# Bulk Mail Rates with USPS



## tuan (Nov 11, 2006)

I spoke to the post office and their requirement to open up a bulk mail account to get their bulk mail discount rate is you have to have at least 200 items per shipping. They don't care of you only go to the post office once a month but each time you mail out something it has to be 200 items or a total of 50lbs. I would love to sign up for this kind of discount but since I'm just starting out and I will be shipping out the tees everyday, I don't think I will have 200 orders every single day. 

Does anyone here have this bulk mailing account with USPS? Can you tell us how that's working out for you and what kind of discount do you get with it? For instance, priority mail for 1lb domestically is $4.60 like Rodney said, how much would it be if you have the bulk rate discount?


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

tuan said:


> I spoke to the post office and their requirement to open up a bulk mail account to get their bulk mail discount rate is you have to have at least 200 items per shipping. They don't care of you only go to the post office once a month but each time you mail out something it has to be 200 items or a total of 50lbs. I would love to sign up for this kind of discount but since I'm just starting out and I will be shipping out the tees everyday, I don't think I will have 200 orders every single day.
> 
> Does anyone here have this bulk mailing account with USPS? Can you tell us how that's working out for you and what kind of discount do you get with it? For instance, priority mail for 1lb domestically is $4.60 like Rodney said, how much would it be if you have the bulk rate discount?


When starting out, you don't really need to worry about the USPS bulk mail rates.


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## tuan (Nov 11, 2006)

Rodney said:


> When starting out, you don't really need to worry about the USPS bulk mail rates.


So you just pay retail prices to start off? Can you still open up an online account with them anyway for your business? How does a business that uses the USPS daily pay for the postage? When they allow you to print the labels at home online, do they charge you instantly online? Does each shipping label you print at home have your business account on it or something? Maybe I should be reading the link you gave me on shipping, does that have all these questions covered?


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> So you just pay retail prices to start off?


Yes, you just pay the rates based on what volume you're doing 



> Can you still open up an online account with them anyway for your business?


USPS doesn't have "accounts" in the same way that UPS and FedEX has "accounts".

You can signup on their website and use their online shipping tools no matter what volume you're shipping (1 package or 100).



> How does a business that uses the USPS daily pay for the postage?


They either:


take all the packages to the post office with mailing labels on them and pay for them at the time they drop them off.
print shipping labels online from their Click N Ship online service
use paypal's shipping tools
Use stamps.com
Use endicia.com



> When they allow you to print the labels at home online, do they charge you instantly online?


Through click N ship, yes.

Through endicia, you prepay for the postage and use it as you need it.



> Does each shipping label you print at home have your business account on it or something?


It doesn't need any account number on it.

It's just like any package you get in the mail. It has the return address, the ship to address and the postage amount/barcodes.

It's really not complicated at all. You get an order, you print out a shipping label, you take it to the post office or have them pick it up. Done 



> Maybe I should be reading the link you gave me on shipping, does that have all these questions covered?


You will finds LOTS of answers there and by reading through the threads, you'll get a better understanding of how it all works.


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## tuan (Nov 11, 2006)

Rodney said:


> Yes, you just pay the rates based on what volume you're doing
> 
> USPS doesn't have "accounts" in the same way that UPS and FedEX has "accounts".
> 
> ...



Rodney, thanks so much again for taking the time to answer my questions. Since you live in Sac...? I really should buy you lunch somtime as a thank you! I'm n Oakland.


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