USPS® Presort postage overview

2021 rates and bulk mail savings opportunities for high-volume mailers

Saving with presort and automation discounts

  • Presort and Automation bulk mail services offer significant savings over the cost of retail mailing rates.
  • To qualify for Presort and Automation discounts, you must pre-sort your similar-sized mailings by zip code prior to sending.
  • Automation refers to bulk mail that is pre-sorted and uses the USPS Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb). Automation rates offer high-volume mailers the deepest discounts available for letters, cards and flats.
  • There are multiple ways to take advantage of bulk mail Automation rates.

Postage discounts with Pitney Bowes Presort Services

Presort savings with Pitney Bowes Mailstream on Demand service

  • Outsource critical mailings with Pitney Bowes’ print-to-mail service Mailstream On Demand.
  • Focus on your business while Mailstream On Demand accurately prints, folds, inserts and sends your mailings for items like bills, invoices, statements.
  • Send critical mailings on time
  • Bulk mailing for First-Class Mail Letters and First-Class Flats

Using software for presort discounts

To qualify for Automation bulk mail rates when doing it yourself with SaaS or software, your mail must meet certain criteria:

  • Minimum volume requirement of 200 pieces for USPS Marketing Mail and 500 pieces for First-Class Mail.
  • Mail must include an IMb encoded with the correct delivery point routing code on each piece in the address block or in the barcode clear zone.
  • The addresses must be checked and CASS-certified within the last 180 days.
  • A complete address with the correct ZIP Code, ZIP+4 code or numeric equivalent to the delivery point barcode (DPBC).
  • A specific and similar shape and size.
  • No more than 3.5 oz. for automation USPS Marketing Mail and USPS Marketing Mail Carrier Route.

First Class Mail bulk mail presort/automation letters & cards August 2021 rates

The following tables list the USPS rate changes and pricing effective August 29, 2021 for First-Class Mail Letters Commercial rates

View all 2021 USPS postage rate prices

 

New for August 2021:

  • 5 Digit Spread for First Class Letters to Increases from 3.0 cents to 3.5 cents per piece
  • Thanks to some substantial improvements in the regulatory process, the USPS was required to significantly increase the workshare discount for sorting mail from the AADC to the 5 Digit sortation level.
  • AADC and Mixed AADC discounts created for NonAutomation Machinable Commercial Letters.

 

First-Class Mail Commercial Letters
2021 Rates
Automation Machinable
Machinable
Weight not over (oz.)
5-Digit
AADC
Mixed AADC
AADC Mixed AADC
1 $0.426
$0.461
$0.485
$0.494 $0.461
2 $0.426
$0.461
$0.485
$0.494 $0.461
3 $0.426
$0.461
$0.485
$0.494 $0.461
3.5 $0.426
$0.461
$0.485
$0.494 $0.461
First Class Letters Commercial savings per 1,000 vs. First-Class Mail Metered Letters
Savings per Thousand pieces
Automation
Machinable
Weight not over (oz.)
5-Digit
AADC
5-Digit
AADC Mixed AADC
1 $104.00
$69.00
$45.00
$36.00
$69.00
2 $304.00
$269.00
$245.00
$236.00
$269.00
3 $504.00
$469.00
$445.00
$436.00 $469.00
3.5 $704.00
$669.00
$645.00
$636.00 $669.00
First-Class Mail Commercial Cards
2021 Rates
Automation
  5-Digit
AADC
Mixed AADC
Postcard
$0.306
$0.318
$0.326
First-Class Mail Commercial Cards savings per 1,000 vs. Retail postcards
Savings per Thousand pieces
Automation
  5-Digit
AADC
Mixed AADC
Postcard
$94.00
$82.00
$74.00

First-Class Mail - Commercial – Flats August 2021 rates

The following tables list the USPS rate changes and pricing effective August 29, 2021 for First-Class Mail Flats Commercial rates
First-Class Mail - Commercial – Flats
2021 Rates
Automation Machinable
Non-Auto
  5-Digit
3-Digit
ADC
Mixed ADC Presorted
1
$0.555
$0.730
$0.783
$0.891
$1.000
2 $0.755
$0.930
$0.983
$1.091
$1.200
3 $0.955
$1.130
$1.183
$1.291
$1.400
4 $1.155
$1.330
$1.383
$1.491
$1.600
5 $1.355
$1.530
$1.583
$1.691
$1.800
6 $1.555
$1.730
$1.783
$1.891
$2.000
7 $1.755
$1.930
$1.983
$2.091
$2.200
8 $1.955
$2.130
$2.183
$2.291
$2.400
9 $2.155
$2.330
$2.383
$2.491 $2.600
10 $2.355
$2.530
$2.583
$2.691
$2.800
11 $2.555
$2.730
$2.783
$2.891
$3.000
12 $2.755
$2.930
$2.983
$3.091
$3.200
13 $2.955
$3.130
$3.183
$3.291
$3.400
First rate Class Mail Commercial Flats savings per 1,000 pieces vs. First Class Flat
single piece rate
Weight not over (oz.)
5-Digit
3-Digit ADC Mixed ADC
Presorted
1-13 oz. $605.00
$430.00
$377.00
$269.00
$160.00

Marketing Mail Letters postage rate changes for 2021

The following tables list the USPS rate changes and pricing that effective August 29, 2021 for Marketing bulk mail services (Commercial).
Marketing Letters Commercial August 2021
3.5 oz. or less
Carrier Route

Automation
Entry Point Saturation
High Density Plus
High Density
Basic 5-Digit Scheme AADC Presorted
None
$0.197
$0.210
$0.239
$0.332
$0.277
$0.309
$0.330
DNDC $0.172
$0.182
$0.200 $0.275 $0.239 $0.265 $0.309
BSCF $0.172
$0.185
$0.214
$0.308
$0.250
$0.282
-
DDU - - - - - - -
Marketing Letters Commercial savings per 1,000 vs. First-Class Mail Metered Letters
3.5 oz. or less Carrier Route

Automation
Entry Point
Saturation
High Density Plus
High Density
Basic 5-Digit Scheme AADC Mixed AADC
1
$333.00
$320.00
$291.00
$198.00
$253.00
$221.00
$200.00
2 $354.00
$341.00
$312.00
$219.00
$274.00
$242.00
$221.00
3 $358.00
$345.00
$316.00
$222.00
$280.00
$248.00
-
3.5 -
-
-
-
- -
-
Marketing Letters Commercial Non-Profit August 2021
3.5 oz. or less
Carrier Route
Automation
Entry Point Saturation
High Density Plus
High Density
Basic 5-Digit Scheme AADC Mixed AADC
None
$0.117
$0.125
$0.153
$0.246
$0.146
$0.178
$0.199
DNDC $0.096
$0.104
$0.132
$0.225
$0.125
$0.157
$0.178
BSCF $0.092
$0.100
$0.128
$0.222
$0.119
$0.151
-
DDU - - - - - - -
Marketing Letters Commercial Non-Profit savings per 1,000 vs. First-Class Mail Metered Letters
3.5 oz. or less Carrier Route

Automation
Entry Point
Saturation
High Density Plus
High Density
Basic 5-Digit Scheme AADC Mixed AADC
1
$413.00
$405.00
$377.00
$284.00
$384.00
$352.00
$331.00
2 $434.00
$426.00
$398.00
$305.00
$405.00
$373.00
$352.00
3 $438.00
$430.00
$402.00
$308.00
$411.00
$379.00
-
3.5 -
-
-
-
-
-
-