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An introduction to the PreSort Letters Service

The PreSort Letters Service is available for customers who lodge 300 or more barcoded letters.  The service offers reduced prices to those customers who can sort letters into a particular order, place them into appropriately labelled trays, complete documentation prior to posting at a designated postal outlet, and comply with relevant mailing conditions.

When customers prepare their lodgement according to the conditions of the PreSort Letters Service, Australia Post can more efficiently process and deliver mail, in return offering customers lower postage prices.

How do I access the PreSort Letters Service?

Customers intending to lodge PreSort Letters need to apply to use the service before they make their initial lodgement.  The Application for Lodgement of PreSort Letters (8835117) is available at all postal outlets.  On approval, customers can commence lodging their PreSort Letters at the designated postal outlet. 

A summary of access conditions is detailed as follows:

• the lodgement must contain a minimum of 300 barcoded letters in trays
• the letters need to be of the same size and weight step
• only letters being delivered within Australia are eligible
• correct addressing conditions apply
• DPIDs need to be appended using AMAS-approved software
• Charity Mail pricing is accessible through the PreSort Letters Service.

Full details of the PreSort Letters Service are contained in the PreSort Letters Service Guide.  A copy of this guide may be downloaded from the link below, or obtained from your local Post Office. 

What documentation do I need?

• PreSort Letters Service Guide - for full details on how to access the PreSort Letters Service, including current PreSort prices. 
  • All prices listed within the Service Guide are valid from 15 September 2008 and include GST.
• Barcode Sort Plan - current Barcode Sort Plan (BSP) (pdf version).  For the current flat file <comma space delimited>, download the Postcode data file via the link below.
• Postcode Data File - the Postcode data file includes postcodes, localities, and current sort plans.
• Application for PreSort Letters Service - example of the application form needed to access the PreSort Letters Service.
• PreSort Letters Lodgement Document - example of the PreSort Letters Lodgement document.
• PreSort Letters - Meter Lodgement Document - example of Meter Lodgement document used when lodging metered barcoded mail through the PreSort Letters Service.
• Manifest - each PreSort Letters Lodgement in excess of 2,000 articles must be supported by a PreSort Letters manifest. There is no standard format provide by Australia Post, so customers create their own manifest. A simple Word (or equivalent) document suffices. More information is available here.

Visit Other Relevant Areas of Australia Post Website

• Barcoding - Overview of the barcoding process
• AMAS Software - Address matching Software, how much it costs, who provides it, how it works with your database to append barcode information
• Barcode Quality Program (BQP) - is the barcode I'm printing within the right specifications?  Who provides a barcode font?  What printers have been tested for in-specification printing of the 4-state barcode?
• Tray Labels - when you lodge your mail through PreSort, the letters need to be presented in appropriately labelled trays, indicating the Barcode Sort Plan for each.  For more information about tray labels, and to obtain the tray labelling software provided free from Post, visit this area.
• Postage Meters - a postage meter may be used as a payment method for the PreSort Letters Service. 
• Print Post - Print Post is an Australia Post service for the delivery of approved periodical publications to particular addresses throughout Australia.  Print Post articles do not require barcodes to access the Print Post Service, however other conditions apply. 
• Charity Mail - if you are a registered charity, your organisation may be eligible for Charity Mail prices for your bulk mail lodgements. 
• Registered Post - the Registered Post service can be used in conjunction with the PreSort Letters Service. 
• Clean Mail - Clean Mail is a service for bulk mail lodgements of letters of a suitable standard for processing by mechanised letter sorting equipment.  Clean Mail articles do not require barcodes to access the service, however other conditions apply.

For more information about PreSort Letters Service, or to obtain copies of the documents listed here, please call 13 11 18.