Even in a highly-digitized age, direct mail remains one of the most powerful, high-ROI solutions for making your marketing go the distance. While sending printed mail pieces can quickly rack up the costs, there’s an easy solution available: the annual postal promotions from the U.S. Postal Service.
How Postal Promotions Work
Each year, the USPS offers a handful of discounts and deals to promote the use of certain types of mail, unique features, or new technologies. With one exception (more on that in a moment), each promotion has a specific registration window and “effective” window during which you would run your relevant mail campaign. Most of the deals result in a 3% to 4% savings on First Class and/or Marketing Mail that meet the requirements of the specific promotion. Plus, for the first time in 2025, you can stack certain discounts, adding up to even more savings!
Although the postal promotions are easy to use, brands can’t just start sending mail and get the discounts! Participating in a given promotion requires filling out paperwork and submitting details of your planned campaign in order to ensure that it meets all the requirements of the promotion in question. It takes a little time and effort to get all those materials pulled together and submitted, but an experienced mailing partner like Priority can help you get it done while relieving your team of the extra stress and work.
Once it’s approved and your campaign is ready to go, you get to sit back and reap the savings!
2025 Postal Promotions
Here’s a brief overview of the 2025 postal promotions, complete with their requirements and timelines:
- Integrated Technology: Marketing Mail letters and flats; First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats; and Non-Profit Marketing Mail letters and flats that incorporate technology like enhanced AR, VR/MR, video in print, mobile shopping, AI integration, and others, can qualify for a 3% discount. Mailers can now select their own mailing schedule, as long as it runs for six consecutive months during the 2025 calendar year. Registration is open all year.
- Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive: Marketing Mail letters and flats and First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats that use enhanced techniques (specialty inks, sensory treatments, interactive elements) can qualify for a 4% discount between Feb. 1 and Jul. 31. Registration begins Dec. 15, 2024.
- Continuous Contact: Marketing Mail and Non-Profit Marketing Mail letters and flats that contain targeted follow-up content after an initial mailer are eligible for a 3% discount between Apr. 1 and Dec. 31. Registration begins Feb. 15, 2025.
- Reply Mail IMbA: First-Class Mail presort and automation letters that use static IMbA can qualify for a 3% discount, and pieces that use serialized IMbA can qualify for a 6% discount, between Jul. 1 and Dec. 31. Registration begins May 15, 2025.
- First-Class Mail Advertising: First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats featuring advertisements or marketing messages can qualify for a 3% discount between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31. Registration begins July 15, 2025.
This year, in addition to the five promotions above, the USPS is offering two “add-ons” that can be combined with the primary promotions for an additional discount. Mailers may add one or both add-ons to a single campaign, provided that all the requirements of the primary promotion and the add-on(s) are met and documented. Registration must be submitted at the same time as the primary promotion.
- Informed Delivery: Mail pieces that qualify under their primary promotion can receive an additional 1% discount for using the USPS Informed Delivery omni-channel feature. Use of the eDoc Postage Statement Submitter tool earns an additional 0.5% incentive.
- Sustainability: Mail pieces that qualify under their primary promotion can receive an additional 1% discount for demonstrating the paper used in the mailings is responsibly sourced and sustainability produced by exhibiting an eligible certification.
Why spend more than you have to? The 2025 Postal Promotions can add up to big savings, and Priority is here to help! Talk to us ahead of your next direct mail campaign to learn how we can help you navigate the specifics, trim costs, and increase your ROI.
