What You Should Know About List Rental Data Cards

Take-away tip: Determine what you can afford to pay for a list. Don't just accept the published rate.

Know the cancellation fees and terms. It's more commonplace today to charge full selection rates on cancelled orders, in addition to a flat cancellation fee and running charges.

Watch e-mail delivery charges. List owners are charging to send you their files via e-mail, and most likely your computer service bureau is charging you to get files via e-mail. Combined for each list you rent, this could cost about $100 versus a magnetic tape or cartridge fee of $15 to $25, plus shipping charges.

Service bureaus prefer e-mail. Many years ago, it was more difficult to handle e-mailed files because it was more of an exception than a rule, so they created a surcharge. Of course, this is no longer the case, but the surcharge remains.