Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!hybrid!scifi!bywater!uunet!bu.edu!telecom-request From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Why do Telcos Use Window Envelopes for Payments Message-ID: Date: 4 Mar 91 03:22:27 GMT Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu Organization: I.E.C.C. Lines: 32 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 178, Message 6 of 10 In article is written: > mailing a nine-digit bar coded envelope that has the five vertical > stripes is $0.27, not $0.29. > [Moderator's Note: The thing you overlooked was the *minimum pieces > per mailing* requirement to get the 27 cent rate. The 27 cent rate applies to single barcoded pieces -- it is specifically intended for customers mailing back bill payments and such. Mailings of 500 pieces suitably marked and bundled are cheaper, about 24 cents. The implementation of the 27 cent rate is "deferred," allegedly because of the need for public education, but also largely because there are no 27 cent stamps printed. It's not clear whether at this point a barcoded envelope on which you put 27 cents would be considered to have enough postage. On another topic of interest here in recent days I note in passing that as well as Enterprise and Zenith prefixes for the old auto-collect service, I've seen them called WX numbers in New Jersy and Pennsylvania. They're not totally obsolete, since you can target a much smaller area than you can with 800 numbers, though I suspect that at an extra dollar or so per call for the collect billing you'd be better off taking a few random 800 calls. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl