Additional Resources for Business Mailers

The Postal Service has many different people and tools that can help you with all aspects of your mailing. All of these services are available, free of charge!

For general questions about the Postal Service

1-800-ASK-USPS is a 24-hour information hotline
Customer service representatives can answer all of your questions about the Postal Service and your mail.

For help designing a mailpiece

Mailpiece Design Analysts (MDAs) are postal employees specially trained to answer your questions regarding mailpiece design. These employees provide advice regarding acceptability for automated prices. MDAs provide technical assistance on mailpiece design to envelope manufacturers, printers, advertising agencies, and graphic designers.

Use the handy link above to locate the MDA responsible for your ZIP Code area. Mailpiece Design Analysts are available for:

Testing paper and actual mailpiece samples for acceptable thickness, background color, flexibility, rigidity, and barcode print tolerances.
Assigning unique ZIP+4 codes for Business Reply Mail (BRM) mailpieces.
Providing camera-ready artwork for the proper facing identification marks (FIM) and barcodes for BRM and Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM).
Reviewing artwork prior to printing.
Reviewing and approving vendor-prepared "privately printed" forms for USPS extra services.
Analyzing optical character reader (OCR) readability and automation compatibility of prospective or actual mailpieces.

For help with Nonprofit mail

Publication 417, Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Eligibility, describes the type of organizations that are eligible for lower nonprofit postage prices. Publication 417 is available on Postal Explorer or for free from your local Post Office or Business Mail Entry Unit.

Publication 417 - Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Eligibility

For help sorting your mail

Quick Service Guides (QSGs) are quick reference guides that describe, with words and graphics, how to prepare your mail to qualify for a certain postage price. Quick Service Guides are updated monthly and are available online on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.com.

Business Mail Entry Units have specially-trained postal employees who can answer any technical questions you have about business mail. Business Mail Entry Unit offices offer free commercial mail training seminars for beginning mailers.

For official Postal Service mailing standards

The Postal Explorer Web site is a complete collection of mailing standards and Postal Service publications.