Postal Presort
The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers discounts to mailers who provide the mail sorted according to various postal delivery schemes. Using the Postal Presort functionality you can prepare your mail for sorting in order to get the specific USPS discount, as well as quicken mail pieces delivery and obtain all documentation required by the USPS.
There are the following types of postal presort available in InfoBase ListDirect:
• Standard Presort. The best SCF (Sectional Center Facility) drop location for your mailing is determined automatically.
• Custom Presort. You pick the drop location for your mailing yourself.
If you combine records from several searches in your current order, you can select a different drop location for each search. For more information, see Use the Multiple Drop Location Feature.
1 Start an order. On the first ordering page, select the check box in the Postal Presort section.
2 Select one of the following options, and continue with the ordering process:
• Standard
• Custom
3 On the page for specifying the postal presort options in the Mailer Information section, enter Name, City, State, and ZIP of the person, company, or mailing house doing the mailing.
4 (Optional) Specify the drop location. The following table presents the available drop location types:
| Drop Location Type | Description |
|
SCF (Sectional Center Facility) |
A postal facility that serves as the processing and distribution center (P&DC) for post offices in a designated geographic area as defined by the first three digits of the ZIP Codes of those offices. Some SCFs serve more than one 3-digit ZIP Code range. |
|
BMC/ASF
BMC (Bulk Mail Center)
ASF (Auxiliary Service Facility) |
A mechanized mail processing plant which primarily handles bulk Second, Standard A&B class mail (there are only 26 BMCs for the entire country). A location type that receives mail for a part of a BMC’s territory (hub facility for a BMC). |
| Other | Use this option if you need a drop location type other than the three types. This option generally refers to a single post office. If your Drop Location selection is “Other”, you cannot select a drop location from the list; enter the address (City, State and ZIP Code) manually instead. |
5 (Optional) If you are requesting a destination entry discount on the postage rate, select the appropriate Entry Point Qualification. The following table presents the Entry Point Qualification types:
| Entry Point Qualifications |
Description |
| DDU (Destination Delivery Unit) | A rate available for Periodicals and Standard Mail that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the delivery unit that serves the delivery address on the mail. |
| DSCF (Destination Sectional Center Facility) |
A rate available for Periodicals (except In-Country) and Standard Mail that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the sectional center facility (SCF, or for certain Parcel Post, at the BMC) that serves the delivery address on the mail. If you select DSCF, you may select the correct facility from a list in Drop Location of the presort information. |
| DBMC (Destination Bulk Mail Center) | A rate available for Standard Mail (A) and Standard Mail (B) Parcel Post that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the BMC or other designated postal facility that serves the delivery address on the mail. |
| None | Default setting. No discount will apply. |
To receive a destination entry discount, your mail must be delivered to a specific USPS facility closer to its destination.
6 (Optional) In the Drop Date text box, modify the estimated drop date if necessary by doing one of the following:
• Enter the new date manually.
• Use the calendar by clicking the corresponding icon.
By default, the drop date is calculated as the date of placing an order plus 2 weeks.
7 Specify the Sort Type information:
• To produce a basic 3/5 non-automation sort, select No for Automation and the Basic 3/5 Sort option.
• To produce a basic 3/5 automation sort, select Yes for Automation and the Basic 3/5 Sort option.
• To produce an ECRLOT (Enhanced Carrier Route Line of Travel) non-automation sort, select No for Automation and Enhanced Carrier Route.
• To produce an ECRLOT automation sort, select Yes for Automation and Enhanced Carrier Route.
• To produce a Walk Sequence sort, select No for Automation, Enhanced Carrier Route and Walk Sequence.
• To produce a Reverse Walk Sequence sort, select No for Automation, Enhanced Carrier Route and Reverse Walk Sequence.
Available sort types depend on the list.
To support a sort type, the list must contain specific data, required for this sort type. Consider the following examples:
• Automation sorts require delivery point bar code and check digit numbers (DPB or DPBC).
• Enhanced Carrier Route (ECR) sorts require either Walk Sequence or Line of Travel (LOT) information.
• Walk Sequence or Reverse Walk Sequence sorts require Walk Sequence numbers and Delivery Type codes.
8 In the Mail Type section specify if the mail pieces are machineable or not.
A piece is considered non-machinable if it cannot be sorted by Postal Service equipment. There is extra handling that needs to be done on non-machinable mail pieces, so there may be a surcharge.
9 Specify the mail type of your postage. The following table presents the available mail types:
| Mail Type | Description |
|
Regular Letter |
Minimum: 3.5” high, 5” wide, 0.007” thick Maximum: 6.125” high, 11.5” wide, 0.25” thick Maximum weight: 3.3062 ounces Pieces exceeding any of the maximum parameters must be classified as Flat or Parcel. |
| Flat | A non-automation sort Flat exceeds at least one maximum for a letter and does not exceed 11.75” high, 14.0” wide, 0.75” thick, 16 oz. |
| Automated Letter |
Minimum 3.5” high, 5” wide, 0.007” thick Maximum 6.125” high, 11.5” wide, 0.25” thick Maximum weight: 3.3087 ounces Aspect ratio (width/height) of 1.3 to 2.5 Additional criteria may make minimum thickness 0.009” and/or maximum weight 3.0 ounces for Automation Letters. |
| Automated Flat | An automation sort Flat exceeds at least one maximum for a letter and is between 6” x 12” high, 5” x 15” wide, 0.009” x 0.75” thick, less than 16 oz. |
10 Specify method of postage payment. You have the following options:
• Regular Imprint. This is postage paid by the mailer’s permit from the USPS.
• Precanceled. The face value of the stamps in decimal amount must be entered into the text box.
• Metered. Mailer must have a metered postage printer and a prepaid account with the USPS.
11 Specify the postage rate to be applied to your mailing. You have the following options:
• Regular. Regular rates are applied.
• Non-Profit. Discount rates are applied.
To qualify for non–profit postage rates, the mailer’s organization and mail pieces must meet certain requirements, and it is also required to have a valid Non–Profit authorization from the USPS. For more information, contact your postmaster, or see USPS Domestic Mail Manual.
12 Select method for printing tray and sack tags. You have the following options:
• No tags needed for this order. Select this option if you do not need any tags for your order.
• Printed tags. This option may incur additional charges.
• Please provide tag files. PDF files with tray or sack tags will be sent to you. Tag files can only be printed using a Hewlett Packard printer.
To have the PDF files with tags printed correctly, check that the scaling is set to none.
For more information about tag format and examples, see Tray and Sack Tags.
13 Specify the following piece dimensions:
• Weight of 100 pieces (in ounces)
• Thickness of 100 pieces (in inches)
• Length of 1 piece (in inches)
• Height of 1 piece (in inches)
For each measurement, the first box is used for whole units (ounces or inches), and the second box for decimal fractions. Weight and thickness measurements should be for a bundle of 100 pieces. The entered dimensions must meet the requirements for the selected Mail Type.
14 Click Continue.
If you combine records from different searches in one order, you can specify a different drop location for each search included in the order. For more information on adding records from different searches, see Specifying Records Quantity.
It is recommended to rerun the searches you are going to combine in case data updates took place after the searches were created.
1 Start an order. On the first ordering page, select to add records from previously saved searches.
2 Select a corresponding check box in the Postal Presort section.
3 Select the Custom option.
4 Specify all the other options on the page, and click Continue.
5 Select records that you want to add from other searches. For more information, see Specifying Records Quantity.
To view the information about the search to be added, click the search number in the List No. column.
6 Select the Multiple Drop option.
7 Select the presort output. You have the following options:
• Presort into one file. This option is only available for Single drop. All the records included in the order are presented in one file, regardless of the search they belong to.
• Presort into one file sorted by parts. This option is used for Multiple Drop Location. Records will be presented in one file, although grouped by the search they belong to.
• Presort into separate files. This option is also used for Multiple Drop Location. Records from each search will be presented in a separate file.
8 Click Continue.
9 On the page for specifying the postal presort options, specify drop location information the same way as for the Custom Presort, steps 5–6. For more information, see Specify Presort Options. If Multiple Drop has been selected, there are as many Drop Location sections on the page as many searches are included in the order. To copy the information from the current Drop Location section to the next ones, click Copy Drop Info.
10 Specify the rest of the options, and click Continue. For more information, see Specify Presort Options.