University of Missouri-Columbia Bulk Mail Center has prepared this handbook as a source of information to answer some of your mailing questions.

It includes the most basic and important rules. However, the contents cannot begin to provide you with all of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rules and regulations. Please call Bulk Mail first, if you are contemplating as new or unusual mailing.

The USPS has made a major commitment to processing mail via "automation". This is the processing of the mail by Optical Character Readers (OCR) and Barcode Readers (see dictionary). The USPS offers postage discounts on mail that qualifies for automation. To qualify mail for automation discounts, strict address and design criteria must be met. Addresses must be in "standardized" formats, have zip+4 codes, and be barcoded and sorted to various levels. Mailing pieces meet standards of paper quality, specific sizes, and designs.

The University of Missouri has purchased computer software and MU Bulk Mail has purchased the equipment to process mail to meet these USPS automation requirements.