Why do I need to know what kind of sorting equipment the USPS will use for my flat-sized Periodical Class mail?
To get the best Periodical Class rates, your mail has to be qualified for the newer AFSM 100 sorting machine, which generally means it meets tighter size restrictions and must be able to bend. But you can still barcode and get a not quite as low rate if your piece does not work on the AFSM 100 but still works on the UFSM 1000. You also get a better rate for nonbarcoded mail if it can go on the AFSM 100 instead of using the UFSM 1000. Just to make it more confusing, UFSM 1000 compatible pieces are called “nonmachinable”, even though they work on that machine. If your piece doesn’t fit on either sorting machine, then it’s no longer a flat – it’s a parcel, and Postage $aver cannot sort it.
