Mail tracking for grocery stores

Independent grocers and small chains mail more than circulars. Rebate and refund checks, loyalty rewards, catering invoices, vendor and landlord correspondence, and donation receipts all go out as First-Class mail - and each one can generate a phone call when it doesn't show up.

Tracked mail that fits a grocery store

• Rebate and refund checks - when a shopper calls about a missing check, look up the date it was mailed and its last USPS scan.
• Loyalty and rewards mailings - gift cards and member rewards sent to your best customers.
• Catering and wholesale invoices - see when invoices to business accounts arrive, and track payments coming back with a return-envelope label.
• Contest and sweepstakes prize notices - confirm winners' letters actually went out.
• Donation receipts to community partners and food banks.

What about weekly circulars?

Weekly ads usually go out through Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) or USPS Marketing Mail at saturation prices. Those programs don't use a unique barcode per piece, and these labels are for First-Class Mail, so they aren't the right tool for circulars. Use them for the mail where an individual piece matters to an individual customer.

Getting started

1. Create labels one at a time at the service desk, or upload a CSV for a rewards mailing.
2. Print on Avery 5163 sheets or directly on #10 envelopes.
3. Mail with First-Class postage. Customer service can pull up any piece's status from your account.

Labels are 12¢ each - 100 rebate checks cost $12 to track.

What tracking can and can't tell you

• Scans come from USPS automated processing. A piece that skips the machines - hand-sorted, damaged or oversized - may show few or no scans.
• Letters often have no delivery scan. The last processing scan at the destination facility is usually the final event, typically the day before or the morning of delivery.
• Tracking is information, not proof of delivery. For legal notices that need proof, use USPS Certified Mail.
• Labels add tracking only - they don't change your postage or qualify mail for automation discounts.