AdCard

A minimum of 85% of items must be in Postie delivery run sequence prepared by a mailhouse. An Address Accuracy Percentage (AAP) with a minimum of 80% is also required. The applicable mail piece rate is based on the size, weight, overall addressing quality and total volume submitted per lodgement.

Mail must be lodged after 8am and before 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding weekends and public holidays).

For information on pricing, please refer to the Bulk Mail Rate Card for 1 July 2024 (PDF - 63KB).

Additional information about AdCard

• Sending mail by AdCard
• Zonal Pricing
• How to prepare your mail for lodgement
• Address sequencing
• Envelope layout standards
• Compliance requirements
• Lodging your mail

Sending mail by AdCard

When sending by AdCard, the following conditions apply:

• All mail items must have an approved PermitPost impression and NZ Post delivery and return address.
• All mail items must be of the same size, shape and within the same weight range.
• All items must comply with current Postal Users' Guide and Envelope Layout Standards.

Each sequenced mail item must have two codes printed in the address block, as follows:

• Round number – comprising:
• 3 characters (branch abbreviation)
• 3 numbers (round abbreviation)
• minimum 15 spaces
• 1 number (NZ Post line area) (e.g. NMS005               6)
• Postcode - comprising 4 digits (e.g. 6035)

The codes can be printed in the same font as the address, however the round number must be ‘address line 1’, left justified and 12 point font.

Below is an example.

For AdCard rates to apply, you need to have at least 85% of items in delivery run sequence.

Note: The minimum volume threshold and minimum dimensions must be met for each mailing customer. Mail from groups of customers cannot be consolidated to achieve AdCard pricing. The dimensions, weight and thickness of each item may vary but must be within the specified limits for the selected size e.g. Medium or Large.

Zonal Pricing

Zonal Pricing is a pricing structure that charges different prices for mail deliveries to different areas. Every New Zealand postcode containing delivery points has been allocated to one of four “Zones”: Zone A, Zone B, Zone C and Zone D. Each of these zones has a different price.

In addition to Zonal Pricing, a separate pricing tier applies to any items with invalid or missing postcodes. All incorrect postcodes by Address Type (Urban, Rural, PO Box, Private Bag etc.) or incorrect postcode mapping to City (And/OR) Suburb including invalid or missing postcodes will be priced as Invalid Postcode (IPC). More information on Zonal Pricing terms and conditions is available under the AdCard section of the Postal Users’ Guide.

Address Accuracy Percentage (AAP)

AAP is the mechanism for pricing based on the overall address quality of the bulk mail lodgement. The AAP is calculated on addresses in the Lodgement Data File based on Valid Postcodes only, to determine the applicable Pricing Tier (addresses with Invalid Postcodes will be priced separately).

Learn more about AAP.

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How to prepare your mail for lodgement

Statement of Posting

A Statement of Posting (AR019N) form must accompany all manual lodgements where Lodgement Manager has not been used, or the lodgement will be held by NZ Post until we receive your form. Contact our Customer Care Centre to have us send you a form or preferably, they can help you access Bulk Mail rates by setting you up on Lodgement Manager (our lodgement software solution). For help when completing the form download our Statement of Posting guide (PDF - 106KB).

When completing your Statement of Posting you’ll need to tell us your product code. Refer to the Bulk Mail Rate Card for 1 July 2024 (PDF - 63KB) for the right code. NZ Post may correct any incorrectly completed Statement of Posting or lodgement slip, such as where the wrong AdCard code has been provided.

Manual Handling Fee

Lodgements received that cannot be machine processed and have not been pre-approved for the MHFEE process may be approved, but uprated to the Non-Preapproved MHFEE rate, or rejected by NZ Post at our sole discretion. 

The MHFEE is a per unit fee charged in addition to the base postage charge for the specific Bulk Mail product, size and sample fee (if applicable). E.g. PP1A1ZA + PPSAMFEE + MHFEE. Find out more

Electronic Lodgement Information

A Lodgement Data File (LDF) is required for all Bulk Mail lodgements (all bulk mail products/services).

For Lodgements submitted through Lodgement Manager, a Statement of Posting is the output from creating a new Mail Order in Lodgement Manager.

In the process of creating the mail order you select Product characteristics including: Product, Size, AAP and then upload the Lodgement Data File, from which the Zonal breakdown is derived. Once the mail order has been submitted in Lodgement Manager, no subsequent changes will be permitted, and the Statement of Posting is to be printed and attached to the physical mail for lodgement. A Statement of Posting form must accompany your physical mail lodgement or your lodgement will not be accepted.

NZ Post will calculate the total cost of your lodgement from the LDF and the AdCard code applied to each item across the AAP pricing tiers and Zones, including records with Invalid Postcodes (IPC).

More information on Statement of Posting is available under the AdCard section of the Postal Users' Guide

Presentation

Items must be placed in letter trays with the delivery address and PermitPost impression facing the same way, towards the front of the tray (where the label is located).

Within each sequenced tray, mail items must be sequenced in accordance with the Sending Mail by AdCard section.

Within each un-sequenced mail tray, the mail item must be sequenced in ascending postcode order where the postcode is known. Un-sequenced items without postcodes can be included but must be grouped after the postcode ordered items.

Each tray roll cage and ULD must have a NZ Post label attached.

Sequenced and un-sequenced items must be presented in separate trays with separate labelling requirements.

For sequenced items the label must include:

• the word “ROUND” either printed, stamped or hand-written
• the Round Number range that applies to items within the tray (that is, the first and last Round Numbers). Round Numbers must be printed in the fields on standard tray labels usually used for Postcode range;
• the lodgement day crossed to identify when mail was lodged with NZ Post;
• a reference code (for example, customer or mailing house reference);
• the green label for lodgements originating from the North Island and the purple label for lodgements originating from the South Island.

For un-sequenced items the label must include:

• the word “POSTCODE” either printed, stamped or hand-written;
• the postcode range that applies to items within the tray (that is, the first and last postcode numbers);
• the lodgement day crossed to identify when mail was lodged with NZ Post;
• a reference code (for example, customer or mailing house reference);
• the red label.

Letter trays are available from your nearest NZ Post Mail Service Centre. Letter trays must not weigh more than 12kg. If a tray weighs more than this, mail must be split into two or more trays.

If you use more than 40 trays per lodgement, a container service is available.

For mail that is not lodged via mailhouses, simplified labelling requirements apply. Download customer labels for sorting (PDF - 93KB). Please print and complete these labels and attach these to the front of your mail tray.

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Address sequencing

At least 85% of your mail must be in delivery run sequence to qualify for AdCard pricing. Address sequencing must be performed by a PreSort certified service provider. If more than 15% of your mail does not comply, the entire lodgement will be uprated to the next applicable product. For more information please refer to the Bulk Mail Rate Card for 1 July 2024 (PDF - 63KB).

Envelope layout standards

The Bulk Mail Envelope Layout Standards contain important changes for Bulk Mail machinability and processing. Please familiarise yourself with these changes.

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Compliance requirements

To be eligible for AdCard product usage, lodgements must meet the specified requirements in the AdCard Product Specification section of the Postal Users' Guide

Non-compliance with the AdCard Product Specifications, Envelope Layout Standards or the Address and Layout Guide may result in the entire lodgement being uprated to a Standard rate product price point, or the lodgement being returned at your cost. Note that delivery targets may be impacted by non-compliance with the AdCard Product Specifications, Envelope Layout Standards or Address and Layout Guide.

To ensure non-compliance is kept at a minimum we encourage you to contact [email protected] for any mail pieces that you have questions on or for approval.

For information please refer to the Bulk Mail Rate Card for 1 July 2024 (PDF - 63KB).

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Lodging your mail

Lodge your items at NZ Post Mail Service Centres:

• Auckland - Auckland Mail Centre, 122 Kerwyn Avenue, East Tamaki, Auckland 2013
• Manawatu - Manawatu CourierPost Centre, 9 Matthews Avenue, Takaro, Palmerston North 4410
• Wellington - CourierPost Wellington Operations Centre, 36-54 Kaiwharawhara Road, Wellington 6035
• Christchurch - Christchurch Mail Centre, 145 Orchard Road, Harewood, Christchurch 8051

If you have a NZ Post Account and want to have your items picked up, talk to us today.