Choosing the right postal service

As a business you are going to need to mail your products, checks, invoices, and advertisements. If you aren't careful this can get to be quite expensive. Here is some information to help you choose the right postal service for your business needs.

Express mail:
Important letters, documents, and merchandise can be sent by Express mail. Express Mail offers guaranteed delivery service 365 days a year, this includes weekends and holidays. Express Mail is also offered for International Service in 175 countries and territories, as well as Express Mail Military Service to select APO and FPO addresses. If you are mailing a domestic shipment it offers a full postage refund if it is delivered later than promised. To use this service you can either go to the post office, deposit the package in a collection box, call for a pick-up, or you can give it to your letter carrier. The packages (envelopes, boxes, and tubes) that can be used for Express Mail are provided to you for free. The rates are figured by weight unless you use the flat rate 2 pound envelope, which is charged one rate regardless of how much material is inside. Insurance is also available on the packages you mail for up to five hundred dollars; this insurance covers you against loss or damage.

Priority Mail:
This service is a step below Express Mail and is offered at a lower rate than Express Mail. Priority mail should be used when you want preferential treatment used but do not need it delivered overnight. The maximum weight for Priority Mail is seventy pounds and the biggest size is 108 inches in length and width combined. To ensure that your packages are handled properly they need to be identified as Priority Mail. Your local post office can provide stickers, labels, envelopes, and boxes at no extra charge. Priority Mail also offers the 2 pound flat rate envelope with the same conditions as Express Mail. This service can be insured, registered, certified, or sent collect on delivery for an additional charge.

First-Class mail:
This should be used for all mail that weighs less than thirteen ounces. You can use this service to mail letters, postcards, stamped cards, greeting cards, etc. With First-Class mail you can also purchase other services such as collect on delivery, restricted delivery, insurance, registered, and certified, but keep in mind that if you insure the item it must be merchandise or material that is not required to be sent first class. If your first class mail is not letter size than you need to clearly mark the envelope as "First Class" or use a large green diamond bordered First Class envelope. Most of the time this is delivered overnight to locally designated cities and within 2 days for locally designated states, delivery from outlying areas is usually done by the third day.

Standard Mail(A):
This type of service is used mostly by retailers, catalogers, and other advertisers who are trying to promote their products and services. If your business is nonprofit you can look into using the post office nonprofit rates for your large mailings. This type of service has a minimum amount and other restrictions. The minimum amount is 200 pieces or 50 pounds and each piece must weigh less than sixteen ounces, it must also be prepared in a manner that allows for easy handling.

Standard Mail(B):
This is also used by companies, but it is when they are mailing parcels that weigh one pound or more. The parcel can weigh up to 70 pounds and can measure up to 13o inches in length and width combined. If you are mailing books, catalogs, or international mailings you should check with your local post office for special mailing rates, as well as about lower local mailing rates.