Business reply devices are often used to make responding to a direct mail offer easier. Instead of asking the respondent to put a postage stamp on the response device, they could use business reply mail (BRM). Business reply mail is typically a postcard or an envelope that has printed information on it that enables the USPS to charge only for those pieces that are actually mailed in response to the direct-mail offer. The USPS would charge the advertiser a fee or discounted fee depending on how many pieces of business reply mail were actually sent within the course of a year. The following are business reply mail rates:

BRM

  • Postal Service Mail Volume Decline Mail use has been changing over the past decade as businesses and consumers have moved to electronic communication and payment alternatives. Mail volume decline has accelerated with the recession, particularly among major users in the advertising, financial, and housing sectors. Mail volume has typically returned after recessions, but USPS’s 5-year forecast suggests that much of the recent volume decline will not return. Action is needed in multiple areas, including possible action and support by Congress; no single change will be sufficient to address USPS’s challenges. • The short-term challenge for USPS is to cut costs quickly enough to offset volume and revenue declines, so that it can cover its operating expenses. • The long-term challenge is to restructure USPS operations, networks, and workforce to reflect changes in mail volume, revenue, and use of mail. What is shocking is the sudden, ...
  • History of Stamps The U.S. Postal Service was created in 1775 under the direction of Benjamin Franklin and the Second Continental Congress. In 1840, Britain was the first country to formally introduce a system of postage stamps, but America was quick to catch on. The first U.S. postage stamps, issued seven years later in 1847, featured a picture of Benjamin Franklin on the five-cent stamp and George Washington on the ten-cent stamp. The revenues from the stamps were used to develop infrastructure for the postal service and also to pay for other federal expenditures (although there was generally not enough revenue to fund pork-barrel projects).  The famous “pony express” mail service –developed by William H. Russell as a means to transport mail to the western United States- was partially funded by stamp revenues. At KD Mailing we offer the look of Live Postage ...
  • Charity Stamps Semipostals or “Charity Stamps” cost more than a regular First-class stamp and the difference in price is donated to a particular philanthropic cause. Semipostals have been around for a long time. Britain introduced a semipostal envelope in 1890 with the same idea of earning revenue for charity as our current semipostal stamps. The Australian province of New South Whales initiated a semipostal stamp in 1897 to aid victims of tuberculosis, which was a devastating disease on the continent at that time. Germany and France introduced semipostal stamps before the first Great War broke out in 1914 and Finland released a semipostal stamp to aid the Red Cross in the War’s aftermath. The United States was comparatively slow to release its first semipostal stamp. The first American semipostal was introduced in 1998. This stamp was named the “Breast Research Stamp” and all ...
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  • Postage Rate Increase What the New Postage Increases Mean for Business The Forever Stamp – New article on this innovative stamp. The price of a U.S. First-Class postage stamp increased keeps increasing as well as the price of the Forever stamp. These increases may not seem like much to individual consumers, but anyone familiar with the postage industry knows that rate hikes will have tremendous implications for commerce. The postage rate hike is intimidating for companies that rely on the mail to do business. Yet, it also presents a unique opportunity for companies to examine how they use the postal service. Many mailing service businesses do not take full advantage of the wide range of discounts offered by the USPS. With proper guidance, these companies can still save money on postage despite the proposed increase in postage rates. Size and Shape Did you know that the size ...
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