We do not sell stamps for personal use nor will we pick up stamps at the post office for staff or students. Please help the Campus Mail Service keep delivery timely by following these procedures when preparing your outgoing mail.

• Bundle all international letters separately from U.S. Mail
• Bundle all stamped and prepaid envelopes separate from mail to be processed.
• Bundle non-stamped mail. Make sure the appropriate department charge-back account bar-code is attached.
• Make sure all mail in a bundle is facing the same direction.
• Please shingle (flaps up) letters that need to be sealed.

The Post Office no longer furnishes rubber bands to businesses. All bulk mailings that are flats must still be banded by rubber bands and they must be size 64. These are 3 1/2″ X 1/4″. We can no longer provide these for the departments and we ask that you send any extra rubber bands back to the mail center for re use.

The postage machine will seal all regular size envelopes (#10, 9, 6 3/4) which have a dovetail seal. To seal, the flaps must be shingled, that is each flap should extend over the flap of the preceding envelope. Our meter will not seal 6×9 or 9×12 envelopes with the flap on the short side.

If sending out a large mailing,(1000 + pieces) please call ahead so we can make plans to pick it up early to insure quick processing. We pick up mail from each department once a day and will not return for outgoing mail except for special billings or mailings too large to be taken to the 3:00 pick-up locations.

QUICK LINKS
Addressing
Zip Codes
State Abbreviations
Outgoing Certified

Printed matter weighing less than 16 ounces may be sent as Standard Mail. For this standard, printed matter means paper on which words, letters, characters, figures, images or any combination not having the character of a bill or statement of account or of actual or personal correspondence and are reproduced by any process other than handwriting or typewriting.

Computer-prepared material is considered printed matter. It is not considered to have the character of actual or personal correspondence. Computer generated signatures are acceptable for Standard Mail pieces, if computer printed on each mailing piece (not photocopies). Pen or ink signatures make the piece First Class, not bulk.

Standard Mail is not sealed against postal inspection. Regardless of physical closure, the mailing of articles at Standard Mail rates of postage is consent by the mailer to postal inspection of the contents.

Campus Mail Service or Publications will go over your mailing pieces before it is printed to make sure it conforms to Post Office mail preparation requirements. Contact Mail Services at 271-4335.

Each standard mail (third class) bulk mailing must consist of a minimum of 200 pieces or 50 pounds. All pieces in the mailing must be identical in size, weight, content and color. The mailing must be zip-code sorted and separated into trays according to Post Office requirements before it is brought to the Mail Service department to be processed.

All standard bulk mailing must arrive in the mailroom in either postal letter trays or flat tubs. Tubs and trays are available from the mailroom.

Standard mail must include:

• 200 or more pieces.
• Proper return address:
  Missouri Western State University
  (Department)
  4525 Downs Drive
  St Joseph MO 64507-2294

The proper format of Non-Profit Permit indicia must be on each piece. (permit 32)

The piece design must meet all Post Office requirements, please check with Mail Services before printing.

One sheet flyers will need to be taped at the open edge and also on the right side to help them run through the postal sorting equipment. Please do not use staples.

The wording “Return Service Requested” needs to be printed on each piece 1/4″ below the return address. This wording keeps us in compliance with the post office regulations about updating our mailing list. It is the cheapest way without the purchasing of equipment and software. The piece will be returned with the new address or reason for non-delivery attached. The charge for the return will be “Single Piece Rate”…which means returned at first class rate not bulk.

If you are using an outside mailing source and sending mail at the “enhanced carrier route” rates, please ask your vendor about the mailing regulations. These differ from what we use on campus.

Documentation for Standard Mail Form

Each weekday UPS, Federal Express, and Federal Express Ground deliver packages to the mailroom for distribution to campus offices. These are delivered to each department in the afternoons by our staff. We require a signature on delivery of any package that our staff has to sign to receive. We will not leave packages if no one is available to sign. If you are expecting a package and need it early, please feel free to come and pick it up.

Incoming freight deliveries are also made at our dock. We will notify the departments when these deliveries are made and each department will need to make arrangements with the Physical Plant Office to have the items delivered.

Personal packages should not be shipped to the campus.

C.O.D. PACKAGES
If you are expecting a C.O.D. package, your check must be in the mailroom when the package arrives. Send your check (certified or cashiers) in an envelope marked “C.O.D. shipment from ________, for ________”.

We ship through UPS only. Packages must be at the mail center before 2:30 to go out that day. You must include your department bar-code with the package to be shipped. The package must be prepared for shipping by the department. If you need boxes, packaging, or tape, you are welcome to come to the office to pack up your shipment. Billing will be added to the monthly postal bill. The shipping costs vary because of additional fuel charges which change weekly. We can only give an estimate of the cost at the time of shipping if required. Please let us know if additional insurance is needed on the package…UPS offers $100.00 free on every shipment. If the value is greater, it would need additional insurance.

If you want to ship through Fed X, you will have to make arrangements with them, which may require you to set up an account. (Fed-X will come to your office and pick up the package.)

UPS picks up outbound packages each weekday from the mailroom. Outgoing packages for UPS pickup should be brought to the mailroom before 2:30 p.m. UPS services include regular ground service, next day air, and second day air.

UPS NEXT DAY AIR OR SECOND DAY AIR-You will need to make a label for Mail Service to attach and send with package.

Packages to be returned at the shipper’s expense may be done by several ways.

1. Package Refused-UPS packages may be returned to sender if unopened. Just mark “Refused” on the box and return to the mail center.
2. Call Tag- Please, mark your UPS packages “Hold for UPS Call Tag” and send to the mail center. Call tags are issued by the vendor and will be brought by the UPS driver. The label will be attached and the package will then be picked up.
3. “R S” label- This label may be mailed or e-mailed to the department and applied to the package before it is brought to the mail center. It is the department’s responsibility to keep the tracking information. Our staff will not record the shipment of these packages.
4. Shipper’s account number- If the vendor gives out their UPS shippers account number we can process the package with no cost to the University.

REMINDER:
UPS packages can not be forwarded. If you want to refuse the delivery, please do not open the package and mark it “Refused”. We will give it back to the driver the next day. Once the package is open, you will be charged for the return.

All outbound mail, UPS packages or bulk mail MUST include a department or account Bar-Code.

Bar-codes for each account are furnished by the Mail Services. If you need a new or additional bar-code printed, please let us know.

Billing is done once a month and includes all services provided by the mail service department. A postage receipt for the month will be sent in campus mail to each department.

If you have questions, please feel free to call us at 271-4335.