Co-Mailing: The Biggest Controllable Variable in Your Catalog’s Printing and Postage Costs, Part 1 of 2

The most efficient mail gets discounted at the highest tier, and the less efficient mail is classified in lower tiers with higher postage. The postal tiers range from carrier route (with a postage rate of $.249) down to Mixed ADC PRST (with a postage rate of $.515). The May 2007 postal increase not only sharply increased catalog postage, but also the spread in postage costs between efficient mail, like carrier route bundles, and the least efficient mail, such as the residual bundles. With a 25 cent difference in postage for mailing the same catalog based on whether it qualifies for carrier route or the least efficient tier, printers have developed programs to combine mail and capture enough savings to make it profitable for printers to co-mail catalogs.