New postage rates demonstrate that shape matters, not weight

In the wake of this week's 2-cent postage increase to 41 cents, the U.S. Postal Service has introduced new pricing incentives that emphasize shape rather than weight.

In effect, shapes that reduce handling costs for the Postal Service keep costs down for everyone.

Ed Talley, manager of NAU Postal Services, said departments can save money by fitting the contents of bulk mail into smaller packages. He offered these general rules to control costs:

• If the contents are four pages or less, use a #10 envelope.
• If the contents are five pages or more, use a 6 x 9 envelope.
• If you exceed any of the maximum sizes of a letter, pay the flat rate.
• If you exceed any of the maximum sizes of a flat, pay the package rate.

Additional tips:

• Items that would normally be placed in a 9 x 12 envelope can be folded in half and mailed
  in a 6 x 9 envelope.
• Letter and flat-mail pieces should be rectangular, not square.

Talley said departments should focus on shape as the No. 1 priority when sending mail.

For information and more tips, visit www.nau.edu/postal or www.usps.com.