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Post Office and Mailing

You don’t have to be an expert on direct mail or United States Post Office (USPS) regulations to use Answer or Respuesta; but you do need to be familiar with some of the terms and concepts below. If you have not received a free demographic report that lists the carrier routes in your area, please contact us.

What is a carrier route?
As defined by the USPS, a carrier route is “the set of addresses to which a carrier delivers mail. A carrier route includes city routes, rural routes, highway contract routes, post office box sections and general delivery units.” You can think of it as a subdivision of a ZIP Code.

How do I find and choose carrier routes?
We can provide your carrier route information in two formats: In a radius format, we prepare a demographic report that displays the routes within a 1-5 mile radius of your church on a map. This will also include information about the households in your community. In a ZIP Code format we can generate a listing of all the postal carrier routes in your ZIP Code. Most churches use the demographic report to help them make a targeted selection.

Can I change the routes each issue?
In order to add a route(s), we must have received instructions to do so prior to the Material Due Date on the mailing schedule. We encourage you to mail to the same routes for at least four issues before you change. This will help build consistency. If you have questions or concerns about your routes, please contact our Route Specialist at 800.578.7594, extension 203.

Does the church ever deal directly with the USPS?
No. Promise Network interacts with the United States Postal Service on your behalf in matters of addressing, sorting and submitting your mail. We also research the postal carrier route information for you, which saves you a trip to your local Post Office to determine which routes are in your neighborhood. We even process the initial paperwork for you to be approved to mail at non-profit rates. We do this because we want to provide a hassle-free experience for your church. Other than providing us with a copy of the USPS letter approving your church to mail at non-profit rates, you shouldn’t need to have contact with the USPS for any reason.