Achieving Discounts -- New Numbers, Same Advice

In the 2009 rate change, automation rates remain preferable to those for non-automation-compatible pieces, a difference that may get larger as the proportion of mail processed automatically continues to grow and the relative cost of manual processing increases.

The moral of the discount optimization story is the same as it’s been for years: To the maximum extent practicable, design mail for automation compatibility, and produce that mail with an accurate address and quality delivery point barcode.