If your church mails a newsletter on a regular basis, chances are you are paying too much for postage. One of the best kept secrets in the postal industry is the periodicals classification—a method of classification and postage used for most magazines, newspapers and other publications mailed on a regular basis. Even large churches who are using their standard bulk mailing permit to process their church newsletter could trim their costs substantially by converting it to a periodical. The savings could be as much as 30 percent for in-county addresses.
For medium or small churches who are sending out their newsletter with first class postage because they do not meet the minimum 200 pieces for standard bulk mail, there is even better news: the potential savings could exceed 60 percent. That is because there is no minimum number required to qualify under the periodical method. Theoretically, a church could mail as few as a dozen or less newsletters and still qualify for the discounted rates.
The catch? Out-of-county addresses may cost a little more per piece than standard mail and there is an additional charge per pound (approximately 12-15 cents), but in most cases this cost is offset considerably by the in-county savings. Additionally, the one-time fee for a periodical mailing privileges is $350, compared to the annual fee of $125 for the standard bulk mail permit.
Another way to save an additional 50 percent is to make sure your addresses are certified by a Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) on a regular basis—at least every 180 days in most cases. The USPS will provide the initial CASS certification free of charge. Many software companies, like the popular Automated Church Systems (ACS) of Florence, SC, will provide CASS certification for a monthly fee.
Here are two actual examples. Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC mails approximately 1200 newsletters per week, including about 200 out of town addresses. As standard bulk mail, the cost of mailing was about $144. After converting to a periodical, the cost dropped to $112. With the CASS certification in place, the cost dropped to around $80, providing an annual savings of over $3,300.
A second example is WestLake Baptist Church—a new contemporary Baptist fellowship meeting at Pleasant Union Elementary School in north-central Wake County. With a mailing list of only 120 attenders, prospects and friends, the church’s newsletter did not qualify the for standard bulk mail permit. To mail them at first class rates would have cost almost $40, but with the periodicals mailing rate, the cost is only $14—a savings of 65 percent. As a small and growing congregation, opting for the periodical classification was an easy decision.
There are several things a church or non-profit organization needs to do in order to mail their newsletter as a periodical. First of all, a PS Form 3511 (Application for Periodicals Mailing Privileges) must be completed and submitted to your local Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU), along with the one-time fee of $350. Two copies of a sample newsletter—in its final, folded form—should also be submitted for evaluation by the USPS. It is cost wise to keep the final size of the newsletter within “letter-size” parameters (6.125” h x 11.5” w). Instead of a permit imprint, the newsletter would need to include a prescribed mailing statement within the first five pages (it does not have to appear on the front or in the address area, necessarily; see Quick Service Guide, Section E211.10.5). The approval process can take several weeks, but in most cases, organizations can mail at the periodical rate while the application is pending.
Your local BMEU is available to help you through the process. A wealth of helpful information is also available on the Internet at www.usps.com. Click on “Service Guides” to access the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) and Quick Service Guides, and click on “Forms” to access an application (PS Form 3511) and a sample periodical postage statement (PS Form 3541). Even though the requirements and paperwork involved are sometimes overwhelming, the effort is well worth it.
Al Marguerat
is a bi-vocational church planter and founder of WestLake Ministries... helping
churches accomplish their mission through website/graphic design and other
services. For more information about saving money on postage, contact Al
Marguerat at 919-740-6316 or al.marguerat@westlakeministries.com.