Tales From Tech 2 - Issue: 2

In our last edition (which is available online at http://www.powerchurch.com/support/tech2/), I told you about a couple of features that could save you some time. Today I want to tell you about something that can save you money (which is even better than time). And saving money reminds me of that old saying: A bird in the hand is worth more than a gift horse in the mouth.

DOTTING THE T'S AND CROSSING MY EYES

Today I want to tell you a little about CASS Certification. So, let's start with a definition. The United States Postal Service defines CASS as "Coding Accuracy Support System." What that mumbo-jumbo means is beyond me. But what CASS Certification does (as defined by the MaxIt! Classification Reform Booklet) is "improve the accuracy of delivery point codes, Zip+4 Codes, 5 Digit Zip Codes and Carrier Route Information on mailpieces..." In other words, having your mailing list CASS Certified will make the Post Office happy and you know what they say about a happy Post Office...

Anyway, here's an example. Let's say that the Smith family lives on Main Street. You've entered their address as 121-A South Main Street. Well, that certainly looks like a valid address, doesn't it? Now I'm sure that the Post Office will get your letter delivered just fine, but that actually isn't the standard way to write that address. The address should actually be printed as 121 S MAIN ST APT A. Using the standardized address can improve delivery time and increase the chances that the piece will be delivered correctly.

IS CASS CERTIFICATION SAFE FOR MY MAILING LIST?

CASS Certification is as gentle to your mailing list as pure water. It contains no harsh chemicals and will not harm your mailing list in any way. CASS Certification will, in fact, standardize your addresses, verify your Zip Codes, add the +4 portion to your existing Zip Codes and even add 2 digit Delivery Points to your Zip Codes so you can print accurate bar codes.

WHY BOTHER TRYING TO PLEASE THE POST OFFICE?

By now you may be wondering why you would want to try to please the Post Office. Well, the answer is simple. You can save some money! Here's the story. Many churches send mailpieces as Bulk Mail. Bulk mail has now been replaced by "Standard Mail." There are two types of Standard Mail, automated and nonautomated. To qualify for nonautomated rates, your Zip Codes have to be verified at least once a year. The easiest way to get them verified is by having your mailing list CASS Certified. Likewise, to qualify for automated rates your labels need to have correct delivery point bar codes on them. In addition, your mailing list must have been CASS Certified within 180 days (or 6 months, in other words) prior to your mailing.

So, you might be asking yourself why you'd bother sending your mail by automated or nonautomated Standard Mail. Well, I'm glad you asked yourself that question. I'll answer it for you (so you don't get accused of talking to yourself). On a mailing prepared to automation standards, you will only pay 11.9 cents per piece (instead of the 33 cents that you might normally pay). Now take the difference (which is 21.1 cents) and multiply that by the number of pieces your mailing. It won't take long for that to add up to real money!

By the way, there is a minimum number of pieces you must be mailing in order to qualify for all these wonderful savings. But if you're really interested in saving some dough, you should really drop by your local Post Office and talk to them about the specifics.

SO, HOW DO WE GET OUR MAILING LIST CASS CERTIFIED?

Well, I'm glad you asked. You're probably never going to believe this, but we actually offer a CASS Certification Service here at PowerChurch Software! Yes, for a limited time we will CASS Certify your data for the low, low price of $49. (Well okay, I was kidding about the limited time thing. We'll do it for you whenever you're ready.) All you have to do is go to the Membership Module, select Family Mailing List, click on Export Data, then choose the Mailer's +4 option in Version 7 (in Version 6.2, choose the US Postal option). You then save the file on a diskette and mail that disk to us along with your church's Registration Number. We'll CASS Certify your data and send it back to you on a new disk along with an error report that shows the addresses that couldn't be CASS Certified. You'll also get a form (the PS 3553 form, if you're curious) that you can take to the Post Office when you're ready to start saving some money (and isn't today a good day to start?).

Well, I guess that's it for today's edition of Tales From Tech 2. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any questions about anything you've read, please feel free to contact us by e-mail at support@powerchurch.com or by phone at (800) 486-1800. But, if you didn't like it and you want us to stop e-mailing you, just send an e-mail to emailinglist.remove@powerchurch.com and we'll leave your Inbox alone.

Oh yes, I did want to mention a couple of things about this Newsletter. First, our last issue went out a little over a week ago, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this is going to be a weekly publication. The next issue might come out next week or it could be two weeks down the road.

We'll just have to wait and see.