What Is Marketing Mail? Your Guide to Postage Savings

If you’re sending high volumes of promotional content that does not contain personalized business information, then you may wish to do so using the USPS’s Marketing Mail class.

It offers lower postage prices than First-Class Mail, which makes it a good choice for direct marketers.

But what is it? How does it work? And how can your organization qualify to use it?

Read on to learn more about the types of mailings you can send in this class, and to discover some tips on how to make your Marketing Mail mailings more efficient.

What Is Marketing Mail?

USPS Marketing Mail is a mail class that best suits businesses and organizations sending promotional content in bulk.

Mailings of over 200 pieces or over 50 pounds that are not already classified as First-Class Mail or as Periodicals can be sent at Marketing Mail rates.

This mail class is used for mailings that are not time-sensitive, such as advertisements, marketing offers, and customer outreach campaigns.

Marketing Mail offers a lower postage rate than First-Class Mail. This is a big advantage, although in exchange for these cost savings, Marketing Mail delivery timelines are slower and forwarding and return services are not included.

To qualify for USPS Marketing Mail pricing, mailings must meet specific requirements related to volume, preparation, and content, which we’ll go over more in-depth later in the blog.

Types of Marketing Mail

Depending on your needs, various different types of Marketing Mail may be best suited for your organization. In this section, we’ll go over them more in-depth, so you can decide what works best for you:

Letters

What Are Marketing Mail Letters?

Marketing Mail letters are pieces of Marketing Mail that meet letter-size requirements for dimensions, weight, and formatting.

This category allows these pieces to qualify for lower prices than flats, and is thus often used for promotional offers, customer retention campaigns, membership renewals, and personalized outreach, among other contexts.

What Are the Size Requirements for Marketing Mail Letters?

Like all USPS letters, Marketing Mail letters must be:

• Rectangular in shape.
• Between 3 1/2 and 6 1/8 inches high.
• Between 5 and 11 1/2 inches long.
• Between 0.007 and 1/4 inches thick.

Also according to USPS standards, each Marketing Mail letter must weigh less than 3.5 ounces to qualify for machinable prices. Nonmachinable Marketing Mail letters can weigh up to 16 ounces.

How Can I Get Discounted Prices for Marketing Mail Letters?

Automation Marketing Mail and Nonprofit Mail allows organizations to obtain lower price tiers. We’ll go over the requirements that letters need to meet to qualify for these categories later in the article.

Flats

What Are Marketing Mail Flats?

Marketing Mail flats are mailpieces that are larger than standard letters but still fall within USPS flat-size requirements.

They are often used when a business needs more space for images or messaging.

They may also be used when an organization does not want to fold materials into a letter-sized envelope.

What Are the Size Requirements for Marketing Mail Flats?

Marketing Mail flats, along with all USPS flats, must adhere to certain size guidelines.

First, flats must meet at least one of the following dimensions:

• At least 6 1/8 inches high.
• At least 11 1/2 inches long.
• At least 1/4 inch thick.

Flats do not have to meet all of those requirements, they just have to adhere to at least one of them.

Second, flats must adhere to all of the following maximum dimensions:

• No more than 12 inches high.
• No more than 15 inches long.
• No more than 3/4 inch thick.

Flats must weigh less than 16 ounces, and flats, like letters, must be rectangular.

Automation Mail

What Is Automation Marketing Mail?

Automation Marketing Mail refers to groups of Marketing Mail that have been prepared to meet USPS standards for machine processing.

Because these mailpieces can move through USPS equipment more efficiently, they often qualify for lower postage rates than nonautomation mail.

When Should I Use Automation Marketing Mail?

Discounts with this price tier can be significant, especially with larger mailings. Because of this, we recommend that organizations seriously consider ensuring their mailings qualify for automation rates whenever possible.

How Can I Prepare My Marketing Mail to Qualify for Automation Rates?

All mailings sent under Automation Mail must meet the following requirements:

• A minimum mailing size. For Marketing Mail, this is 200 pieces.
• Use of the IMB for each mailpiece.
• An address list that has been checked with CASS-certified software in the last 180 days.
• Each piece must contain the correct address with either a zip code, zip+4 code, or a numeric equivalent to the delivery point barcode.
• No protrusions (such as clasps or buttons), shrink wrap, polywrap, or polybags.

Nonautomation Marketing Mail

What Is Nonautomation Marketing Mail?

This mail class is for pieces that do not meet USPS automation requirements.

Because these mailpieces cannot move through USPS processing as efficiently, they usually have higher postage rates than automation mail.

What Types of Mailpieces Are Considered Nonautomation?

Marketing Mail pieces may fall into the nonautomation tier for a couple of different reasons, including:

• Not using CASS-certified software.
• Not adhering to weight and dimension requirements.
• Including protrusions, such as clasps or additional items inside of an envelope.

When Should I Use Nonautomation Marketing Mail?

Nonautomation mail may be used when design flexibility is more important than postage savings. Oversized pieces, unusual formats, or highly customized campaigns may fall into this category.

The tradeoff for this flexibility in presentation is that nonautomation mail costs more in postage. However, if your campaign requires a specific presentation that automation standards cannot support, it may still be the right choice.

Nonprofit Marketing Mail

What is Nonprofit Marketing Mail?

Eligible nonprofit organizations can qualify for special rates for promotional and fundraising mailings.

These reduced postage rates help nonprofits manage outreach costs while maintaining regular communication with donors, members, and supporters.

When Should I Use Nonprofit Marketing Mail?

This mail class is commonly used for:

• Fundraising appeals.
• Awareness campaigns.
• Event promotions.
• Membership communications.

Because many nonprofit organizations rely on recurring mail campaigns, postage savings with Nonprofit Mail can make a significant difference over time, and we recommend taking advantage of this mail class if you can.

Who Qualifies for Nonprofit Marketing Mail?

Organizations must apply for and receive authorization from the USPS to use this mail class.

Not every organization will qualify. The USPS’s list of groups that are often eligible include:

• Agricultural organizations.
• Educational organizations.
• Fraternal organizations.
• Labor organizations.
• Philanthropic organizations.
• Religious organizations.
• Scientific organizations.
• Veterans organizations.

Some groups that are usually ineligible include:

• Business leagues.
• Chambers of commerce.
• Social and hobby clubs.

Certain political organizations are eligible for these prices, while others are not.

How Can I Qualify to Use Nonprofit Marketing Mail?

Organizations wishing to use Nonprofit Mail must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Include the text “NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION”, “NONPROFIT ORG”, or “NONPROFIT” on or adjacent to the postage.
• Include the name and address of the mailing organization on the envelope.
• If there are products within the mailings, they must be low cost, donated, or periodicals published at least 4 times a year.
• The mailings must not contain certain kinds of advertising.

 

What Qualifies as Marketing Mail?

Marketing Mail pieces must meet specific USPS requirements for volume, preparation, content, and format.

What Types of Materials Are Sent as Marketing Mail?

This mail class is designed for advertising, customer outreach, and brand awareness. It is frequently used for mailpieces such as:

• Sales letters.
• Promotional flyers.
• Product catalogs.
• Coupons and special offers.
• Retail announcements.
• Event invitations.
• Newsletters.

What Guidelines Do Marketing Mail Mailings Need to Follow?

Mailpieces must be properly addressed, sorted, and prepared according to USPS standards.

Size, weight, and design are also important, and each piece must meet USPS guidelines for letters or flats, depending on the format being mailed.

These are some of the requirements organizations must adhere to in order to use this mail class:

• Minimum volume thresholds
  Mailers must meet USPS minimum quantity requirements for bulk mailing. For Marketing Mail, the minimum quantity is 200 pieces.
• Permits
  Mailers must obtain a business mail permit in order to send mailings with this mail clas.
• Mailpiece formatting rules
  Pieces must meet USPS size and weight requirements for either letters or flats. Layout also matters, including address placement, return address formatting, and barcode clear zones.
• Does not meet the standards for First-Class Mail or Periodicals
  Certain mailings have special requirements and, thus, must be prepared as First-Class Mail or Periodicals instead of Marketing Mail.

What Does Not Qualify As Marketing Mail?

What Might Make My Mailpieces Ineligible for Marketing Mail?

As mentioned above, certain pieces are required to be mailed as First-Class Mail or Periodicals.

Some materials that must be sent using First-Class Mail include:

• Typewritten or handwritten materials.
• Bills or statements of account.
• Material that has personal information, unless that personal information is the same across at least 200 mailpieces or the personal information is exclusively used to support advertising or solicitation.
• Credit cards.
• Personalized business correspondence.
• Materials sealed or otherwise closed against inspection.

In other words, if a mailpiece is primarily transactional or personal, it usually belongs in First-Class Mail.

What Are Examples of Items That Can’t Be Sent With Marketing Mail?

More specifically, the following items, among others, would be sent with First-Class Mail:

• Invoices and bills.
• Account statements requiring immediate attention.
• Tax documents.
• Checks and financial statements.

First-Class Mail is used for important business communications where timing and reliability are key concerns.

 

Marketing Mail vs. First-Class Mail

These two mail classes serve very different purposes, but they are both frequently used in business mailings.

We’ll recommend the right choice for you, depending on the type of mail being sent, how quickly it needs to arrive, and how important postage cost is to the overall campaign.

How Does Delivery Speed Differ Between First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail?

First-Class Mail is designed for faster delivery and receives higher processing priority from USPS.

It is typically used for time-sensitive mail like statements, legal notices, bills, and important customer communications.

Marketing Mail moves more slowly and delivery times are less predictable.

Because of this, it is better suited for promotional campaigns where exact delivery timing is not as critical.

How Does Cost Differ Between First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail?

Marketing Mail offers lower postage rates for businesses sending bulk promotional mail.

These savings can make a major difference for high-volume campaigns such as direct mail advertising, customer acquisition, and retention programs.

First-Class Mail costs more per piece, but this higher-price tier includes faster service and additional mail handling benefits.

How Do Forwarding and Return Services Differ Between First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail?

First-Class Mail includes forwarding and return services automatically when a recipient has moved or when a piece is undeliverable.

This helps ensure important documents reach the right destination or are returned to the sender.

Marketing Mail does not automatically include these services. Additional fees or service options may be required if forwarding or return handling is needed.

When Should I Use Each Type of Mail?

First-Class Mail is required for many transactional documents, including bills, statements of account, invoices, and any communications containing personalized business materials.

We recommend that First-Class Mail be used for mailpieces that require reliable delivery and quick turnaround.

Marketing Mail is best for promotional pieces such as postcards, sales letters, catalogs, coupons, and customer outreach campaigns.

It is designed to reduce postage costs while supporting large-scale marketing efforts.

Because of the savings that organizations can obtain with Marketing Mail, we recommend it be considered as long as you’re mailing materials that are not required to be sent using First-Class Mail.

Printing and Mailing Tips for Successful Marketing Mail Campaigns

The following tips can help your direct marketing campaigns go more smoothly:

Use the Right Bleed and Margin Settings

When designing printed marketing materials, make sure to incorporate bleed, referring to extra image area that extends beyond the final trim edge of a document.

This ensures that images reach the end of your documents without any awkward white space.

Another important step is to use margins during the design process.

Margins are borders within a document beyond which text boxes and other important elements are not placed. This helps prevent text from being cut off when files are printed.

Design Files in CMYK

The two most common color modes for graphic design are CMYK and RGB.

CMYK is designed for files that will be printed, while RGB is designed for media that will be displayed digitally.

When files are designed in RGB, they must be converted to CMYK before being printed. This can cause unexpected color shifts in your documents.

Using CMYK allows you to get graphic design right the first time.

Use Spot Colors

Spot colors allow print operators to make fine adjustments during production.

Using these colors for logos and other important visual brand elements lets you get as exact a color match as possible.

Optimize and Flatten PDFs Before Submission

Flattening a PDF combines layers and complex elements into a more stable format.

This allows files to be processed more efficiently by printers, and thus can speed up production times and lower errors.

Embed Fonts into Your PDFs

If fonts are not embedded into your PDFs, they may be substituted during the production process.

Not only does this affect brand consistency, but it could also lead to readability issues if the new font causes text, spacing, or line breaks to shift.

Take Advantage of CASS and the NCOA

Checking your mailing lists with CASS-certified address standardization software, along with meeting other requirements, allows your Marketing Mail to qualify for automation discounts.

Additionally, using CASS-certified software can help you reduce undeliverable mail by identifying mistakes and providing missing data before mailpieces reach the mailstream.

The NCOA records approximately 160 million permanent change of address records from home and business addresses. Checking your mailing lists against the NCOA helps you identify clients that have moved who may have done so without informing you.

D4 Solutions: Your Marketing Mail Partner

If you’re looking for an outsource direct marketing print vendor, D4 Solutions is the right fit for you.

Across 45 years of experience, we’ve gained the insights needed to help you save money and run smoother print and mail campaigns.

We prioritize open client communication and are dedicated to accuracy, which lets us get your message to your audience smoothly and on-time. We handle print and mail so that you can focus on finding more ways to improve your ROI.

Reach out to us now, and one of our print and mail experts will be in touch to discuss your needs.