Sandra Long, vice president, Printer Market and Customer Development, Pitney Bowes answers readers questions about mailing. Send your questions to Sandra at Sandra.long@pb.com.

Q: Is there a way for me to save money as a result of the new postal rates in 2011?

A: Yes! The USPS has a new “Commercial” category for First-Class Mail parcels, which includes Commercial Base and Commercial Plus FCM parcels. Instead of requiring a minimum of 500 pieces in a mailing, which are sorted and specifically prepared, mailers can now achieve a 15-cent per parcel postal discount simply by using a qualifying postage payment method, such as certain postage metering solutions. This option is the “single-piece FCM Commercial Base” category and you can decide whether to pass this discount onto your customer.

More information: http://www.myprintresource.com/10007238