USPS International Surface Air Transportation Program, What is it?
In January 2014, the United States Postal Service will increase its first-class international postage rates by 11% for flat-size envelopes. For companies in the publishing, catalog and directory industries, they will be facing a fairly steep increase in postage from last year.
A great way to mitigate these increases is to use the USPS International Surface Airlift (ISAL) program. The USPS ISAL program is a bulk mailing system that provides economical international delivery of international mail and packages. USPS ISAL shipments are flown in from specified gateway cities in the United States and, upon arrival at the destination country, are treated as standard class or surface mail for delivery.
To qualify for the USPS ISAL program, a piece of mail must exhibit the characteristics of First Class Mail International as described in the USPS International Mail Manual. The USPS ISAL program is not available to every country in the world. However, the ISAL program serves approximately 127 countries worldwide and has average transit times between 7 and 14 days.
USPS International Surface Airlift (ISAL) Benefits
- Perfect for less urgent material weighing < 2 kilos
- Shipped from the United States via Air and then entered into standard class mail flow in the destination country.
- Transit times average 7-14 days worldwide
- Discounted Postal Rates
How can a shipper participate in the USPS ISAL program?
Mailer’s would contact a locally qualified postal wholesaler and speak to an international mail consultant to help guide them through the service. What is a Postal Qualified Wholesaler (PQW)? A Qualified Postal Wholesaler is a business that has been thoroughly vetted by the USPS to meet their strict preparation guidelines. PQW operations and procedures will be closely scrutinized to ensure they meet all USPS preparedness and security guidelines. If you are not familiar with a PQW in your area, please contact your USPS Global Account Manager for recommendations in your area. When selecting a PQW, make sure they have locations in multiple locations across the United States to ensure your mail is processed regardless of conditions in your area.
Be sure to ask your PQW the following questions.
1) Do you leave your mail at the International Sorting Center (ISC)? If so, what ISC does your company use? This is extremely important to maximize postal savings. PQWs receive higher discounts for dropping off mail at an ISC location rather than at a local bulk mail center. So you want to make sure that they get their mail into the ISC and that they have multiple locations in the United States getting into multiple ISC locations.
2) How often do you mail to the USPS ISC? If your sender does not have significant volumes of ISAL, you may choose to enter your mail into the ISC only a couple of times per week. This could result in longer delivery times and upset customers.
3) How much weight does your PQW lose each week on the ISC? If your shipper does not have significant volumes of ISAL that they are delivering to the USPS, your mail will most likely receive slower processing at the ISC.
4) What percentage of your mail is sent in Direct Bags? This is critical, make sure your mailing is achieving at least 95% direct bag placement. What is a Direct Bag? A Direct Sack has at least 3 pounds of mail destined for a particular country. If they do not meet this requirement, USPS will have to handle their mail and create a direct sack from the other mail they are receiving. Direct Sacks require minimal handling by the USPS and are shipped on the next available flight. So, shipping with a company that creates only 70% of direct sacks could mean that 30% of your mail is delivered slower than the rest.
5) What will your PQW do with mail that is outside the ISAL program? Since the USPS ISAL program does not serve every country in the world, it is important to know what will happen to mail that is out of service. I would recommend using a PQW that ships to all NON-ISAL countries via International Priority Airmail. There are many PQWs that will simply return NO ISAL countries to the sender as undeliverable.
To qualify for the highest level of discounts, make sure your PQW drops off your mail in one of the following ISAL acceptance cities in New York, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. If your PQW is dropping off your mail in any other city, you are potentially leaving some postage savings on the table. Also, if your PQW is dropping off mail in another city, you will experience longer than required transit times. All ISAL mail, regardless of city of depot, must be directed to one of ISAL’s acceptance cities for international delivery.
Which Mailer must the USPS International Surface Air Transportation Program use?
1) If you have more than 50 pounds of International mail.
2) If your shipment is less urgent and can accommodate 7-14 days delivery.
3) Are you shipping small packages under $400 in value?
4) If your mail consists of printed material that is not a check, invoice or account statement.
If the above criteria fit your current business profile, then I would contact your Global Account Manager at the United States Postal Service or a PQW to start saving thousands on postage.