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USPS Agreement Enables BPA to Conduct Initial Audits For Periodicals Rate Status
Agreement reached in response to controlled-circulation publishers' changing needs regarding Periodicals status verification
SHELTON, CT - Under a new agreement, BPA Worldwide is now authorized by the U.S. Postal Service to conduct initial audits, as well as periodic audits, for purposes of qualifying publications for USPS Periodicals rates. The agreement is effective immediately.
The agreement was developed primarily in response to the challenges that many business-to-business publishers have experienced in recent years with verifying their compliance to USPS Periodicals-status requirements when launching titles with predominantly controlled (request) circulation.
To qualify for Periodicals rates - as opposed to paying the much-higher Standard A rates - the USPS requires that a publication be able to demonstrate that a minimum of 50% of all distributed copies are paid, direct request or a combination of these.
Since 2000, BPA has been authorized by the USPS to conduct, at publishers' request, the periodic audits required to maintain Periodicals-rate status. However, previous to this new agreement, only the USPS could conduct the audit required when a publication initially files for Periodicals status.
In recent years, many controlled titles have become increasingly reliant on electronic sources - telemarketing, email and the Web - and a growing number have been delayed in receiving Periodicals status, or have ultimately been unable to receive that status, due to inability to verify 50% request through the USPS's method of sending mailed verification queries to samples of subscriber files.
BPA methods allow for use of a subscriber-supplied "personal qualifier" (such as high school attended or other personal fact) in lieu of a written signature for verifying subscription requests obtained through electronic sources.
"We commend the Postal Service for sitting down and working out an agreement with us, and we particularly salute all who worked with the USPS and government representatives on this challenge for years in order to arrive at this point - American Business Media and other members of the USPS Periodicals Advisory Group, including Crain Communications and McGraw-Hill - as well as individual companies, such as Reed Business Information and The Synapse Group," said Glenn Hansen, BPA Worldwide president and CEO. "This agreement provides the Postal Service with the objective verification that it needs to grant Periodicals-rate status, while reflecting the reality that modern publishers use electronic media for circulation acquisition and maintenance.
"BPA has unparalleled experience in verifying request circulation from all sources, including electronic channels," Hansen added, "and we look forward to helping publishers make their initial Periodicals audit process significantly more efficient and less costly to their bottom lines."
BPA, which currently audits nearly 90% of all audited b-to-b publications in North America, will offer the initial Periodicals audit service both to BPA members and non-members, according to Hansen.
David Straus, postal counsel to American Business Media, described the new agreement as "very welcome and long overdue." According to Straus, many controlled publications "have lost tens of thousands of dollars per publication due to the delays they have experienced in passing initial Periodicals-permit audits-or in the worst cases, lost far more due to inability to qualify for the Periodicals permit."
"BPA has demonstrated strong leadership in helping to address this extremely important issue," noted Sue Ravenscraft, VP, circulation for Stagnito Communications and president of the Midwest Circulation Association. "And as the undisputed leader in verifying requester circulation, there is no organization that can fulfill this new role more credibly or objectively than BPA."
Publishers may continue to have initial audits done by the USPS, if they so choose. Under the agreement, the USPS is entitled to review all documents and audit procedures relating to Periodicals status auditing by BPA, and has reserved various other rights.
Publishers wishing to learn more about having initial or periodic Periodicals status audits conducted by BPA should contact their BPA sales or member relations managers (see "Contact Us" area).
About BPA Worldwide
A not-for-profit organization since 1931, BPA Worldwide is governed by a
tripartite board comprised of media owners, advertising agencies and
advertisers. Headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut, USA, BPA has the largest
membership of any media-auditing organization in the world, spanning more
than 20 countries. Worldwide, BPA serves 3,000 media properties—including
more than 2,000 B-to-B publications, more than 600 consumer magazines and
newspapers, more than 300 Web sites, plus events, email newsletters,
databases, wireless and other advertiser-supported media—as well as more
than 2,600 advertiser and agency members. Visit www.bpaww.com for the
latest audit reports, membership information and publishing and advertising
industry news.
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