This article was posted in January 2019.
The USPS is offering 2% discount on postage, despite upcoming price increase.
At the end of this month, the United States Postal Service will institute its largest increase in price of postage since 1991. How will that affect your direct mail marketing budget for the year ahead?
If you’re looking for innovative ways to save money, the USPS is offering six direct mail promotions in 2019 that will help your bottom line. Here is a general overview of each promotion; in the coming months, look for more detailed descriptions and suggestions on how to leverage these initiatives.
1. 2019 Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion
Promotion Period: February 1 – July 31, 2019
Registration Period: December 15, 2018 – July 31, 2019
Enhance your mailpiece with specialty inks, sensory elements, textured papers, and other folds or dimensional elements!
Discount Amount:
2% of eligible postage. The discount is calculated in PostalOne!® and applied to the postage statement at the time of mailing. The 2% discount is deducted from the postage amounts of qualifying product categories that are paid at the time of mailing. Normal postage prices listed in the published Price List (Notice 123) apply to the mailing and the discount is applied to those prices.
Eligible Mail:
- Standard Mail® letters and flats
- Nonprofit Standard Mail letters and flats
2. 2019 Emerging and Advanced Technology Promotion
Promotion Period: March 1 – August 31, 2019
Registration Period: January 15 – August 31, 2019
Incorporate technologies such as “Enhanced” Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality, Near Field Communication (NFC), Video in Print (ViP) featuring Shoppable Video, Integration with Digital Assistants, and Addressable TV technology application in their direct mail campaigns.
Discount Amount:
2% of eligible postage. The discount is calculated in PostalOne!® and applied to the postage statement at the time of mailing. The 2% discount is deducted from the postage amounts of qualifying product categories that are paid at the time of mailing. Normal postage prices listed in the published Price List (Notice 123) apply to the mailing and the discount is applied to those prices.
Eligible Mail Classes:
- First-Class Mail® presort & automation letters, cards & flats
- USPS Marketing Mail™ letters and flats
- Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail™ letters and flats
Ineligible Mail Classes:
- Periodicals
- Bound Printed Matter
- Media Mail
*Only one promotion discount can be applied to a mailpiece or mailing. The use of multiple qualifying technologies and/or print treatments on or within a mailpiece will not increase the discount amount.
3. 2019 Earned Value Promotion
Promotion Period: April 1 – June 30, 2019
Registration Period: February 15 – March 31, 2019
Mailers who register their Mailer ID (MID) information and use eligible Intelligent Mail barcodes on their Business Reply Mail (BRM), Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM), and Share Mail pieces may receive a postage credit for each mailpiece that is placed in the mailstream by the recipient and scanned during the promotion period.
Earned Value Credits:
New Participants
$0.03 credit for each BRM, CRM, and/or Share Mail piece counted based on their enrolled MID
Participants from the 2017 Earned Value Promotion
$0.03 credit for each BRM, CRM, and/or Share Mail piece counted based on meeting or exceeding a 95% of volume(threshold)counted for the same MID from April 1st through June 30th, 2018.
$0.00 for each BRM, CRM, and Share Mail piece counted when mailers DO NOT meet their 95%of volume (threshold)counted for the same MID from April 1st June 30th, 2018.
Credits are available for their use once they have been released to the respective permit(s).
Eligible Mail Classes:
- BRM
- CRM
- Share Mail
4. 2019 Personalized Color Transpromo Promotion
Promotion Period: July 1 – December 31, 2019
Registration Period: May 15 – December 31, 2019
This promotion is for mailers of bills and statements. Use color messaging in order to create a greater connection to and response from consumers.
Discount Amount:
2% of eligible postage. The discount is calculated in PostalOne!® and applied to the postage statement at the time of mailing.
Eligible Mail:
- First-Class Mail commercial letters that are part of an IMb Full-Service mailing.
Ineligible Mail:
- Any mailpieces not sent in an IMb Full-Service mailing
- All USPS Marketing Mail™
- Periodicals
- Bound Printed Matter
- Media Mail®
- First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail Parcels
- First-Class Mail cards and flats
Mailpiece Content Restrictions:
Bills and statements only
5. 2019 Mobile Shopping Promotion
Promotion Period: August 1 – December 31, 2019
Registration Period: June 15 – December 31, 2019
Integrate mobile technology with direct mail to create a convenient method for consumers to do their online shopping. Using technology platforms such as Quick Response (QR) Codes, Snap Tags, Watermarks, and other advanced technologies to launch consumers into online shopping experiences is a great combination of the power of print solutions and web-based shopping portals.
Discount Amount:
2% off eligible postage. The discount is calculated in PostalOne!® and applied to the postage statement at the time of mailing. The 2% discount is deducted from the postage amounts of qualifying product categories that are paid at the time of mailing. Normal postage prices listed in the published Price List (Notice 123) apply to the mailing and the discount is applied to those prices
Eligible Mail:
- USPS Marketing Mail™ letters and flats
- Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail™ letters and flats
Ineligible Mail:
- All First-Class Mail
- Periodicals (includes Pending Periodicals mail)
- Bound Printed Matter
- Media Mail
Mailpiece Requirements:
All qualifying mail must contain a barcode or other technology that allows the user to engage in an electronic shopping experience.
6. 2019 Informed Delivery Promotion
Promotion Period: September 1 – November 30, 2019
Registration Period: July 15 – November 30, 2019
Incorporate the USPS’s own omni-channel tool for mail, the Informed Delivery platform, into your direct mail campaign.Discount Amount:
2% of eligible postage. The discount is calculated in PostalOne!® and applied to the postage statement at the time of mailing. The 2% discount is deducted from the postage amounts of qualifying product categories that are paid at the time of mailing. Normal postage prices listed in the published Price List (Notice 123) apply to the mailing and the discount is applied to those prices.
Eligible Mail**
- First-Class Mail® presort & automation letters, cards & flats
- USPS Marketing Mail™ letters and flats
- Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail™ letters and flats
* Images are only provided for letter-sized mailpieces that are processed through USPS’ automated equipment
**At this time mailings associated with single piece Informed Delivery campaigns are not eligible for a promotional discount under the 2019 ID Promotion.
For general information and more details on all of the above, visit Postal Pro here.
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