The United States Postal Service said today that they will delay its plan to cut delivery of the mail to 5 days saying restrictive language in Congress temporary government funding prohibits the new schedule.
The U.S. Postal Service said it will hold off on the plan until legislation is passed that provides the U.S. Postal Service with authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule.
The plan to start 5 day delivery was set to start on August 5th 2013.
In 2013 the U.S. Postal service will be releasing an annual promotional calendar to notify marketers of upcoming promotions. This “2013 Mailing Services Promotions Calendar” will house 6 promos designed to produce interest in the benefits of mobile barcodes in direct mail, and become more successful in marketing campaigns.
“The promotions that are being planned for the coming year will help grow awareness of the ways in which technology can improve the effectiveness of direct mail,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “The ‘2013 Mailing Services Promotions Calendar’ also will give commercial mailers more time to plan their campaigns so that they can take full advantage of both postage savings and marketing opportunities to engage their customers with targeted, tangible and personal communications.”
These proposed promotional details are subject to review by the Postal Regulatory Commission:
The United States Post Office just announced the new folded self mailing standards that will go into effect in January 2013.
These standards will affect many mailers on how they design the mail piece and which stock they can print it on.
Below is a link and or download option of the Folding Self Mailer Workshop Presentation that the USPS provided to assist mailers who mail Folded Self Mailers.
Based on the recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Postal Service had a price inflation of 2.570 % which included the various unused price adjustment authority by class. The average increases are below:
PROMOTIONS:
The Postal Service asked for the approval for a total of six promotions (i.e. QR Code, etc.) to be held over the year according to a file sent to the Postal Regulatory Commission. Customers raised a concern that they did not have enough time to take part in the promotions. The Postal Service is addressing these concerns.
The promotions include:
March-April 2013
- Mobile Coupon/Click-to-Call - A promotion that pursues an increase in the value of direct mail by accentuating the integration of mail with mobile technology in 2 specific ways. First, the promotion would encourage mailers to combine coupons in the mail with mobile-optimized platforms for redemption. Second, it will promote understanding of mail containing mobile codes with “click-to-call” capabilities.
April-June 2013
- Earned Value Reply Mail Promotion - This promotion is designed to push the use of First-Class Mail® as a primary reply tool for their customers.
August-September 2013
- Emerging Technology - This promotion was created to build on the achievements of past mobile barcode promotions by promoting how innovative technology can be integrated with a direct mail strategy to increase the value of direct mail.
- Picture Permit - The Picture Permit promotion was created to promote the use of picture permit imprint indicia to increase its view as a marketing tool.
- Product Samples - This promotion will regain product sampling via the mail by discounting qualified product samples.
November-December 2013
- Mobile Buy-it-Now - This promotion will encourage mailers to entrust technologies that will strengthen consumers interaction with mail, and exhibit how direct mail can be an easy method for consumers to do their holiday shopping.
Description of Prices: The 3 classes that will be focused on are: Standard Mail, Periodicals & Packages Services.
On June 27, 2012, the Postal Service filed a Notice of Price Adjustment with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for a 2012 Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion tentatively scheduled to run November 7 – 21, 2012, with registration beginning September 15, 2012. Pending PRC approval, the proposed holiday promotion is designed to spur mobile purchasing by putting mobile-optimized promotional offers, coupons and catalogs into their customers’ hands in time for Black Friday-Cyber Monday shopping sprees.
As technology changes the marketing landscape, the Postal Service must ensure that direct mail continues to be a relevant part of the marketing mix. This promotion is intended to show how direct mail combined with mobile technology can be a convenient method for consumers to do their holiday shopping.
This is the third promotion the Postal Service has offered to encourage the integration of mail and mobile technology – the initial being the 2011 Mobile Barcode Promotion, and the second is the Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion that begins this Sunday, July 1st.
Discount and Rebate Amounts
United States Post Office Inspection Service warns of fraudulent customer emails!
The United States Postal Inspection Service wants to alert you about fraudulent emails sent to postal customers.
The sent emails claim to be from “USPS Global,” “Global Services” or “USPS customer services.” These emails inform customers that a package is being held for them and they will be charged for each day the package is unclaimed. The fraudulent email also gives customers an invalid label reference number. If you get one of these emails, DO NOT click the URL link! When clicking on the URL accompanying this number, a virus infects their computers.
Postal employees have been receiving complaints about these emails and have been apologizing for any inconvenience and assure customers that the emails are not from the Postal Service. Customers also should be informed that the United States Postal Inspection Service already is aware of the fraudulent messages.
If you would like like to report further fraudulent issues you can do so by notifying the Inspection Service by sending an email to
spam@uspis.gov.
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The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) approved the postage price adjustment for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail letters, flats, and cards (presort and automation) that contain a qualifying mobile barcode inside or on the mail pieces.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service will revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail
Manual (DMMR) 709.3 to add a new temporary promotion in the summer of 2012 for Presorted and automation First-
Class Mail cards, letters and flats, and Standard Mail letters and flats bearing two-dimensional mobile barcodes or equivalent print technology.
DATES:
Effective Date: July 1, 2012, through August 31, 2012.
WASHINGTON DC ~ Bipartisan plan announced by the United States Senate this week would throw a lifeline to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) while keeping a six-day mail delivery for at least the next two years. ~ Associated Press reported.
Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee will look at the proposal next week. In this new proposal, along with many other things, encourages cuts in employee staff and refunding the nearly $7 billion in overpayments USPS paid into the Federal Employee Retirement System.
This inturn could be used to offer early retirement to a large number of postal workers.
Click on the file below to see the details of the January 22nd Postage increase.
SOURCE USPS
| Postage Changes for Jan, 22nd 2012 |
| File Size: | 129 kb |
| File Type: | pdf |
Download File
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