Mail presort and commingle service bureaus have an opportunity to expand their service offerings and increase profitability by adding flat mail processing. As rates rise, mailers are chasing all possible postage discounts, including those for flat mail. Presort mailers typically pay little attention to flat mail because of its traditionally low volume compared to letter mail. “Presort” is a bit of a misnomer. What presort bureaus do that most mail and print service providers cannot is commingle mail, including flats, from many organizations. Comingling qualifies mail for density postage discounts rarely attainable by individual mailers. Presort/commingle services using Tritek’s M Sorter can process flat mail pieces up to 3/4″ thick (the thickest mail piece designated by the USPS as a “flat”) with a 12″ by 17″ imaging/OCR read area, providing greater savings potential compared to letters. The sorters used by most presort services process letters and cards only. Flat processing is an excellent avenue for increasing business with existing clients and carving out a niche in the competitive landscape. Most letter sorters cannot be configured to process flats. The beauty of Tritek's M Sorter is that it processes all types of mail and sorts them automatically into bins or stackers. A Tritek M sorter allows service providers to process a variety of mail types and sizes. By expanding into flat mail processing, presort service bureaus can market directly to organizations such as non-profits and financial services that are working to reduce mailing costs. This strategy enables services to gain market share and diversify their revenue streams as their customers' mailing practices evolve. New Revenue (and New Customers) With Flats Sorting Mailers often overlook flat mail processing because they have low volumes, making it difficult to qualify for presorting discounts. New qualification rules from the USPS, which took effect with the postal rate case on July 13, 2025, make discounts even further out of reach. Now, the Domestic Mail Manual specifies that at least 50 mail pieces must be sent to a single 5-digit ZIP Code for flats to qualify at the 5-digit presort rate. Before the latest rule change, the minimum was only 10 pieces. By commingling flat mail from multiple organizations, presort bureaus can build volumes to qualify for USPS discounts. Small and mid-sized mailers can enjoy postage discounts that were once only available only to high-volume mailers. Tritek’s M Sorter is the ideal solution for presort/commingle service providers: Processes flat mail pieces up to ¾” thick 12” x 17” OCR imaging area for a flexible read and sort of postal addresses Sorting to either bins or stackers Process both letters and flats, eliminating the investment in two machines Compact and configurable footprint without sacrificing throughput Format Audit: Redesign Reduces Postage Mailers currently sending small parcels containing low-value goods could send those items as Marketing Mail flats, instead. Reconfiguring small parcels as machinable flats significantly reduces postage costs and can be processed easily on Tritek’s M Sorter. Free promotional T-shirts or socks typically sent as a parcels, for instance, can easily go as ¾-inch (or thinner) flats. Colleges and universities often send these items to prospective students. A flat enters the mail stream at low Marketing Mail postage rates. By implementing the M sorter and advising clients on mail optimization and design, presort service providers can offer an additional value proposition. Floor Space Optimization Presort services are reevaluating the value of large-scale legacy sorters. There are several reasons, with space constraints often at the top of the list. The lack of production floor real estate frequently limits service providers. They may need room to accommodate bindery equipment, a collator, or a wide-format printer. Not only is M Sorter's footprint smaller than legacy technology, it can also replace two pieces of equipment: a letter and a flat sorter. Companies can make more space for new revenue-creating technology. Parts, Service, and Retirement All mechanical devices with moving parts need scheduled maintenance and servicing. However, legacy sorters demand more attention simply because of their age and complexity. Often, manufacturers plan older systems for retirement. Parts for discontinued machines become scarce, driving up the cost. Technicians with the expertise and talent to maintain legacy systems are also retiring. The Tritek M sorter features current technology and uses a modular design, making maintenance and service easy to access. By the way, Tritek has never retired a piece of equipment. We continue to service and support machines purchased by our customers over twenty-five years ago. Adaptability = Profitability As mailing organizations reevaluate their mailing strategies, presort service bureaus that can adapt quickly with versatile, scalable, and space-efficient technology are in high demand. The M Sorter enables presort bureaus to expand their capabilities, including flats processing, which enhances revenues for the service bureau and reduces postage for mailers. Versatility from Tritek The dual-function M Sorter is just one offering on Tritek's expanding menu of mail systems, which also includes biohazard screening, digital email delivery, returned mail processing, inbound mail, presorted mail, and parcel processing. Tritek’s clients include mail service providers, print providers, presort bureaus, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, educational institutions, financial services companies, healthcare organizations, insurance companies, and fulfillment services.