If you’re a business owner or an individual who regularly sends out large volumes of mail, you may wonder about the delivery time for USPS bulk mail.
Bulk mail from the USPS is a great way for businesses to save on their postal costs and allows them to send out mail with larger volumes and market their products more effectively.
The bulk mail can take 5-20 days to reach its destination and can be delayed further during the holidays or harsh weather conditions.
You have to fill out PS Form 3615 to use bulk mail service, and if you run a nonprofit organization, you can benefit from further reduced prices after completing PS Form 3624.
Read on to learn about USPS bulk mail, including how soon it will reach its destination.
Bulk Mail at USPS
The United States Postal Service tries to cater to customers’ needs from all backgrounds and has services of different types to fulfill various postal requirements.
Businesses, whether big or small, often need to send out the mail in larger quantities to their customers, and USPS also has a service to help them with their postal requirements.
Bulk mail, or Marketing mail (formerly known as Standard Mail), is sent in large quantities at a discounted postage rate and can include items like flyers, newsletters, or advertisements.
It’s an excellent service to help you advertise your business by shipping out flyers cheaply.
Delivery Time
When you send mail through bulk mail service, you benefit from low cost but must give up on delivery speeds.
There is no fixed timeframe, which can take 5 to 20 days, with high chances of further delays during holidays.
A few factors can determine the speed of your bulk mail’s delivery:
- The volume of mail: larger volume may take more time to reach.
- Delivery location: deliveries to far-off areas can take up some time.
- Holidays: USPS observes federal holidays, which may cause delays in mail delivery.
- Weather conditions: Extreme weather, such as snow, hurricanes, or heavy rain, holds the shipment back until the weather is clear.
Bulk mail is the least priority for USPS mail carriers; they’ll entertain First Class Mail deliveries and then get to the marketing mail.
Requirements
If you look forward to using bulk mail service at USPS to send your mail in larger quantities and save on the hefty shipping costs, you must submit PS Form 3615 to get started.
Furthermore, your mail has to follow certain limitations to qualify as bulk or marketing mail:
- The mailing should include a minimum of 200 pieces.
- Each piece should be less than 1 pound or 16 ounces.
- The bulk mail should weigh at least 50 pounds altogether.
Furthermore, the letters in your bulk mail should not measure more than 6.125″ x 11.5″ x 0.25″, and the maximum dimensions for flats are 12″ x 15″ x 0.75″.
If the pieces in your mail exceed these dimensions, they are categorized as parcels, and you will have to ship them through Parcel Select Lightweight service.
USPS has also developed a detailed 240k Quick Service Guide for its bulk mail users, covering everything you need to know about marketing mail service.
It also includes a guide on marking and sorting your mail for seamless shipping.
Nonprofit Marketing Mail
You can benefit from USPS Nonprofit Marketing Mail if you have a nonprofit organization. This service can help you send your mail at significantly reduced nonprofit postage rates.
Eligible Industries
The following industries can benefit from nonprofit marketing mail:
- Agricultural
- Educational
- Fraternal
- Labor
- Philanthropic
- Religious
- Scientific
- Veterans
- Qualified Political Committees
- State or Local Voter Registration Officials
The delivery time for nonprofit marketing mail is the same as the regular marketing rate.
Registering for Nonprofit Marketing Mail Service
You must complete PS Form 3624 (Application to Mail at Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Prices) to use nonprofit marketing mail.
You’ll also have to provide additional documents highlighting the organization’s primary purpose and evidence that the organization is nonprofit.
To prove your organization’s authenticity, the following documents may suffice:
- Letter from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) granting exemption from payment of federal income tax.
- Complete financial statement from an independent auditor (certified public accountant) indicating that the organization is nonprofit.
Closing Word
Bulk mail from the USPS can be a great way to handle mail in larger volumes for businesses.
It helps you save up on your shipping fees, but it’s also important to remember that the delivery speed is ineffective.
Bulk mail is a cheaper alternative and a low priority for USPS mail handlers, which may take 5 to 20 days or even more during holidays.
You must fill out PS Form 3615 to get started with marketing mail at the USPS.
If you are a nonprofit organization, you can get even better prices for your mail shipment by providing documents to prove the authenticity of your organization and filling out PS Form 3624.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Requirements for Using USPS Bulk Mail?
To use bulk mail service, you must submit PS Form 3615 and follow certain limitations, such as a minimum of 200 pieces, each piece less than 1 pound, and the bulk mail weighing at least 50 pounds.
How Can Nonprofit Organizations Benefit From USPS Bulk Mail?
Nonprofit organizations can benefit from USPS Nonprofit Marketing Mail, which allows them to send mail at significantly reduced nonprofit postage rates.
To use this service, organizations must fill out PS Form 3624 and provide additional documents to prove their authenticity.
