The University Mail Services department is a service organization created to serve the University community. We will make every effort (working within budget, staffing and USPS regulation constraints) to meet your mailing needs in a timely and cost effective manner.

Members of the Mail Services staff are hard-working and well-versed in most mail handling matters. Feel free to ask them any questions concerning mail that you may have. Some questions require research. We have USPS regulation manuals and liaisons in the USPS to ensure that we are able to answer your mailing questions. This Mail Guide has been prepared as a source of basic information on First Class Mail, Standard Mail (bulk), Intra-Campus Mail, addressing, and links to some helpful web sites. The secret of successful mailing is PLANNING AHEAD. Advance notice of your needs and concerns helps us best to address them. Let us know in advance if you have a large mailing coming up or if you have something out of the ordinary coming in. Advance warning allows us to prepare and schedule accordingly thus eliminating handling delays. It will also enable us to ensure that your mailing complies with USPS regulations.

We are continually seeking new ways to improve service to the campus community. You will be informed of new procedures or changes in Postal Regulations. If you have a specific question regarding mail, feel free to contact Mail Services at extension 75151.

Hours of Operation -

Mail Services is open from 8:00am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday, except University holidays. The telephone number is 75151.

Location -

Mail Services is located in the Administrative Services Building in room AS-104

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1. Use a complete return address, including department name, on all outgoing mail to be metered. Mail Services is not permitted to meter mail that does not have a CSUSB return address.
   
   
2. All outgoing mail must have a zip code. Lack of a zip code could cause a delay in the delivery of your mail.
   
   
3. Use intra-campus envelopes, rather than stationery, for your intra-campus mail.
   
   
4. Mail is sorted by department. Use a department name on all your intra-campus mail. Give your department name to all your correspondents.
   
   
5. Address envelopes so that the destination address is parallel to the longest edge of the envelope. Address manila envelopes so that the flap is on the back of the right or leading edge of the envelope. SEAL all large envelopes.
   
   
6. Leave the upper right hand corner of envelopes free of all marks. This is the area where the meter imprint goes.
   
   
7. We can only seal #10 (business size) envelopes or smaller. We can only seal envelopes that contain five or fewer pieces of 20# paper. Overstuffed envelopes will be returned to the sending department for sealing. Envelopes to be sealed must face the same direction with the flaps up. Envelopes must be bundled and secured with rubber bands.
   
   
8. Make sure that all your mail faces the same direction. Separate your outgoing mail into these categories: stamped mail, intra-campus mail, mail to be metered. We further request that you separate international mail from domestic mail. Please band multiple items with a note. Separate and clearly mark any mail requiring special handling/service such as certified.
   
   
9. If you are planning to redesign envelopes or are reordering an older design, please check with Mail Services first. The U.S. Postal Service mailability rules change periodically and some formats can exclude your mail from discount postage program or may result with a surcharge being applied.

1. Within the size and weight limits of First-Class Mail, any unspecified piece that you place in your outgoing mail will be sent at the First-Class rate. The USPS size and weight limits are:
   • Minimum height and length 3-1/2" x 5"
   • Maximum height and length 6-1/8" x 11-1/2"
   • Maximum thickness 1/4"
2. Large size envelopes (larger than 5"x10") must be clearly marked "FIRST CLASS" (this is a Post Office requirement).
   
   
3. Items larger than routine mail will be evaluated by Mail Services personnel to determine the best method for shipping.
   
   
4. The University's letter size First-Class metered mail is turned over to a firm that specializes in "pre-sort" business. All mail is introduced into the U.S. Postal System the same day it is picked up from us. This process speeds up the delivery time to the addressee.

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Departments can reduce the cost of their larger mailings by sending their mail under the University's Non-Profit Bulk Mail permit. To mail under the permit, there must be a minimum of 200 pieces of mail, all pieces must be identical and must bear the University's non-profit permit indicia on the upper right-hand corner. In addition all pieces must be printed matter, have the same weight and size and be pre-sorted into a specific zip code order.

The design of any printing on the face of the mailing must adhere to strict USPS format guidelines. The USPS may deny postage discounts or even reject the mailing if these guidelines are not observed. Since there are many guidelines, we suggest that you contact Mail Services at the beginning of your design process.

Standard mail is not designed for time-sensitive mailings. Mail pieces bearing the Non-Profit permit normally take from 3 to 7 days longer for delivery than first-class mail. If your mail piece contains time-sensitive material, it is suggested that you mail it at a first-class rate. Mailings containing over 3000 pieces should be turned over to an outside vendor for faster processing.

Bulk mailings are processed on a a first come, first served basis. All properly prepared bulk mailings will normally go out within 72 hours of receipt at Mail Services. There are certain times of the year that a delay may occur due to staffing concerns or periods of heavy mail activity. Processing times should be confirmed with the Mail Services Supervisor.

The University is authorized to only mail its own mail under its special Non-Profit bulk permit. The University may not delegate or lend the use of this permit to any other person or organization. The contents of the bulk mailing cannot contain symbols, trademarks, coupons or advertisements that provide a direct benefit to non-University persons or organizations.

Please call Mail Services at extension 75151 if you need assistance in preparing a bulk mailing. We will provide you with the necessary supplies and instructions for the proper preparation of a bulk mailing.

All bulk mailings must be accompanied with a bulk mail information card which is available from Mail Services.

Bulk mailings not bearing the proper indicia or that are not properly prepared will be returned to the sending department.

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Mail Services uses several carriers for overnight delivery, depending on destination, services requested, items sent, and the time the letter is received in Mail Services. U.S. Post Office, FedEx, UPS., and D.H.L. are the primary carriers that we use.

CUT OFF TIMES:

REQUIREMENTS:

All overnight letters and packages must be accompanied with a properly filled out Form 45 Request For Overnight/Delivery Service (available from Campus Stores).

International packages containing merchandise must include a detailed list of contents indicating quantity, country of origin and value of each individual item.

ADDRESSING:

Private carriers do not deliver to Post Office boxes. Pieces addressed to a Post Office box will be sent through the U.S. Postal System.

International pieces must have the destination address in English. The city, country and country code must clearly evident. It is advisable to include the recipient's telephone number, fax number or e-mail address.

International service typically takes 3 days depending on customs and the destination country.

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The USPS, in order to increase the speed , efficiency and accuracy of your mail utilizes optical character readers (OCR's) and barcode sorters (BCS's). These computerized mail processing machines are located in post offices across the country and are programmed to "read" and sort up to 36,000 pieces of mail per hour. To benefit from these high speed readers, your mail must be technically compatible.

The Post Office considers mail that is the right size and shape to speed with ease through the equipment as technically compatible.

Each piece of mail passes by the computer's scanner for a quick read of the delivery address. Then the OCR's printer sprays on a delivery point barcode for the address. Next, the mailpiece zooms on to one of the OCR's sorting channels reserved for the proper delivery area. From there, the barcoded mail is fed to BCS's for fast final separations, right down to the letter carriers who deliver it.

The OCR is easily confused by sloppy handwriting, highly stylized characters, extraneous printing and incorrectly placed address information.

SIZE:

Make sure your letter is the proper size. Mailpieces smaller than the dimensions below are not mailable. Letter mail larger than the dimensions is mailable but must bypass the OCR scanner and be processed through the slower and less efficient manual methods.

LETTERS

ADDRESS LOCATION:

The OCR looks for the address within a rectangular space on each mailpiece, called the OCR read area. All lines of the address should fall within the OCR read area for best results. No portion of the return address should appear in the OCR read area.

ADDRESS LINES:

Keep address lines in the same order as shown in the illustration above. Make sure the address is as complete as possible, including all apartment or suite numbers and proper delivery designations such as RD, ST, NW and S.

ADDRESS CHARACTERS:

Capitalize everything, using plain block letters or sans serif typeface such as Helvetica. Omit all punctuation, except the hyphen in the ZIP+4 code.

SPACING:

The OCR must see a clear vertical space between each character and each word or it won't know where one ends and the next begins. It also need a clear horizontal space between each line of the address. Clear spaces between words should be at least equal to the width of one full size character, like the capital "M".

BARCODE CLEAR AREA

The barcode clear area must remain free of all printing, markings, or colored borders and allow for a clean display of the barcode.

NON-ADDRESS INFORMATION:

Extraneous printing such as advertising copy or company logos should be positioned above the delivery address line. The space below and on either side of the delivery address line should be clear of all printing and markings not actually part of the address.

FOREIGN ADDRESSES:

Foreign mailings should have the country name, printed in capital letters, as the only information on the bottom line. The postal zone, if any, should be included with the city. For example:

MR THOMAS CLARK
117 RUSSELL DRIVE
LONDON W1P6HQ
ENGLAND

WINDOW ENVELOPES:

The entire address must always be visible through window envelopes. If part of the address is hidden, the OCR rejects the envelope and sends it off for manual sorting.

PRINT QUALITY AND COLOR:

The OCR performs best with black ink on a white background. Although certain color combinations are acceptable, it cannot read the address if there is not enough contrast between the ink and paper. Keep the ink as dark as possible and the background as light as possible.

• Airborne: www.airborne.com
• Fed Ex: www.fedex.com/us/
• UPS: www.ups.com
• US Postal Service: www.usps.gov

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