Pitney Bowes advises on the added value of Mailmark 

Hatfield, UK - The impending rate change due to come into effect on 31 March 2014 will have a significant impact on all UK meter users. In light of Pitney Bowes research, revealing that two thirds of British SMEs have previously been confused about postal rate changes, the customer communications experts are taking steps to ensure that Britain’s SMEs have all the information they need to make sense of the new changes and ensure that they maximise their savings.

The upcoming rate change will affect both first and second class mail. Metered mail will have a price that is 12p lower for standard 1^st class letters and 16p lower for 2^nd class letters. Royal Mail is also introducing Mailmark, which provides for further benefits. Mailmark users will save 13 pence on standard first class and 18 pence on second class letters compared with stamps – meaning that businesses sending as few as 100 first class letters per month will incur savings of £156 per year and £216 on second class mail. 

Mail will look different following this rate change. Clients using the new Mailmark tariff will print a 2D barcode instead of a traditional frank, which will also include the delivered by “Royal Mail” logo. This will free up space on the envelope to use for messaging –which is a key benefit of metered mail especially when coupled with Pitney Bowes mailing technology and its free Envelope Messaging service. 

Colin Forrest Head of Marketing for UK and ROI at Pitney Bowes said: “For those businesses that still haven’t switched over to franking, now is the time to do so. For all SMEs sending physical mail, rate change is different every year and we want to ensure we are working with them to help them navigate around these very important changes. With the Royal Mail’s introduction of Mailmark, there is a real opportunity for businesses to make all-important savings.

“The 30 day notice period before the changes are implemented should give British businesses time to think about their options and consider the benefits of moving over to Mailmark. Aside from being the best value tariff in the franking channel, Mailmark provides a more professional finish and automated pricing, to minimise room for error.” 

Pitney Bowes encourages businesses to unlock the value of this year’s 2014 rate change and how these benefits can be enjoyed so have provided handy advice for customers via a web portal (www.pitneybowes.co.uk/unlockvalue). This also hosts a live chat facility for all UK sales enquiries, alongside a blog in which Steve Tyrrell, Postal Market Project Manager at Pitney Bowes, answers customer FAQ’s on Mailmark. This online platform provides a great support tool for customers who are considering if Mailmark is right for them.

Aware that the rate change will come into effect as of 31^st March this year, it may not be clear to those less confident with calculating the potential impact this will have in their postal budget.  Pitney Bowes has also published comprehensive advice online at www.pitneybowes.co.uk/ratechange 

Users of Pitney Bowes’s Connect + Series, DM110, DM160, and DM220 machines can instantly take advantage of the benefits of Mailmark, and users of slightly older machines will continue to see a financial benefit versus the stamp price and can easily make the upgrade to a newer, Mailmark compatible machine.  Pitney Bowes helps its existing clients to monitor and manage their postage outgoings effectively.  Its in-view reporting software, accessible from anywhere on the web, is designed to provide insight into mail usage, volume, frequency and total savings. With company budgets under continuous scrutiny it is important to have access to these quantifiable outgoings. This data enables businesses to monitor and manage their postage outgoings most effectively.

Regardless of whether or not businesses are moving to metered mail, the size of each item will continue to have a heavy influence on the price. Folding A4 paper to make it eligible for standard letter postage, for example, will save businesses on their postal costs.

One other notable point is parcels; those weighing between one and two kilograms benefit from a dramatic price decrease: from £4.60 down to £3.50 per parcel - a £1.10 saving on last year’s prices.   

Colin Forrest added: “With the rapidly-growing trend of businesses driving parcel volumes ever higher, this is great news for metered mail users.”