Kansas State University

Mail Classifications

First Class Mail

First class is any mailable matter. The following materials are considered first class matter and must carry postage at first class or priority mail rates.

1. Matter wholly or partially handwritten or typewritten, originals, carbons, invoices or individualized letters.
2. Matter sealed and closed against postal inspection.
3. Bills and statements of accounts, regardless of method of preparation or quantity of identical pieces mailed, except authorized enclosures in or attachments to second, third, or fourth class mail.
4. Price lists with written-in figures changing items or prices.
5. Any Business Reply mail (unless enclosed in bulk mail).
6. Blank printed forms filled out in writing, including cancelled or uncancelled checks.

Standard Mail (A) - nonprofit & bulk

Mail that is considered standard mail:

Each piece of Standard Mail must be less than 16 ounces. Anything heavier must be mailed as Standard Mail (B) or First-Class Priority Mail. NOTE: If any item in the envelope is indiviually personalized (handwritten or otherwise) it can not go bulk rate.

A bulk mailing must consist of at least 200 identical pieces for Presorted Standard Rate or Nonprofit, or 500 pieces for Presorted First-class mail, under 500 would go at regular First-class rate. If you are planning a Nonprofit rate mailing, please note that USPS requirements for this rate have become more restrictive in recent months. To avoid possible rejection of your Nonprofit piece, contact University Printing well in advance of your mailing date to have your material reviewed.

Bulk mail is taken to the U.S. Post Office daily by 3:00 pm. (Please remember Printing Servies Mailing Department (PSMD) also has work to do on the mailings after you are done with them.) PSMD must see and process all bulk mail being mailed with permit 525. This permit is issued to and maintained by our department. An individual department using permit 525 is not allowed to take that mailing directly to the U.S. Post Office before PSMD processes it. Also if using an off campus agency or anyone other than KSPS, permission must be obtained prior to the use of permit 525 by calling 532-1536 and talking to the PSMD.

Bulk mail can take between 10 days and three weeks to reach its destination. This is especially true during the Christmas and Valentine holidays. KSPS has no control over the timely fashion in which your mail is handled once it is taken to the post office. We can speed up the process by making sure your mail piece is machinable (learn more), automation compatible, and spraying on the address and bar code for you.

New rules went into effect November 23, 2008 concerning the way bulk mail is addressed. See addressing to learn more.

Some customers prefer to have their printed material delivered back for them to hand label. Although this is certainly an option for those that wish to label their own mail, it is a method that actually costs more than if the customer had PSMD inkjet the addresses on for them. This could not only save you money in postage, but could also eliminate some steps the post office would have to take to get it through their system. As a result of the new rules, if you hand label your pieces you MUST use an Ancillary Servie Endorsement on your mailpiece.

Priority Mail

University Printing does not handle Priority Mail, FedEx, UPS, or Express. These must go through Central Mail. If you provide us with the mailing list we will address your pieces and take them to Central Mail for processing.

Metered Mail

To use your Central Mail meter number we can use your database mail list (Excel is prefered), ink jet your addresses onto your pieces and take them to Central Mail for processing. Even if we did not print the piece we can address them for you!