MailPro
News for Mailing Professionals

Parcel Return Service is designed for high-volume shippers with annual return volumes of 50,000 or more parcels.

HOLIDAY MAILING TIPS AND REMINDERS

The holiday mailing season is here – especially for international mail and mail to overseas military destinations. Here are some tips and suggestions to keep in mind as you get ready to mail your holiday cards and packages. Careful preparation of holiday mailings will ensure safe and timely delivery and make the season bright for us all!

One of the most significant changes to remember is the simplification of international mail that took effect last May. The new international product line now offers choices more in line with domestic mail. In addition, many foreign postal administrations now require complete sender and addressee information in Roman letters and Arabic numerals on incoming mailpieces as well as new Customs Forms requirements (see page 7 in this issue of MailPro).

Customs Forms also are required on Priority Mail articles weighing 16 ounces or more sent to and from ZIP Code prefix 969 and ZIP Code 96799 (Guam and American Samoa, respectively) as well as to certain APO/FPO destinations.

Greeting Cards and Other First-Class Mail Items

Greeting cards are available in various shapes and weights and the popular “musical” cards add music of your choice to further personalize the greeting. Many of these cards weigh more than 1 ounce, and, if the card appears to be square in shape, it could be subject to the 17-cent nonmachinable surcharge in addition to the applicable letter-size First-Class Mail postage.

Many times, the envelopes for these cards are marked “extra postage required.” The First-Class Mail nonmachinable surcharge now applies to all letters up to 3.5 ounces. Due to their size, many of the musical greeting cards exceed letter-size standards and are classified and priced as flats (large envelopes).

Mailpieces classified as postcards eligible for the card rate, and flats and parcels, are never subject to the 17-cent nonmachinable surcharge. To be eligible for the 26-cent First-Class Mail card rate, postcards can be no larger than 4 ¼ inches high by 6 inches long, and no more than 0.016-inch thick.

For greeting cards going to overseas destinations, postage is calculated in 1-ounce increments up to 8 ounces, from six separate First-Class Mail International rate groups. To identify a country’s rate group, go to pe.usps.com and click International Rates and Fees, then Country Listing.

“Attention to Dimension”–Quick Tips For Packaging

First, choose a box that’s suitable for the contents and weight of the items you’re shipping. Also, when selecting boxes, don’t ship small, lightweight items in large boxes – practice “right-size” shipping. For example, if you send a pair of shoes in a shoebox, you’ll pay a lot less than if you send them in a copy paper box, even though the contents weigh the same. This helps you avoid possible surcharges for oversized packaging. Sturdy paperboard or corrugated fiberboard boxes are best for weights up to 10 pounds. Remember, an individual item that is not fragile requires less cushioning material around the contents and sometimes a “snug-fitting” box is all that’s needed. If you’re reusing a box, don’t forget to cover all previous labels and markings with adhesive labels or obliterate them prior to mailing. Boxes, padded mailing bags and tubes of various sizes are available for purchase at most Post Offices.

For added convenience, use our Priority Mail and Express Mail complimentary packaging available in a variety of sizes at your local Post Office, online at shop.usps.com or place an order by phone at 800-222-1811. Priority Mail packaging is sized so that it’s never subject to minimum balloon rate or dimensional-weight pricing. For outstanding value and convenience, use our Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, available in two shapes. You pay $8.95 to ship to any domestic destination, so there’s no weighing or calculating postage. 

Next, place the appropriate amount of cushioning, based on the contents, around your items. Use newspaper, Styrofoam “peanuts,” bubble wrap or shredded paper. If there are multiple items in the box, close and shake the box to determine if there’s enough cushioning for the contents. If you hear items shifting, add more cushioning. Remember, when packaging more than one item, wrap each item separately. Fragile articles need suitable separations from each other as well as sufficient clearance from the corners and sides of the box. Don’t forget to remove batteries from toys and electronic devices. Wrap them separately and place next to the item in the mailing container. Be sure to place an address label (card) with the return and delivery addresses inside the box to ensure that the item can be delivered in case the outside address label becomes damaged or detached from the box.