Bulk Mail Postage Rates 2026: USPS Costs & Minimums

Current bulk-mail postage rates for letters#

These prices apply to qualifying USPS Marketing Mail advertising letters. Sending a large batch of bills or personal correspondence does not, by itself, make that mail eligible. USPS sets separate rules for which content qualifies.

A mailing must contain at least 200 pieces or 50 pounds. For the 5-digit automation price, letters must form qualifying groups of at least 150 pieces, with specific overflow exceptions. Your total campaign quantity alone does not establish that sorting qualification.

Commercial letters up to 3.5 oz — origin entry, with no destination-entry discount. Here, the provider hands the prepared mailing to USPS at its starting facility, rather than transporting it to a qualifying facility closer to the recipients. Postage only, before additional incentives.

The carrier-route prices shown require letters suitable for USPS automation and an accurate Intelligent Mail barcode, except where USPS allows simplified addressing. Nonautomation carrier-route letters have a separate price schedule.

Source: USPS Notice 123, Commercial Letters. Carrier Route & Automation table.

Automation means the letters meet USPS requirements for machine processing, including their addresses, barcodes and preparation. Carrier-route prices depend on the concentration of mail along delivery routes and the required preparation. The table is a guide to the categories; your mailing must meet the full eligibility rules and preparation standards.

Ask your provider which rows your address list and preparation qualify for. A campaign can contain pieces at different rates. Request the quantity and postage subtotal for each applicable tier.

If your provider proposes delivery to a qualifying destination facility, ask for the revised postage and any transport charge. Compare the complete quote before choosing that option.

Which mailings qualify for these rates?#

Before choosing a rate, have your provider check the content and the mailing list together. An advertising letter can qualify for Marketing Mail, but a bill or personal letter generally belongs in First-Class Mail. Adding an advertisement to a statement does not automatically change its mail class. The USPS content rules include specific exceptions for enclosures and permitted written additions.

Personal information needs a closer look. USPS permits it in Marketing Mail only when the piece explicitly advertises a product or service for sale or lease, or solicits a donation; the information directly relates to that offer; and its exclusive purpose is to support the offer. Ask your provider to check the actual document, including any account details or handwritten additions.

Use this preparation checklist before approving production:

• Mail class and format: confirm that the content, size and weight qualify for the selected schedule.
• Quantity and sorting: check both the overall mailing minimum and the requirements for each price tier. Regular and nonprofit mailings must each meet the applicable minimum.
• Addresses and barcodes: confirm the address-quality work, required Intelligent Mail barcodes and preparation. USPS's Move Update standard generally requires mailing-list updates within 95 days before mailing when claiming these commercial prices.
• Route coverage: for the carrier-route tiers in the table, high density requires at least 125 pieces per route; high density plus requires at least 300. Saturation requires coverage of at least 90% of active residential addresses or 75% of all active possible delivery addresses on each route. Walk-sequence preparation also applies. Sending multiple pieces to one address does not increase saturation coverage.
• Payment and paperwork: confirm who supplies the permit, prepares the required documentation and pays USPS.

These are checkpoints for your quote, not a substitute for the USPS eligibility and mail-preparation standards. A provider should be able to explain the qualification behind each rate it quotes.

Flats, nonprofit mail and EDDM use different prices#

The letter table is only one part of bulk-mail pricing. A larger mailpiece, nonprofit authorization or an Every Door Direct Mail campaign changes the applicable schedule. Here are three examples to help you choose the right starting point.

Source: USPS Notice 123, effective July 12, 2026. These are postage figures before additional incentives, not printing or mailing-service quotes.

Nonprofit status alone does not establish eligibility for nonprofit postage. Check the organization's USPS authorization and the matter being mailed.

For EDDM, choose between the Retail and business-mail-entry routes before budgeting. They have different preparation and entry requirements. The EDDM postage and cost guide covers that decision in more detail.

What a 1,000-letter mailing costs#

For this example, assume 1,000 eligible advertising letters within the weight limit, all in qualifying 5-digit automation groups. The mailing enters USPS at origin with no additional incentives. Your actual address list and preparation determine whether those assumptions hold.

1,000 letters × $0.395 = $395 in postage.

Use that subtotal as one line in the campaign budget:

If your list uses several price tiers, calculate a postage subtotal for each using your provider's piece counts and rates, then add those subtotals. Include design, list purchase and taxes in the campaign budget where applicable, using actual costs or quoted amounts.

Keep permit and annual fees separate#

USPS lists a $390 annual Marketing Mail mailing fee and a separate $390 permit-imprint application fee in Notice 123's business mailing fees. The application fee is a setup item; the annual fee is recurring. They are separate from per-piece postage and from each other.

Confirm whose permit the campaign uses, which postal fees you must pay, whether those fees are included in the quote, and whether an exemption applies. Include only the fees that apply to your arrangement, and check the provider's own handling charges separately.

When to use First-Class instead of Marketing Mail#

Start with the contents. If you are mailing bills, statements or personal correspondence, check the First-Class requirements before comparing advertising-mail prices. A lower number in the Marketing Mail table does not establish that your document can use it.

For ordinary letters, the First-Class Mail rates guide explains current stamp and metered postage. If a provider quotes commercial First-Class postage, ask it to identify the qualifying preparation and included services; that is a different comparison from buying a stamp.

Timing also belongs in the quote discussion. Give the provider your intended mailing and arrival dates, and ask what it can support before you approve the campaign. Postage price alone cannot answer that question.

Postmarkr's online letter service is an option for ordinary First-Class letters. It does not provide the USPS Marketing Mail, presort or EDDM service described in this guide. For an advertising campaign using these bulk rates, request a quote from a provider that handles that class of mail.

Check discounts before you approve the quote#

Use the current USPS promotions and incentives information when a provider includes an incentive in its proposal. Ask it to name the program, show how your mailing qualifies, and explain any registration, approval or mailing-date conditions.

Request a postage subtotal before incentives and a separate explanation of each proposed reduction. If the quote combines programs, ask for the applicable USPS combination rules and the final calculation. A feature such as a QR code is a reason to investigate eligibility, not a discount to put in the budget without confirmation.

Before approving the quote, check that it states:

• The mail class, format and preparation tier.
• The quantity and postage subtotal at each applicable rate.
• Where the mailing enters USPS and any transport charge.
• The printing, materials, address work and provider services included.
• Any setup or annual fees you must pay separately.
• Each proposed incentive, its conditions and the amount included in the total.