Production runs and cutoffs
PostBuddy does not print every card on its own. Cards are collected into production runs that PostBuddy plans per type of product. Each run has a cutoff: the moment the run closes and production starts.
What happens at the cutoff
Every item that is Ready at the cutoff joins the run. From then on:
- The item becomes Scheduled for run. The suppression list is checked once more, and with prepaid billing the reserved amount becomes a charge.
- The mail is registered with PostNL, and every card is rendered and placed on print sheets.
- The files go to the printer and the item becomes In production.
- The printed mail is handed to PostNL in the handover week of the run.
- When the run is complete, the item becomes Completed.
After the cutoff you can no longer cancel or change an item in the portal. Cancel or repair before the cutoff.
Before the cutoff
Only ready items go with a run. An item that still needs attention, waits for approval, waits for funds or belongs to a paused Postflow stays behind and waits for a later run. To get it into the next run:
- Repair items that need attention. See Fix items that need attention.
- Approve items that are pending approval. See Approve items before sending.
- Top up when items wait for funds.
Owners, Admins, Editors and Approvers get a notification 24 hours before a cutoff when items still need attention. Owners, Admins and Approvers are also reminded of items that wait for approval.
Seeing the schedule
What you see depends on your plan.
| Plan | What you see |
|---|---|
| With the production run schedule | The dashboard shows the Next production run with its cutoff and the number of items queued. A Postflow shows the next cutoff and handover week, and a Postbatch lets you choose the run when you approve it. |
| Without it | The dashboard shows the Production queue: how many items wait for production. Your items go with the next run, but run dates are not shown. |
See Plans and what they include.
Problems found during production
While rendering, PostBuddy checks every card again. A card with overflowing text or an image that cannot be loaded is taken out of the run. Its charge is refunded and it returns to Needs attention, so you can repair it for a later run.
Test items never join a real production run. See Send a test item.
Open a support ticket in the portal. Tell us what you tried and, if you can, which item or Postbatch it is about.