On August 13, the United States Postal Service (USPS) filed a notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of its intent to test-market a new product called Plus One. This is an experime... View More
Recently, we were asked how long it is necessary to retain data. This, of course, begged the question, what data? The answer in all cases is: all the files that would be needed to recreate all... View More
For decades, 2020 has been a time marker used for futuristic changes, the rise of technology, human advancement, and more. In 1997, Wired magazine picked 2020 as the year when “humans arrive... View More
In separate orders, the Postal Regulatory Commission has approved price changes for 2020 for USPS competitive products and most market-dominant products, but rejected the Postal Service’s pr... View More
As mailers head into 2020, a key resolution on their list may be to streamline their mailing and shipping operations, and the United States Postal Service introduced a new offering earlier thi... View More
As touted, the Postal Service has created their own omnichannel tool for mail with the development of the Informed Delivery platform. From all accounts, the Informed Delivery (ID) program, whi... View More
In a September 13 decision, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit granted a petition for review of the Postal Regulatory Commission’s November 13, 2018, order approving the postage pric... View More
I remember when I first started to learn the basics of mail and, later, about the advantages of transporting mail pieces for entry at destinations closer to where the mail pieces would be delivered in
Seamless Acceptance is designed to streamline the verification, acceptance, payment, and induction of mail. This program has benefits for both mailers and the USPS. Many mailers have adopted S... View More
Informed Visibility (IV) was launched in early 2018 to provide near real-time reporting data within the mail stream for both the Postal Service and the mailing industry. The Postal Service’s... View More
During Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan’s keynote address at this year’s National Postal Forum (NPF), she spoke about digital’s potential and the Postal Service’s commitment... View More
Direct mail has long been the workhorse of direct marketing, but in our mobile-centric world, digital marketing channels often take center stage. Choosing the correct marketing channel for your... View More
After months of silence on questions related to the potential US withdrawal from the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the USPS finally provided some information at the MTAC Membership Assembly on... View More
In the words of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” There is one significant first step that those involved with shaping the vision of the... View More
As they do every year, USPS and all the major shipping carriers have rolled out rate increases and process changes for 2019. But in the case of USPS, this year’s changes are more aggressive th... View More
A new offering for 2019 in the United States Postal Service (USPS) promotion and incentives program is the Informed Delivery Promotion, which runs from September 1 through November 30 of 2019. R... View More
Certified Mail, a service that provides a mailer with a receipt and verification that an item was delivered or that a delivery attempt was made, was launched by the Postal Service in 1955. Today... View More
This may be one of the best-kept secrets of 2019. Why? The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been surprisingly low-key about the increase in Full-Service discounts for USPS Marketing Mail... View More
The start of the year is always a good time to evaluate your current suppliers and ensure you have the best agreements, terms, and services at the lowest prices. One area that often goes uncheck... View More
Somewhat in jest, I often refer to the Postal Service’s Annual Compliance Report (ACR) as the Annual “Non-compliance” Report. It’s not quite fair to ignore all the positive and... View More
