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Bulk Mailing and CASS

EZ-Mail

EZ-Mail simplifies bulk mailing by properly sorting mail and printing the forms required by the USPS.

Here are two resources from the USPS website that you should be aware of:

Potential Savings Using EZ-Mail

You can estimate the potential cost of a mailing and your savings by using bulk mail. On the File menu in your PDS program, click Bulk Mail / CASS > EZ-Mail. Enter the number of families you want to mail to, which should be the same as the number of mailing pieces. Your costs are automatically calculated.

Send Bulk Mailing Using EZ-Mail

  1. On the File menu in your PDS program, click Bulk Mail / CASS > EZ-Mail.
  2. On the Post Office Information tab, verify the information. Default values are provided, and PDS updates the information as the post office adjusts rates. However, you should review these before producing a bulk mailing in case any new rates have taken effect before the program had a chance to apply them.
    Note:

    PDS prompts you to download the newest postal forms when they are ready.

    • Mailing Size—The minimum number of pieces that qualify for a discount rate under the mailing class.
    • Carrier Route Group—To qualify for a discount rate for carrier route sort, 10 or more pieces must be bundled together in each carrier route group or bundle.
    • 5-Digit Tray—A minimum of 150 pieces constitutes a full tray of 5-digit presorted mailing pieces.
    • 3-Digit Tray—Contains envelopes that aren't 5-digit sorted. Enter the number of pieces remaining to make a full tray of 3-digit/scheme presorted mailing pieces.
    • AADC Tray—The minimum number of pieces that constitute a full tray of AADC mailing pieces.
    • Rates—Displays the rates for each piece of mail for First Class, Marketing Mail Class For Profit, and Marketing Mail Class Non-Profit.
    • Rates for Carrier Route—The rate for a single piece of carrier route sorted mail.
  3. On the Address Change Notification tab, you can enter your ACS participation code. For more information on this, see Address Change Notification.
  4. On the Step 1 tab, enter the necessary information.
    Note: The Step 1 tab is your starting point for each mailing. Most of the information you enter will apply to all future mailings. You only need to edit the information if your next mailing contains different specifications or a different mailing date.
    1. Enter the ZIP Code of the post office that handles your mailing, typically the office where you obtained your mailing permit. It could also be a Sectional Center Facility or a Bulk Mail Center that serves your post office. Only make changes to the city if your post office requests that you print a different city on the tray labels.
    2. Enter the date you plan to send the mailing. This date prints on all forms and helps track the date of the last CASS certification.
    3. Select whether to merge SCF into one tray. Postal regulations suggest separating mail trays for each SCF even if there's only one mail piece per tray.
    4. Select whether you're mailing letters or flats. If you're mailing letters, select whether to use EMM (extended managed mail) trays. For information on letter and flat standards, see the USPS Domestic Mail Manual.
    5. Enter the weight of a single piece. This may be difficult to determine unless you have special equipment that can measure, in fractions of ounces, up to three decimal places. If you don't have the equipment, you can estimate by weighing ten pieces and dividing the total weight by ten. We recommend that you ask your local post office to weigh samples of various types of mailings.
    6. Enter the number of mail pieces. You can do this by placing a rubber band around a 2-inch stack of mailing envelopes, and counting them.
    7. If you use a postage meter or precanceled stamps, enter the amount of postage already on each piece of mail.
  5. On the Step 2 tab, you can build your list of addresses to send the mailing to.
    • Build a List of Family Addresses—Lets you select a group of names and addresses from your family records.
    • Build a List of Family Addresses Based on Financial Selections—Select names and addresses based on the fund(s) a family has.
    • Build a List of Member Addresses—Select names from your member records and addresses from their associated family records.
  6. On the Step 3 tab, you can print the qualification report, which satisfies the post office requirement for standardized documentation. Present this report to the post office with your mailing.
    Note: The report contains the following information:
    • EZ-Mail List—Lists each tray by number and gives information on the trays and pieces of mail.
    • Tray Number—Identifies one of the trays used in this mailing. Tray numbers begin at 1 and are numbered sequentially. There is also a tray 0 for any uncertified pieces in the mailing, which must be sent at the first-class rate.
    • Tray Size—Indicates the size of the tray required by this group of mailing pieces. Trays can be one foot long or two feet long.
    • Tray LVL—Identifies the type of mail to place in each tray.
    • Tray Zip—Identifies the ZIP Code common to all pieces in the tray. This can be a partial ZIP Code if the tray sorts by the first three digits.
    • Group Dest—Lists all the individual carrier routes and ZIP Codes if there are multiple routes and ZIP Codes in a tray.
    • Rates—Total number of pieces in each tray that print under the appropriate Rate column.
    • Running Total—The last column in the report that displays a running total of pieces in the trays.
    • Totals—Displays the total number of pieces in each Rate column and then a grand total of all pieces in the Running Total column.
    • Auto Rate Summary—Displays the total number of pieces for each Rate category in your mailing and the total number of pieces in the mailing.
    • ECR Rate Summary—If you use carrier route trays, these trays are treated by the post office as a separate mailing. This is a summary of the total number of pieces for that mailing.
  7. On the Step 4 tab, you can print the tray/sack labels. Mail trays are labeled with a special barcode when they contain mail in the same area of distribution. We recommend printing the barcode with a laser or ink jet printer. Labels must be 2 inches high by 3.5 inches wide. The labels must be placed on the correct trays to speed up the mail sorting process.
  8. On the Step 5 tab, you can print the postage statement. Enter the sequencing date (the projected date of the mailing), the information for the permit holder, and the CAPS Customer Reference ID number.
    Note: If you were not prompted to download the newest postal forms and you need them, click Reload Postage Forms From the Internet.
  9. The Step 6 tab explains how to use the program's Reports feature to print your labels, envelopes, letters, and lists.
    1. To do so, click Close in the EZ-Mail window, and locate the report relevant to the mailing list you selected in Step 2: Build the EZ-Mail List.
    2. In the Reports wizard, on the Selection Information tab, select EZ-Mail for the sort order.
    3. On the EZ-Mail Selections tab, enter any additional selections you want.
    4. Continue the Reports wizard to finish printing. The mailings are printed in sorted order beginning with the pieces that do not qualify for bulk mail rates.

Once you finish these steps, you can submit your file to the Business Customer Gateway website. On the site, click Postal Wizard, select your online form, enter all necessary information, and click Continue.

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Last updated: October 29, 2024

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