Marketers are increasingly recognizing the value of direct mail for driving engagement and response. In a digital world, a well-placed physical touchpoint can stand out, and Reply Envelopes offer a convenient way for recipients to interact with your mailings. Postalytics offers both a Courtesy Reply Envelope (CRE) and a Business Reply Envelope (BRE).
CRE and BRE: Key Differences to Consider for Your Direct Mail
It's helpful to understand the distinction between the two when considering reply options for your direct mail, as they function differently:
Business Reply Envelope (BRE):
Provides a pre-addressed envelope or card where the recipient does not pay postage.
Requires the mailer to have a USPS Business Reply Permit.
The mailer pays the postage due, plus a handling fee, for each piece returned.
Available with all letter formats.
Courtesy Reply Envelope (CRE):
Includes a pre-addressed envelope, but the recipient pays for the postage.
Does not require a USPS permit.
- Simpler to set up but may result in lower response rates since the recipient bears the cost of mailing.
- Currently only available with 8.5x14 perforated letter format.
Business Reply Envelopes
This document focuses on Business Reply Envelopes (BREs) due to its potential to increase response rates by removing the postage burden from the recipient.
Obtaining a USPS Business Reply Permit is an important step to leverage the full potential of BREs. This allows you to include a seamless physical response option in your campaigns and, when used with Postalytics’ tracking, gain valuable insights into your direct mail performance.
BREs are available to our Pro and Agency subscription levels and require a USPS Self-funded Postage Permit, which will need to be approved within the Postalytics application. If you already have a Postage Permit that has been loaded into your account, please contact Support for assistance in provisioning a new BRE.
What are the Steps to Obtaining a USPS Business Reply Permit Number?
Getting your permit is a relatively straightforward process. Here's a helpful guide:
Complete the Application: Begin by filling out USPS Form 3615, Application for a Business Reply Mail Permit. You can find this form at your local Post Office™ or download it here: https://about.usps.com/forms/ps3615.pdf.
Choose Your Account Type: Determine whether a basic Business Reply Mail (BRM) permit or a QBRM (Qualified Business Reply Mail) permit best suits your needs, considering your mail volume and processing requirements.
Pay the Fees: Submit your completed application, along with the applicable permit fee and any annual fees, to your local Post Office™.
After step 3, you’ll receive your permit number and BRE artwork. Request the artwork as a .jpg file, to be used in Postalytics.
For more detailed information, please visit the following USPS Business Reply Mail pages: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Business-Reply-Mail https://pe.usps.com/MailpieceDesign/Index?ViewName=BRMPermitNumber
Creating a BRE in Postalytics
Once you have your Business Reply Mail permit number and image, Postalytics will need to load the .jpg image to your account before you can create a template. Contact your Client Success Manager to assist with this step.
If you haven’t yet completed the approval process for a USPS Self-funded Postage Permit mentioned above, please do so within your Postalytics account.
After approval, or if you're already approved, you can proceed to add a Business Reply Envelope permit.
Click on "Postage Permits" in the dropdown menu under your account username.
Scroll down to "Use Business Reply Mail Envelopes?" and select "Yes."
Fill in the necessary BRE information in the application area.
Save the information and await approval confirmation from your Client Success Manager. The template will become available in the Editor after approval and when the artwork you submitted earlier has been added by Postalytics.
Use the Postalytics Editor to Create a BRE
The BRE template now needs to be created and proofed in the Postalytics Editor before placing an order.
To begin, select “New Template,” from the “Creative” dropdown menu, and then “Create in Editor.”
Next, choose the Template Type “Business Reply Envelopes” and click “Start Editing.”
To start, name your template. The only editable area within the BRE template is the upper left area, inside the dotted green box. Here, you can add text or an image, such as a logo, using the “T” or Image icons on the left.
The pink shaded area is not editable; this is where the BRE artwork information will appear once you begin the template proofing process.
When you're ready to proceed, click “Proof Template” in the upper right corner.
The first step in the Proof Wizard will prompt you to select a data source. Since the BRE doesn't have a data source, simply select “Use Sample Data.”
The page section displays your specific BRE information.
Carefully review each page of the Proofer to ensure all elements are correct. Check the box on the right and click “Next” in the lower left corner to advance to the next page.
After proofing the final page, you can order your Business Reply Mail Envelopes by clicking the “Place Order” button in the “What’s Next?” box.
Our help article How To Order Custom Envelopes provides detailed steps for placing your order, including information on order minimums and delivery time frames.