[January 19, 2017] |
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New Shipping and Mailing Rates Provide Opportunities for Businesses to Save in 2017
Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI), a global technology company that provides
innovative products and solutions to power commerce, today noted that
the recent rate increases by UPS® and FedEx® and the upcoming January 22
rate increase by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS (News - Alert)) will prompt U.S.
businesses to adopt new and innovative solutions and services to
optimize sending mail, flats and parcels and save money. In addition to
maximizing shipping and mailing savings, businesses are seeking ways to
better manage growing parcel volumes, which are expected to rise by 20
percent by 2018 according to the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index, and
simplify the complexity of managing multiple carriers with different
rate structures, service levels, and tracking and billing processes.
Here are a few key rate changes that could significantly impact
businesses:
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Parcel Shipping Rates Rise Across the Board -- Parcel
shipping rates continue to rise for all three major U.S. carriers.
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UPS increased its U.S. Ground, Air and Freight rates by an average
of 4.9 percent late last year.
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FedEx raised its FedEx Express package and freight standard list
rates by an average of 3.9 percent for U.S., U.S. export and U.S.
import services and raised its FedEx Ground and FedEx Home
Delivery standard list rates by an average of 4.9 percent.
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USPS will institute an average rate increase of 3.9 percent across
their domestic shipping services like Priority Mail Express®,
Priority Mail® and Parcel Select, on January 22, 2017.
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First-Class Mail Rates Increase; But Greater Discounts Available
-- While the postage rate for USPS First-Class Mail® Letters
(up to 1-ounce) will increase from $0.47 to $0.49, businesses using
metered mail will enjoy a rate decrease for First-Class Metered Mail
from $0.465 to $0.46 today. Compared to the new non-metered rate of
$0.49, that $0.03 discount represents significant savings for
businesses of all sizes.
In addition, businesses that
presort their mail will also save big. The USPS' new pricing rewards
mailers that prepare their mail to the finest level. By commingling
mail, presort service providers are able to reach greater density and
qualify for the 5-Digit rate, which helps businesses save more on
postage. Additionally, mailers that presort their First-Class volume
will also be able to send up to 3.5-ounce letters for the same price
as a 1-ounce letter (previously same price up to 2-ounce), allowing
them to include additional inserts or other pieces with no additional
cost.
* For more details on these rate changes, visit Pitney
Bowes Rate Change Central at http://www.pitneybowes.com/us/postal-information.html
"In this new borderless and connected world of commerce, shipping and
mailing remain critical channels for businesses to compete for and serve
clients remotely and connect with vendors and suppliers," said Mark
Shearer, Executive Vice President and President, Pitney Bowes Global SMB
Solutions. "With rates rising each year and a projected 20 percent
increase in parcel shipping volume by 20181, businesses are
challenged to better manage their sending operations, which includes
everything an organization sends out, from parcels and overnight
envelopes to bills and statements. Thankfully, there are new cloud-based
multicarrier solutions available to help even the smallest shippers
maximize their shipping budget to best meet their customer requirements
and deliver like the big guys. For mailers, leveraging metering
technology to process their mail is a no-brainer. Between the metering
discount and presorting options, businesses will be able to lower their
overall mailing cost and be able to do more with each mail piece."
Today, more than ever, shipping and mailing power global commerce. New
technology, tools and services are available to help businesses simplify
their sending operations by integrating shipping and mailing, connecting
physical sending with digital systems and data, and delivering
consolidated accounting and reporting functions.
Here are three recommendations for optimizing your sending operations in
2017:
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Simplify Sending. New cloud-based sending solutions can
help simplify the sending of mail, flats and parcels, gain greater
control and visibility into the true cost of shipping and mailing
within your organization, and qualify for discounts. New sending
technology can also enable your organization to:
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Facilitate multi-carrier management, enabling you to select the
best carrier for each parcel based on a simple view of service
level, cost and value
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Initiate carrier pickup in real-time from the desktop, tablet or
mobile device
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Automatically reconcile all sending charges to one account
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Improve the package receipt process, so inbound tracking
capability becomes as convenient as outbound shipping
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Meter your Mail. Using a postage meter saves 3 cents per
piece for 1-2-3 ounce envelopes - up to 3.5 ounces, lowering the cost
of your mail to 46 cents. This is on top of the many other benefits of
metered mail, including convenience, accuracy, cost accounting,
security, and payment options. The 3 cent discount also applies
to mail sent using Pitney Bowes' SendPro online shipping and mailing
solution, Permit Imprints and Pre-Cancelled stamps.
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Presort your Mail & Parcels. Presorting helps
businesses qualify for significant postage discounts. Partnering with
a presort services provider enables businesses to lower mailing and
shipping costs, streamline operations and simplify financial reporting.
Pitney Bowes is committed to helping businesses of all sizes simplify
their sending operations and thrive in the connected and borderless
world of commerce. For more information on the latest rate changes and
to learn how to simplify your sending operations, visit www.pitneybowes.com.
About Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) is a global technology company powering
billions of transactions - physical and digital - in the connected and
borderless world of commerce. Clients around the world, including 90
percent of the Fortune 500, rely on products, solutions and services
from Pitney Bowes in the areas of customer information management,
location intelligence, customer engagement, shipping, mailing, and
global ecommerce. And with the innovative Pitney Bowes Commerce Cloud,
clients can access the broad range of Pitney Bowes solutions, analytics,
and APIs to drive commerce. For additional information visit Pitney
Bowes, the Craftsmen of Commerce, at www.pitneybowes.com.
1. 2016 Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119005685/en/
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