This overview is a notice of changes and enhancements affecting services you, or an authorized user of your Agreement with Canada Post, currently use. Please share this information with your colleagues who prepare your mailings or work directly with Canada Post.
On January 14, 2019, Canada Post introduced service changes and price adjustments to the following Direct Marketing and Transaction Mail services:
Effective January 14, 2019
Minimum volume requirement for Machineable Mail reduced from 400 to 100 items
Applicable to Personalized Mail, Postal Code Targeting and Publications Mail
Trigger-based marketing is an advertising tactic that focuses on leads resulting from a customer’s previous action (website or store visit, cart abandonment, follow up to a direct mail item).
To support this marketing approach, effective January 14, 2019, the minimum volume requirement for Machineable Mail was reduced from 400 to 100 items per mailing for Personalized Mail (including mini-catalogues), Postal Code Targeting and Publications Mail. Phantom pricing will apply when mailing less than 100 items.
New lower price for the Personalized Mail Machineable mini-catalogue up to 50 g
Try a Personalized Mail mini-catalogue and save $0.02 per item.
The machineable mini-catalogue is an acquisition and retention tool ideal for e-commerce companies. The mini-catalogue is a cost-effective way to drive online and in-store sales and cut mail and production costs without sacrificing circulation or frequency.
Mini-catalogues may be designed as self-mailers or inserted into envelopes. They’re defined as printed matter with a list of items for sale containing item descriptions, item numbers and/or prices. A mini-catalogue must contain a minimum of eight pages or panels (may include coupons or special offers) and meet Machineable Standard Personalized Mail requirements.
Removed the 10% advertising rule to qualify as a co-op mailing when using Neighbourhood Mail
Co-op mail items feature promotional content from two or more organizations typically printed as booklets or enclosed in an envelope. Previously, co-op customers advertised on a minimum of 10% of the space visible on the outside of the item. Other participants are not subject to minimum space requirements.
To simplify this offering, as of January 14, 2019, the 10% rule was eliminated. A customer’s name must still be visible on items as described in the Customer Identification section of the 2019 Neighbourhood Mail Customer Guide.
Enhancements to improve the customer experience at time of mailing
To improve the customer experience and help avoid delaying or detaining the mail at the time of deposit, we implemented two solutions for missing paperwork:
Missing Sample
Applicable to Postal Code Targeting and Personalized Mail
If a sample of your item is missing at the time of deposit, the customer agrees that one sample will be removed from the mailing for Canada Post’s records and verification purposes.
Missing Order (Statement of Mailing/SOM)
Applicable to Postal Code Targeting, Personalized Mail, Neighbourhood Mail, Publications Mail and Incentive Lettermail
To help resolve the delays caused by missing copies of the Order (Statement of Mailing / SOM) when customers deposit their mailing, we recommend that all labels for containers, monotainers and pallets include the Order (SOM) number. This solution allows our employees to reprint the SOM and accept the mailing, provided the SOM has been transmitted by the customer.
Changes and enhancements introduced in 2018
Electronic Shipping Tools (EST Desktop) enhancements
Applicable to Neighbourhood Mail
In early September 2018, the following enhancements were made to our Electronic Shipping Tools to improve work flow:
- Command buttons repositioned to align with steps in the process.
- New button added for Calculate Labels.
- Icons changed to indicate actions.
- Print to PDF button that opens a Save As window was added. A new note also prompts the user to ensure the print setting is set to Actual Size. Note: Once the Order is transmitted, labels become final and must be voided if changes are needed. (As a result the Print to PDF section of Preferences was removed as it is no longer required).
Access to six-months of rolling FSA restructure data for more lead time
Applicable to Neighbourhood Mail
Customers can access current restructure data, one month of pending restructure data and four months of planned restructure data, by FSA. The file, available at canadapost.ca/nps, is updated monthly to show a rolling six-month period giving customers more lead time to prepare their Neighbourhood Mail campaigns.
New look and feel for Precision TargeterTM
Applicable to Neighbourhood Mail
Precision Targeter, a Smartmail Marketing tool to help businesses plan and execute their marketing campaigns, has been improved with a new interface, more responsive maps and intuitive workflow. Visit canadapost.ca/precisiontargeter.
New data option offered by recognized SERP vendors to help with campaigns
Applicable to Postal Code Targeting
To ensure your campaigns are created according to our mailing requirements, recognized SERP vendors can produce the data to be sent to your Mail Service Provider (MSP) to fulfill your mailing. A Postal Code Summary Report is also sent to you to help with your post-campaign analysis and calculation of your Return on Investment (ROI).
Visit canadapost.ca/PCTsolutions for more information on recognized SERP vendors offering this new data option.
Creative flexibility for 2D barcode placement
Applicable to Postal Code Targeting
To give you more creative flexibility with Postal Code Targeting items, the 2D barcode can be located anywhere on the front of the mail item provided it meets all the other requirements. See the Designing module of the Postal Code Targeting Customer Guide for details at canadapost.ca/pctguides.
Redesigned Machineable Mail Advisor tool
Applicable to Postal Code Targeting, Personalized Mail, Publications Mail and Incentive Lettermail
The Machineable Mail Advisor tool helps mailers meet our machineable mail requirements (e.g. addressing, postage zone and graphic placement) to avoid unnecessary delays when depositing mail. The redesigned tool displays the information in a decision-tree format and provides self-mailer, horizontal and vertical address-oriented templates for all services and formats. Visit canadapost.ca/mmadvisor.
Contract expiry warning added to EST (Desktop, EOE, EST Online)
Applicable to Neighbourhood Mail, Postal Code Targeting, Personalized Mail, Publications Mail and Incentive Lettermail
To avoid potential issues at time of mailing, all versions of EST now provide a warning when creating an Order that will advise the customer if one or more of the services that are part of their contract will expire soon. The message displays as One or more services on this contract will expire on YYYY/MM/DD.
