIT NO. 6
Click here for more information and a graphic of a permit imprint indicia.
http://www.usps.com/businessmail101/postage/permitImprint.htm
