Bulk mailing is a service offered by the United States Postal Service that provides postage discounts for businesses that send large volumes of mail. However, certain requirements must be met before a business can take advantage of bulk mailing. Bulk mailing requirements are subject to change, and the final authority on rules and regulations is the U.S. Postal Service.
A business must be mailing a minimum number of fliers or letters to take advantage of bulk mailing. The exact volume requirements vary by type of mailing service. For example, a business must be sending a minimum of 300 pieces through media mail or library mail, 200 pieces (or 50 pounds) through standard mail or 500 pieces through first class mail.
A business must presort letters by ZIP code to take advantage of bulk mailing. This saves work for the postal system and makes it possible to offer discounts for large volumes of mail.
The USPS also requires a business to apply for a mailing permit and pay a yearly fee for each class of service it will be using to send bulk mailings. To use bulk mailing, payment must also be remitted through one of three methods: permit imprint, postage meter or precanceled stamps.
