Standard mail is most commonly used for marketing applications (advertisements and communication pieces).

Four Basic Components of Standard Mail:

• Mail not required to be mailed at First Class rates.
• Mail not sealed against postal inspection – the piece can be opened at any point by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
• Content sent in identical terms to more than one person.
• Weighs less than 16 oz per piece.

Non-profit mail is a type of Standard Mail that offers savings up to 40% greater than standard mail savings alone. It requires a specific mailing permit and is available to only 8 qualifying categories, one being Education.

NOTE: Non-profit mail may ONLY contain information pertaining to the permit holder, in our case, the University of Utah. The University of Utah’s non-profit permit does NOT allow advertising for any business or service other than those owned and controlled by the University of Utah.

Yes, please call us to schedule a pickup at 801-581-6171.

No.  The permit is subscribed to and controlled by the University of Utah Print & Mail Services.

Off campus mail vendors may not use the university’s permit number without notification of intent and subsequent written permission from the University Print and Mail Services. Permission requests will be reviewed on a job by job basis.

Note that all permission grants will be assessed with a $50.00 processing charge billable to the department in charge of sending the mail.

Please contact your Project Coordinator.

For the most up to date regulations, please visit the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) website at: www.usps.gov or the USPS quick service guide at http://pe.usps.gov/.

• For Domestic Commercial USPS Marketing Mail - https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/243.htm
• For Domestic Mail Physical Standards - https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/201.htm
• For Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail Eligibility (Nonprofit & Other Qualified Organizations) - https://pe.usps.com/text/pub417/welcome.htm

You may also contact University Print & Mail Services with all of your mailing questions 801-581-6171.

Standard Mail Requirements

• Mailing must be at least 200 pieces or 50+ total pounds
• Individual mailing piece must weigh less than 16 oz.
• All pieces must be the same weight and size.
• Content(s) must be in identical terms to more than one person – any personalization must be specific to the advertisement or solicitation.
• Machineable vs. Non-machineable – the ability for the piece to run through the USPS equipment will affect the extent of the discounts your mailer will receive
• Move Update (address correction) requirements must be met for address lists (list updates must take place within 95 days of the mailing hitting the post office). The University Print & Mail Services will handle this portion for you – you provide us with the list and we will run it through our National Change of Address service (NCOA) software; to ensure mailing meets change of address requirements.
• Layout/Design Requirements – Standard Mail has very specific requirements for layout/design; to name some of the categories to consider when designing a piece:
  • White space
  • Return address format/placement
  • Size
  • Max
  • Minimum
  • Fold edge / Open edge
  • Tabbing
  • Address / label placement
• Flats – mailers must place the delivery address parallel or perpendicular to the top edge on the front or the back of the mail piece and within the top half of the mail piece. If there is a bound or folded edge, the address as read must be within the top half when the bound or folded edge is to the right. It cannot be upside down as read in relation to the top edge (USPS 302.2.0).

For assistance with your next project, contact Print & Mail Services at 801.581.6171 

• According to the USPS’s website, over 40 million Americans change their address annually. The NCOA software helps reduce undeliverable-as-addressed mail by reviewing and UPDATING address lists PRIOR to processing the mail.
• The University Print & Mail Services has purchased the necessary software to access the NCOA link data; we will update your list prior to mailing; as well as, provide you with a list of any updates, so that you may update your records for future correspondence.
• It is an opportunity to improve address quality; improved address quality yields a larger percentage of success in reaching your target and an associated response rate increase.
• Helps control business costs as updated addresses:
  • Reduce delayed delivery
  • Reduce lost opportunity
  • Reduce address correction fees
  • NOTE: A fee is assessed if an address correction endorsement is printed on the outgoing piece. If the standard mail piece does not contain a correct address or an endorsement, it will be discarded.