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USPS Direct Mail Guide

Independent guide. Not affiliated with or endorsed by USPS.

USPS mailing promotions

Each year USPS offers temporary postage discounts to commercial mailers who use the mail in ways it wants to encourage. They apply to First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail, and the discount comes off eligible postage on the postage statement.

Checked 2026-11-07

The 2026 promotions

USPS's 2026 technical guide lists promotions including:

  • Integrated Technology: mailpieces that connect to digital experiences, such as scannable codes or other technology.
  • Tactile, Sensory and Interactive: pieces with special textures, scents, sounds or interactive elements.
  • Catalog Insights: for catalog mailers.
  • First-Class Mail Advertising: for advertising sent First-Class.
  • Continuous Contact: for mailers who keep mailing over consecutive months.
  • Add-ons, including Informed Delivery and Sustainability, stacked on top of a qualifying promotion.

The discounts in the 2026 guide range from 1% to 10%, depending on the promotion. Each one has its own dates, eligible mail and technical rules.

How to take part

  1. Read the technical guide for the promotion on USPS's PostalPro site. It sets out eligibility, dates and the requirements for the piece.
  2. Design the piece to qualify before you print. Most promotions depend on how the piece is built.
  3. Claim it on the postage statement using the promotion's code. Add-ons need a qualifying promotion claimed with them.

Most promotions are claimed through the commercial mailing process, so they suit mailers using a permit and presort, or a mail house that does it for them.

Are they worth it?

On a large mailing, a few percent off postage is real money. On a few thousand pieces, the extra design and paperwork can cost more than it saves. Ask your mail house which promotions it already supports.

What are USPS mailing promotions?

Temporary postage discounts for First-Class and Marketing Mail that meet a promotion's requirements, claimed on the postage statement.

How big are the discounts?

The 2026 guide lists discounts from 1% to 10%, depending on the promotion.

Can EDDM Retail mailers use promotions?

Promotions are claimed on commercial postage statements. Check the technical guide for which mail and entry methods qualify.