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Postage Discounts
Reducing your postage costs is a vital component of a successful direct marketing campaign.
Billprint marketing utilizes software that maximizes the postage discounts available to your business.
The process involved in obtaining postage discounts follows the following steps:
Data preparation - Ensuring all records in your database are correct is the first step. This involves inserting missing state indicators, suburbs and postcodes. It also involves assessing irregularities in the address field. Examples of irregularities may include:
- No street indicators ie. 12 johnston, Brunswick VIC
- Errors in descriptions ie. back bungalo 12 Johnston St, Brunswick
- Missing property numbers ie. Johnston St, Brunswick
Billprint Marketing have tools to rectify these sorts of errors.
Software - Using Australia Post approved software is imperative.
Every household and business address in Australia is catalogued. Over a period of years the mail has been scanned using OCR (optical character recognition) software and the variations in each address are standardized into one address for each locality. Multi address building such as high-rises use the footprint address rather than the apartment address.
Every 3 months Australia Post update this software. We obtain an updated copy of the software for our use.
When we receive a database from a client, we load the database into the software and run a scan. The software looks at each line of address compares the address to the address stored in the Australia Post database and if there is a match within the addressing variations it will allocate a DPID (delivery point identity) number. The DPID is a reference number to create the code for a barcode. Using a unique font, the code is converted into a postal barcode.
Address layout - Australia Post set strict parameters about addressing.
The address block is the addressing panel appears through the window of the envelope or is printed onto a plain face envelope. It contains the recipients name and address and also the postal barcode. The barcode must appear above the name with a small gap between each. The name and address are to be printed in a sans serif font such as arial or helvetica and preferably are 12pt in size. The positioning must ensure that any side ways movement of the in the envelope will not obscure the addressing.
Postage sorting - Bulk mail delivered to Australia Post must be presorted in accordance with regulations. Australia is divided into barcode sort plan districts. There are 54 districts representing areas within Australia where mail is delivered. A district is generally 6 surrounding suburbs.
Pricing for individual items of mail will vary. The criteria includes the following:
- Size of the article
- Weight of the article
- Thickness of the article
- Final delivery address and the volume of mail to adjacent suburbs
- If the final delivery is within the same state or interstate
Barcode direct tray (same state) - 300 barcoded articles from one lodgement that will be delivered to a specific BSP district exclusively.
Barcode direct tray (other state) - 300 barcoded articles from one lodgement that will be delivered to a specific BSP district exclusively.
Barcode residue - 299 barcoded articles or less from one lodgement that will be delivered to a specific BSP district.
Unbarcoded - Articles of mail from one lodgement that did not have an address with an allocated DPID.
Manifest - Every presort mail lodgement must include a postal manifest. The manifest is output from the postal software after the database has been processed.
It provides a detailed breakdown on the contents of the lodgement that allow the mail to be accepted, audited by Australia Post revenue protection and loaded into the mail system.
Mail classes
Priority mail and regular mail - From early 2014, Australia Post introduced two classes of mail delivery service.
Priority mail - mail lodged into the mailing system by 6pm will be sent to the Australia Post state letter centre and be immediately accepted into the sorting process (subject to revenue protection approval). This attracts the normal presort discount rates.
Regular mail - mail lodged into the mailing system by 6pm will be sent to the Australia Post state letter centre will be held for up to an additional 48 hours before being accepted into the sorting process (subject to revenue protection approval). This attracts the slightly cheaper presort discount rates.
Get a quotation or advice from an expert. Call us on (03) 9574 6566.
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