Charity Mail Basics Business Letter Services

Introduction Charity Mail provides lower prices for mailings of barcoded PreSort articles from Income Tax Exempt Charities. In this module This module gives an overview of the Charity Mail letter service. Learning outcomes At the end of this module you will be able to: list the features and benefits of Charity Mail identify Australia Post’s requirements for access to Charity Mail locate current pricing information for Charity Mail

Charity Mail at a glance What is Charity Mail? Charity Mail provides lower prices for mailings of barcoded small PreSort Letters from income tax exempt charities Lodgements must meet the conditions of PreSort Letters to access Charity Mail rates Australia Post recognises that mail is an important medium for charities to acquire donors. It helps to make the connection between those in need and people who care.

Charity Mail at a glance Features & benefits Regular or Off Peak Delivery? As well as the regular mail delivery standard (within 1-4 days), Charity Mail PreSort Letters offer the option of a lower cost Off Peak delivery standard for non time-critical mail, taking up to an additional 3 days for delivery. Supplementary Services Registered Post can be used in conjunction with the Charity Mail PreSort Letters service. Domestic Registered Post offers you... A unique identification number for every article Proof of posting when lodged at the post office counter Signature obtained on delivery Extra cover of up to $100 is included Additional services for Domestic letters Delivery Confirmation – within Australia and International Person-to-Person Delivery Additional Insurance up to $5,000

Charity Mail at a glance More information More detailed information is available in the Charity Mail Fact Sheet and PreSort Letters service guide. Prices for PreSort Letters can be found in the Post Charges booklet and the Australia Post website (auspost.com.au). These guides are also available at any Australia Post outlet.

Charity Mail basics Charity Mail requirements Overview To be eligible for Charity Mail: organisations must be endorsed by the Australia Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity (ITEC) you need to meet Australia Post’s PreSort Letters requirements the minimum quantity is 300 barcoded articles per lodgement each lodgement must consist of Small articles within the same size and weight category and delivery standard. These requirements are covered on the following pages.

Charity Mail basics Charity Mail requirements Size, weight and type requirements Charity Mail is only available for Small PreSort Letter envelope categories Charity Mail items can weigh up to 125gms All articles in a lodgement must be the same size and weight Articles can be either enveloped or as postcards, and plastic wrapped articles are accepted provided they are in Direct Trays.

Charity Mail basics Charity Mail requirements Correct addressing requirements You need to pay particular attention to addressing and barcoding. Articles need the addressed side to be printed with:  the Postage Paid Imprint (unless a postage meter is used)  the return address, preferred here or on the back  the CM inscription / number. The inscription must be clearly visible when the articles are presented for lodgement. The requirement to print the inscription on each article will assist in ensuring that only approved organisations can access Charity Mail prices  an AMAS certified barcode where assigned, and a delivery address that observes the correct addressing conditions (as detailed in the PreSort Letters preparation module)  the Off Peak Indicator (if the Off Peak delivery service is selected).

Charity Mail basics Charity Mail requirements Delivery standards Charity Mail PreSort Letters are delivered Monday to Friday with letters and other mail. The delivery standards for regular mail are as follows (in business days). Charity Mail PreSort Letters also offers the alternative of Off Peak delivery for non-time critical mail. These timetables are guidelines only and based on reasonable expectations and experience. Australia Post will not be liable for any loss or damage (including but not limited to consequential loss) resulting from a failure to deliver in accordance with these timetables. For deliverySame StateOther State Within metropolitan areas of capital cities or within the same city or town and environs1 day- Between metropolitan areas of capital cities-2 days Between metropolitan areas of capital cities and country locations2 days3 days Between country locations2 days4 days ‘Off Peak’ provides you with the option to use a less expensive service that allows Australia Post to deliver articles up to an additional three business days beyond Regular Delivery.

Charity Mail basics Charity Mail requirements Application requirements To qualify for access to Charity Mail, charities must apply to Australia Post. An Application for Charity Mail Service form must be completed which is available at the Australia Post website and also available from any Australia Post outlet. Eligible Charities must provide a copy of their Endorsement as an “Income Tax Exempt Charity” (ITEC) from the Australian Tax Office (ATO), and must be attached to their application. The Organisation named in the ATO issued ITEC letter will need to match the details contained in the application form. Once your application is approved Australia Post will issue a letter granting access to Charity Mail prices to the organisation named in the ATO ITEC approval letter. The letter will also provide an 8-digit approval (identification) number, which will need to be quoted for each mailing. Period of approval The authorisation to lodge at Charity Mail prices will continue until such time as an organisation’s ITEC status has been revoked by the ATO. The onus will be on the relevant organisation to notify Australia Post of any changes in status. Australia Post reserves the right to withdraw or suspend approval in instances where inappropriate use of the service is detected.

Charity Mail basics Charity Mail requirements Other considerations How can I be sure an article is acceptable? Australia Post staff inspect each lodgement to ensure that it satisfies correct addressing conditions, and that barcodes are valid. If you are concerned that your articles may not satisfy all service requirements you can request a preliminary test prior to lodgement: Australia Post Business Letter Services GPO BOX 1777 MELBOURNE VIC 3001

Charity Mail basics Charity Mail requirements Cost Prices for Charity Mail are available in the PreSort Letters service guide, the Post Charges Guide (MS11) and are available on the Australia Post website (auspost.com.au). Charity Mail charges are for Small envelopes and postcards. Charity Mail items are charged as “Same State” when they are to be delivered in the same state as they were lodged. Charity Mail items are charged as “Other State” when they are to be delivered to a different state to where they were lodged.

Charity Mail basics Summary The key points covered were: Charities that have Income Tax Exempt Charity (ITEC) approval from the Australian Tax Office can access Charity Mail Charities must apply to Australia Post for an 8 digit Charity Mail (CM) number, which must be printed on envelopes All conditions of PreSort Letters apply - specific correct addressing conditions need to be adhered to You must have at least 300 machine addressed and barcoded articles Available for Small letters only Envelopes and Postcards can both be lodged as Charity Mail and Plastic wrapped articles are acceptable in the Charity Mail service provided they are in Direct trays Charity Mail can be lodged on the Charity’s own charge account, or one belonging to their Mailing Agent or Agency. Prices can be located in the Postal Charges Guide (MS11), the PreSort Letters service guide or at the Australia Post web site

You now need to complete a short assessment to check your understanding of the information covered in this module. This assessment consists of 6 multiple-choice questions and should take you approximately 10 minutes to complete. To pass the assessment, you need to answer at least eight of these questions correctly. Attempt this assessment as many times as you need to. If you do not pass, it is recommended that you review this module again. Assessment

a.A sample of the charitable work done by the organisation b.An Income Tax Exempt Charity (ITEC) approval c.Last years Taxation assessment d.No documentation is required Assessment 1 Correct answer = B Charities must provide their Income Tax Exempt Charity (ITEC) approval to receive Charity Mail approval. What documentation needs to be provided with a Charity Mail application?

a.No, Charity Mail is for regular delivery service b.Yes, Charity Mail accesses all conditions of the PreSort Letters service Assessment 2 Correct answer = B Charity Mail accesses all conditions of the PreSort Letters service for small letters, including Off Peak. The Puppy Protection Society wants to use Off Peak for their Charity Mail mailing. Can they do this?

a.A pat on the back b.A donation to their charity c.An 8 digit Charity Mail number Assessment 3 Correct answer = C Australia Post provides an 8 digit Charity mail number to approved charities. What does Australia Post provide to charities approved to access Charity Mail rates?

a.Yes, so long as there are 300 barcoded letters in Direct trays b.No, plastic is not permitted in Charity Mail c.No Charity Mail is for Small letters only d.Yes, we want to help those in need Assessment 4 Correct answer = C Charity Mail is only available for Small letters. The Children’s Education Fund is sending their Christmas Appeal letter. It is Small Plus, and wrapped in plastic. Can it be sent as Charity Mail?

a.Yes, Charity Mail can be lodged on the Charity’s own charge account, or one belonging to their Mail Service Provider or Agency. b.No, Charities must use their own account or pay cash. Assessment 5 Correct answer = A Charity Mail can be lodged on the Charity’s own charge account, or one belonging to their Mailing Service Provider’s or Agency’s. An approved charity wishes to make a lodgment, but does not have its own Australia Post charge account. The mailing house assisting them offered to have the charges raised against their account? Is this acceptable?

a.PreSort Letters service guide b.PreSort Letters service guide and Postal Charges Guide (MS11) c.PreSort Letters service guide, Australia Post web site (auspost.com.au) and Postal Charges Guide (MS11) Assessment 6 Correct answer = C You can find prices in the PreSort Letters service guide, Australia Post website and Post Charges Guide (MS11). Where can you find the correct price for a Charity Mail item?