International Airmail
by Butch Hiatt, Oklahoma State University
Are you looking for a way to stretch your postage dollars a little farther? Does your campus mail a significant amount of international airmail? A significant amount may be as little as 5 pounds a day or even 5 pounds every other day. If your answers are yes, this opportunity may be for you.
Airmail consolidators save money by consolidating your letters, flats, etc. into one consignment and paying on the total weight rather than the per piece rate. Individual pieces are entered into the postal system at destination or delivered directly by the consolidating company. They share the savings with you by charging you a discounted rate.
Two types of consolidators exist:
- Users of USPS products International Priority Mail (IPA) and International Surface Air Lift (ISAL).
- Remailers who ship by air to the country of destination and enter directly into the postal system there.
Group one has to comply with USPS Work Sharing Rules and usually has higher rates. Group two does not and usually offers lower rates. The advantage offered by group one is a USA postmark on the letters. Group two often includes foreign postal services such as Deutsche Post or Royal Mail. Both groups claim to be a day or two faster than regular airmail.
OSU uses a remailer. We pay the lower rate and bill the departments normal USPS airmail rates less a dime. We retain about $20,000 a year in mailing services to offset our operating expenses.
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