FAQ

You have several options for getting your mailing list to us.

As an MPDx user:

1. You will be able to automatically connect your MPDx contacts to your online order. Before you get started, make sure your contacts are up-to-date in MPDx and that each contact has an address set as "Primary". Our process requires you to authenticate your MPDx account with each order (technically, every 30 days). See our other FAQ about how to do this.
2. You may prefer to manually export a copy of your MPDx contacts as a .csv file and attach the file to your online order.  This may be especially true if you send your letter to more than one list of contacts. See our other FAQ about how to do this.

If you do not use MPDx:

1. You are maintaining your mailing list on your computer.  You may attach an updated copy of your mailing list to the online order form.
2. You may also ask us to maintain your mailing list.  We are happy to keep a copy of your list on our computer. We will make address updates, additions, etc. for you that we receive from the Post Office.  You will need to email us any changes you have for your mailing list.

An MPDx contact that does not have an address specified as "primary" will not be included in your list of contacts that attach to your online order form. This means that even contacts that only have one address must have that address set as primary.
To make sure each contact has a primary address specified:

1. From the MPDx dashboard, select Contacts.
2. Select the name of a contact from the list of contacts.
3. Select the Addresses tab.
4. Click the star icon next to the word "Primary" for the address that should be primary.
5. Click the "yes" button in the pop-up stating that you do want that address set as primary.
6. Click the next contact name in the left column you wish to inspect.

1. After logging into your PLS website account, select Customer Profile at the top, right.
2. Scroll down to MPDx Authorization to select MPDx Authenticate.
3. Click on Authenticate and login to your MDPx account with TheKey login information.
4. Click Authorize.
5. You will then return to the PLS website and can begin an order by clicking Start order now.

Here are the steps to manually export your mailing list from MPDX:

1. From the MPDx dashboard, select Contacts.
2. Select Filters and then Newsletter recipients.
3. Under Select an Option choose Physical and Both. (Note: If the Newsletter field is not filled in, the contact will not be included in your contacts export.)
4. Check the box above the names to choose all the contacts, not just the contacts on the first page (i.e. Select all 93 contacts).
5. Select the Actions button at the top, right, next to the number of contacts selected.
6. Choose Export and select the CSV for mail merge option to save your file.

If you are using Tags to group contacts, you will first select Tags and click once on the tag you would like to sort. Then follow the step above.

You have two options for the return address on your mailing envelopes.

• Choose your own return address--Address updates are returned directly to you. If you maintain your list, you will be responsible for making these changes.  If we maintain your list, you will be responsible for emailing changes to us before submitting an order.
• Choose to use the PLS return address--Address updates are returned to the PLS office. If you maintain your list, we will email you the changes, asking you to make updates on your end before you submitting your next order. If we maintain your list, we will make the changes on your mailing list prior to printing the envelopes for a submitted order. We will email you these changes so you are aware of them.

On every other order you submit, we include the phrase "Address Service Requested" on your mailing envelopes, which instructs the post office to forward a piece of mail, but also send a postcard to the mailer with the forwarding address. The post office charges $.80 for these postcards.

If you use your own return address, you will receive these postcards and will be responsible to pay the postage due. You can set up a ‘postage due account’ at your local post office or leave payment for your postal carrier. You may opt out of this service, however you may not receive forwarding addresses.

If you use the PLS return address, we receive these postcards.  If you maintain your mailing list, we will email these updates to you to change on your end. If we maintain your mailing list, we will make the change and email the information to you, so you are aware of the change.  We add the cost of these postcards to your invoice under postage due. 

If an envelope is returned to the PLS office with no forwarding address, we will email you, hoping you are able to track down the correct address.

You have several options for getting your letter to us:

1. You may upload a file up to 100MB through the online order form. You may upload these file types: .docx, .doc, .pub, .pages, .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg.  See our FAQ on how to create a high-quality printed letter.

2. You may email your letter as an attached file. Please include the ordering details in the text of your email message. 

3. You may use whatever means works the best for you. Feel free to share your file through Google Drive, Dropbox, or any other format you're comfortable with.  See our FAQ regarding sharing via Google Drive.

Absolutely! You may begin in Google Drive or Docs and share a file with us. Share those with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to do so.

Or you may begin with your email message and insert a file using Google Drive. If you're inserting a file as a Drive link, please be sure to select Turn link sharing on.

Here are a few tips we've discovered along the way:

• .PDF files: Always choose the highest/best image quality when saving a file as a .pdf.
• .JPG/.JPEG files: We don't recommend sending this type of file as the image may be fuzzy when printed.
• Google Docs files: Note that formating may change when the file is downloaded and saved on our computer for printing. This is also true if you save a Docs file as a .docx or .pdf file on your end. Please open your saved file to check for formating changes before sending the file to us.

The Prayer Letter Service offers a discounted postage rate with non-profit postage available to only to Cru staff members. For a non-Cru mailing we can offer a bulk postage rate with a similar savings.

The advantage of this option is a discount of $.17 cents per letter. That’s a savings of $17 for 100 letters.

The disadvantages of this option include:

• These letters can take up to several weeks to arrive to your ministry partners.
• We ask that you submit your order on or before Wednesday if you are choosing non-profit postage.
• We process all of the non-profit postage orders each Friday morning. Once we have processed the letters they go to a presort center where they are sorted before entering the postal system. Once in the postal system the non-profit postage letters may take up to two weeks to be delivered.
• We must have a minimum of 200 letters to send a batch to the presort center. We often have several orders to process each Friday, so the total is over 200. However, there may be a week when we do not have 200 letters and we will need to contact you to choose another option.

To provide this discount to Cru Staff members, you are required to follow several guidelines. As our non-profit status is under Campus Crusade for Christ, Itnl. all non-profit mailings must:

1. Include the name 'Cru' on the mailing envelope, and use the 'PLS' return address.
2. Include 'Address Service Requested' on each envelope under the return address.
3. Include the name 'Cru' somewhere on the letter.

You are welcome to use the logo of your ministry on the mailing envelopes or on your letter. We include a tag line on the front of the mailing envelope with your name, so your supporters know the letter is from you.

Paper

We have many different colors and types of paper and envelopes to choose from.

The Opaque and Cougar papers are included in the basic cost of your letter. There is an additional charge for the Astrobright, Astroparche, Royal Fiber and Classic Linen papers. Many of the available papers have matching envelopes for an additional cost.

The Opaque papers come in the following pastel colors: Ivory, Cream, Gold, Yellow, Green, Blue, White, Gray, Pink and Tan. We offer matching envelopes for each color, except for Tan. These colors are also available in cardstock. White, Cream and Ivory are available in legal and booklet sizes.

We offer Cougar white paper which is a little heavier and brighter.

The Astrobright papers come in the following neon colors: Venus Violet, Celestial Blue, Lunar Blue, Pulsar Pink, Cosmic Orange, Rocket Red, Re-entry Red, Solar Yellow, Fireball Fushcia, Gamma Green, Lift-off Lemon, Martian Green, and Terrestrial Teal. We offer matching envelopes for all colors except Rocket Red and Lift-Off Lemon. These colors are also available in cardstock.

The Astroparche papers come in the following pastel colors: Blue, Gray, White (cream color) and Natural (light tan color). We offer matching envelopes for the Blue and White colors.

The Royal Fiber papers (speckled look) come in the following colors: Cream and White. We offer matching envelopes for both colors.

The Classic Linen papers come in the following colors: Natural White (light cream color) and Avon Brilliant White. We offer matching envelopes for both colors.

Envelopes

We also offer white 6 x 9.5 envelopes which are perfect for a letter folded in half.

We offer white invitation size envelopes (A2) which are perfect for a letter folded in fourths.

We also offer other special sizes of envelopes such as A7 (5.25 x 7.25), A8 (5.5 x 8.125), #6 3/4 check size, and 9 x 12 envelopes.

We can insert prayer cards, flyers, response cards/envelopes, photos; really, anything you come up with that will fit in an envelope.

Inserts meeting these requirements usually require no additional postage:

• It must fit smoothly in an envelope no larger than 6” x 9 1/2”.
• The total weight of the envelope does not exceed 1 ounce.
• The envelope is not rigid; it can still bend through the machines at the post office.

Inserts not meeting these requirements are still workable; they just require additional postage, and larger or padded envelopes. We are happy to hand insert an item for an additional $.04 per letter.

We can often greatly reduce the cost of postage by mailing these larger envelopes at a non-profit or bulk rate. You'll find more information about this under discounts.

We stock the Cru giving envelopes at the Prayer Letter Service. We are able to print your name and account number on these for you. We can also print white #9 response envelopes with any mailing address you choose. We can stamp either envelope with first class postage.

We're happy to help you figure out how to include any type of insert (books, Christmas ornaments, etc.). If you have a creative idea, feel free to contact us.

Yes! Besides prayer letters, we can mail postcards, brochures, fund appeal letters, Christmas or holiday letters, and thank you cards. Learn more about our print services.