Machine-Ready Mail

Taking the time to ensure your mail is machinable could cut your postage costs in half.

The Opportunity
Creating mail that is easier for the USPS to process continues to be important. The cost for nonmachinable letters is significantly greater than machinable mail, and higher Not Flat-Machinable rates will be assessed on mail that is too thick or rigid for machine processing.
Mailstream Best Practices

Mailstream Best Practices

Understand the guidelines for flat-machinable mail
Ensure that your flat mailpieces are uniform in thickness, avoid mail formats that are too thick or too rigid to run on the USPS processor, and stay within the size and shape restrictions for flat-machinable mail.

The Not Flat-Machinable category will apply to:

• Mail that is too thick or too rigid to run on the USPS processor
• Mailpieces smaller than 5" x 6" and thicker than 0.25" (up to 1.25")
• Mailpieces longer than 15" (up to 15.75")
• Mailpieces thicker than 0.75" (up to 1.25")

Making it Happen

• Package Adjustments
  Consider modifying your envelope or mail kit to conform to the current guidelines.
• Duplex Printing
  Consider two-sided printing to reduce the thickness of your mailpiece - and reduce paper costs as well. 
• Automated Folding and Inserting
  Gain the automated flexibility you need to produce your mail in a broad range of effective formats.