July, 1996. Welcome to Postage $aver v3.0 for Windows! ------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE THE BARCODE!.TXT FILE IN THIS DIRECTORY FOR A SPECIAL OFFER ON BARCODING SOFTWARE! ------------------------------------------------------------------- (IF YOU ARE READING THIS WITH NOTEPAD, SET EDIT/WORD WRAP TO "ON".) This program has been updated to meet the U. S. Postal Service's (USPS) July 1, 1996 reclassification of bulk mail procedures. (If you are a current user of an older version of Postage $aver, you might want to skip down a few headings to see the changes between this version and the previous versions.) WHAT DOES POSTAGE $AVER DO?? Postage $aver helps you prepare your standard class A bulk mail. (Standard class A used to be known as third class.) It does this in several ways. First, you feed your mailing list file into Postage $aver and Postage $aver will print a detailed, zip code by zip code report telling you exactly what to put in each tray, sack, package and group each time you mail. It also tells you how to label each sack or tray, and computes all the postage totals and other information you need to fill out your USPS mailing statement. Postage $aver also creates a "key" file that you can import back into your mailing list so that you can actually sort your addresses in exactly the order that you need to package and sack your mail. And, the key file includes "endorsement lines" (those annoying lines that say **********5-Digit 77005 at the top of the address block) that you can print on your labels/envelopes so you don't have to put the equally annoying red D stickers on your envelopes. Postage $aver includes all the sorting and rate information for both regular or nonprofit mail, for non-barcoded or barcoded mail, and for letter-sized or flat-sized mail. (Each of these types requires a different sorting procedure.) Postage $aver also now can handle the sort requirements for heavy mail pieces, up to the maximum standard class A limit of 16 ounces. Postage $aver's sort routines exceed USPS requirements, to help your mail move faster, and Postage $aver calculates USPS entry discounts, so you save additional money. Postage $aver also checks your mailing list for accuracy. It automatically rejects and lists any zip codes that are not in proper five-digit or nine-digit form, or which are not on the USPS chart of valid three-digit zip code areas. At the user's option, each zip code will also be checked against its state, and in many cases, its city, to insure accurate addressing. So your mail has a better chance of actually getting where it is supposed to go. WHAT DO I NEED?? You need a mailing list that is kept in a data base file (like Q&A, Filemaker, Works, etc.) rather than a word processing file (like Wordperfect, Word, Write, etc.). And you need to know how to EXPORT the file into an ascii file. (Your manual should be able to help you, or drop us a line if this is a problem for you.) If you are using Filemaker Pro, there are simple-to-follow instructions in the HELP file in Postage $aver. We are developing other application notes like that, so don't hesitate to contact us. WHAT DOES POSTAGE $AVER NOT DO?? It doesn't print labels. Your mailing list program will do that. You can either sort your mailing list in zip code order and use Postage $aver's sort report to manually load up the zip codes into sacks (or trays) and packages as it instructs. Or you can create a "key" file with Postage $aver and import it back into your data file. A key file contains a sequence number (1,2,3,4....) for each piece of mail, according to zip. You use your own mailing list program to sort in the order specified by the key numbers and voila!, your own mailing list program will print your labels or envelopes in exactly the order you need to prepare your mail most efficiently. But, you need Postage $aver to know what order that is depending on the kind of mail you are sending and what addresses you have selected. DOES POSTAGE $AVER CREATE BARCODES?? No. It does not design barcodes. We will shortly have another product that can do that. (It may be out by the time you read this.) But it does contain the sorting routines that are required for use with barcoded bulk mail. (You sort barcoded mail differently from the way you sort non-barcoded mail.) But guess what? Barcodes are not really that hard to create. You need to get a barcode font, so that when you type in (or have your data base create) a sequence of numbers, your printer will print the barcodes for those numbers instead of printing the actual digits. There are a bunch of barcode fonts floating around on Compuserve, AOL and the Internet for both Windows and Mac. Once you have a barcode font, the barcode itself is as follows: It starts with a single vertical "start" bar, which you would type as a period. Next come the nine digits of the zip code. (No dash is used.) You need all nine zip code digits now - no partial postage credit for just having five. Then, there's something called the delivery point. It's basically the last two digits of the street address. So if you live at 123 Anywhere St., the delivery point digits are 23. (You can get full details on the "what if" questions from the USPS.) Then, a "check digit". You get that by adding up the nine digits of the zip code plus the two digits of the delivery point (digit by digit) and then finding the number you have to add to get an "even ten". In other words, if you live at 123 Anywhere St, 77005-1234, you would add up the digits of the zip code (7+7+0+0+5+1+2+3+4)=29. Then add the delivery point to it (2+3)=5. 29+5=34. Now, what do you have to add to get to the next "even ten"? You add 6, to get to 40. Then, add a period again. So, your entire barcode is: .770051234236. Print that with a barcode font, and you've just saved yourself a bunch of postage. I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS. Postage $aver includes a HELP file that explains the operation of the program plus a little bit about bulk mailing requirements. It's a fast read, so we suggest you go through the help system before you try to run Postage $aver. You can find the help files by choosing Postage $aver Help from the main menu. "POSTAGE$" DIRECTORY The Postage$ directory contains this readme file, the P$Help.hlp file, the P$run.exe file, and the Tables directory. Do not remove any of these files or the Tables directory from the Postage directory. RUNNING POSTAGE $AVER To run Postage $aver, run the P$run.exe file. TEST FILE PROVIDED: To make it easy for you to try Postage $aver, we've included a short sample file of zip codes, cities and states. Run p$run.exe to start the application. Then select Sort One List from the Run menu, choose the sample.txt. The next screen lets you specify which fields in your data file contain the zip code, city and state. Postage $aver has automatically figured this out for the sample.txt file, so just click OK. Postage $aver will take it from there. You can view the contents of the sample.txt file using any word processor. WHAT IF I HAVE AN OLDER VERSION OF POSTAGE $AVER?? You should delete the entire folder in which it resides. Do not, however, delete the P$Prefs file from your c:\ directory. As long as you leave the P$Prefs file in place, this new version of Postage $aver will pick up your old registration number and open all features to you. YOU DO, HOWEVER, NEED TO RE-ENTER YOUR SETTINGS IN EACH OF THE THREE SETTINGS SCREENS!! Also, note that there is now an additional "settings" screen. The Mail Type" screen is where you indicate what type of mailing you are preapring (barcoded/nonbarcoded, regular/nonprofit, etc.) You must choose the correct option here, since the sorting procedures are different for each type of mail. Also, if you are mailing letters and you are a regular (not nonprofit) mailer, you must now use trays rather than sacks, so you must enter the number of pieces of mail that fit in each tray. This is because several of the sorting procedures do not allow partially filled trays of mail, or only allow them after you have at least one full tray. Postage $aver must be told how many letters can fit in a full tray in order to create correct sorting instructions. (If you are a nonprofit mailer, you will also have to do this soon, so we've included a "nonprofit nonautomation tray" mail option so you can make the transition.) The option that previously was on the Preferences screen to "separate home scf" has been deleted, since the sorting procedures for most types of mail now automatically separate home scf mail into three-digit trays/sacks regardless of how many or how few peices there are. You can now select the format of the output file as either ascii comma-delimited or ascii tab-delimited. Formerly, tab-delimited was automatically selected. Comma-delimited is more popular in the Windows environment. Hint: Pick up a string of pink "A" stickers from the post office. You'll need them instead of the orange "S" state stickers you have been using. PRINT BLANK COPIES OF THE POSTAL MAILING STATEMENT (THE FORM YOU TURN IN WITH YOUR BULK MAIL.) As a convenience to you, we've included Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) files for the new versions of the postal mailing statement (from the USPS web site). If you have an Adobe Acrobat reader, you can print these files. If not, you can get the Adobe Acrobat reader free from most any BBS, Compuserve, AOL, etc. Form 3602R and Form 3602N are for regular and nonprofit mailers, respectively, who use permit imprints for their postage. Form 3602PR and 3602PN are for mailers who use precanceled stamps or meters. These forms are in the "forms" directory. They are not necessary for Postage $aver and can be deleted, along with the directory, if you do not wish to use them. WHY YOU SHOULD REGISTER YOUR COPY OF POSTAGE $AVER. We make this copy of Postage $aver available to you for trial use as an inexpensive method of distribution. That lets us keep our costs low, and that in turn lets us keep our price low. If you try Postage $aver and it doesn't meet your needs, then delete it and we'll shake hands and try again when we have another product. But if you keep it and use it, we need you to register it. When you register, you receive: * the key to unlock all features of Postage $aver; * updated files for a full year when the USPS changes sorting details or rates; * free bug fixes for a year as necessary; * full technical support via e-mail and telephone; * a clear conscience. Registration costs only $20! And it costs only $45 to upgrade to Postage $aver Pro to get access to sorting routines for barcoded and heavy mail. There are NO shipping or handling charges if you give us an e-mail address for sending update files. We will add a $10 shipping and handling charge if you request updates via regular mail. You can register in the following ways: 1.) If you are a CompuServe member, GO SWREG on Compuserve to register automatically. Your registration fee will be added to your CompuServe bill. We will be notified of your registration within about 24 hours and will send you your registration number promptly. Register using CompuServe product number 11946 for Posatge $aver Lite, or 11947 for Postage $aver Pro. 2.) To register using VISA or Master Card only, contact: Public Software Library - FOR CREDIT CARD REGISTRATION ONLY Product #11752 (Specify Postage $aver Lite or Postage $aver Pro, Mac or Windows.) via e-mail: 71355.470@compuserve.com via fax: 713-524-6398 via phone: 800-2424-PSL via snailmail: Box 35705, Houston, TX 77235-5705 You can print a registration form to send them if you go to the Registration menu in Postage $aver. Please note that Public Software Library does not know anything about Postage $aver other than how to collect credit card charges for us. Please don't trouble them with technical questions or otherwise. For anything other than credit card registration, contact us at the address list below or e-mail to 70712.1661@compuserve.com. 3.) To register by check, send it directly to us at: L. Scott Hochberg Consulting Services 7505 Brompton Houston, TX 77025 Your check should be in the amount of $20 for Postage $aver List or $45 for Postage $aver Pro. If you do not have an e-mail address and we must send you updates by mail, we must add $10 for postage and handling. (Texas residents add 8.25% sales tax to the total amount). LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: We would very much like to know what you think of our software. Write us at 70712.1661@compuserve.com. Thanks. Scott Hochberg There are a whole bunch of trademarks in this readme text, including Filemaker Pro, Q&A, Adobe, Acrobat, Mac, Windows, Compuserve, AOL and Postage $aver.