Save Time and Improve Productivity on Pre-sorted Bulk Mailing

If you want to save time and money on pre-sorted bulk mailing, you should take a look at Priority Mail^® Open and Distribute™ (PMOD) and Priority Mail Express^® Open and Distribute™ (PMEOD) from the U.S. Postal Service^®. This PMOD/PMEOD feature expedites the transportation of hundreds or thousands of presorted letters and/or packages by using Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express to quickly and affordably send the mailings to a Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) for processing.

How does it work?

Let’s say you you’re in San Francisco and want to get your bulk mail pieces to Chicago-area addresses. You prepare the mail pieces according to standards for the chosen mail class and enclose these addressed, postage-paid and presorted pieces in PMOD or PMEOD containers approved by the USPS^®. It’s worth noting that mail enclosed in a PMOD or PMEOD container must be either entirely single-piece price matter or entirely presorted matter that is part of the same mailing — packages go into sacks and letters go into trays. Deliver these PMOD or PMEOD containers and standard paperwork (such as a postage statement) to your San Francisco-area Bulk Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) or other location designated by the postmaster to accept both the enclosed mail and, when applicable, Priority Mail Express.

From there, USPS ships the PMOD or PMEOD containers to the appropriate destination mail processing facility in the Chicago area, opens the trays and sacks and distributes the mail pieces to local recipients.

Why should you care?

Bulk mail items are typically categorized with an inexpensive mail class like Standard Mail or Parcel Select Lightweight, which have very low priority in USPS operations, resulting in longer delivery times. If you were to drop these items in the mail stream in San Francisco, the mail would likely travel by truck and it might take four or five days to get to Chicago, where, since it’s a lower priority mail class, it might sit a bit before ending up at the local Post Office. In total, you’re looking at a delivery cycle of seven or eight days and no real sense of when the mail arrives. You’d also pay more per piece because USPS has to move each piece individually.

With PMOD and PMEOD, these pieces are handled with Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express speed, meaning the sacks and trays make it to Chicago in only one to two days, so there’s a good chance these items will get to the intended Chicago-area recipients in three days. This shorter delivery cycle makes PMOD/PMEOD a great option for anyone sending time-sensitive mail pieces like coupons or event-based promotions. You’ll also get a discount because you are depositing items in the mail stream closer to their destination.

Endicia can help make using PMOD and PMEOD easier, as select Endicia software plans allow you to validate address lists online, include personalized postage as needed, and print the special PMOD or PMEOD shipping labels with postage and service barcodes. Critical PMOD-required postage forms are automatically pre-filled, and you can also complete and print a Confirmation Services Certification (PS Form 3152). Endicia customers can qualify for Commercial Plus Pricing for PMOD by committing to 600 PMOD containers a year, which enables them to get special rates and use USPS-provided packaging (Half Tray Box, Full Tray Box, EMM Tray Box and Flat Tub Tray Box).

Our software supports many sizes and types of labels, envelopes and postcards, enabling you to produce customized direct mail orders while staying in compliance with all postal regulations.

Find comprehensive information about Priority Mail Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Express Open and Distribute on the USPS website.

The PMOD/PMEOD feature is available with select Endicia software plans. Please contact our sales team at (800) 576-3279 x140 or sales@endicia.com to learn more.