How To Lower Bulk Mailing Errors: Essential Tips For Success

Bulk mail processing equipment with sorted mail trays

The Cost of Mailing Errors

Undeliverable mail wastes an average of $0.50-$1.50 per piece in combined postage and printing costs. On a 10,000-piece mailing with a 15% error rate, that's $750-$2,250 thrown away—not counting lost sales opportunities.

In bulk mailing, errors directly translate to wasted money and missed marketing opportunities. Every piece that returns as undeliverable represents postage spent, printing costs absorbed, and a potential customer who never received your message.

The good news: bulk mailing errors are largely preventable. Professional mail houses routinely achieve 95-98% deliverability by implementing systematic address hygiene processes. This guide covers the essential techniques that separate successful bulk mailings from expensive failures.

Understanding Bulk Mailing Errors

Before you can fix mailing errors, you need to understand what causes them. Most bulk mail problems fall into predictable categories that can be addressed with the right processes.

Common Types of Bulk Mail Errors

Address Errors

  • Incomplete addresses (missing apt/suite)
  • Misspelled street names
  • Wrong or missing ZIP codes
  • Outdated addresses (person moved)
MPA
MPA Editorial Team
Direct Mail Specialists · Mail Processing Associates

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