For direct mail marketers, postage is a significant part of any campaign budget. But the cost of mailing doesn’t have to be the end of the conversation.
USPS offers annual promotions designed to encourage marketers to experiment with new technologies, create more engaging mailpieces, strengthen customer relationships, and integrate physical mail with digital experiences. In return, qualifying campaigns can receive postage discounts.
With several 2026 promotions still available through the end of the year, now is a good time to look at what’s still on the table and determine whether any of these opportunities fit your upcoming campaigns.
2026 Integrated Technology Promotion
Promotion period: Choose six consecutive months within 2026
Discount: 5%
Registration: Through December 31, 2026
The Integrated Technology Promotion is designed for mailers incorporating emerging technology into their direct mail campaigns.
Eligible technologies include:
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- Near Field Communication (NFC)
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- Video in Print
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- Augmented Reality
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- Mixed Reality
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- Virtual Reality
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- Voice Assistant integration
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- Mobile Shopping
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- Artificial Intelligence
The idea isn’t simply to put technology on a mailpiece for technology’s sake. The strongest applications use technology to extend the physical mail experience, giving recipients an easy way to move from the mailbox to a digital interaction.
For example, a mailpiece might invite a recipient to use their smartphone to access an interactive experience, explore additional content, shop online, or engage with a brand in a way that wouldn’t be possible through print alone.
The promotion provides a 5% discount on eligible First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats; USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats; and Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats.
If you’re planning a campaign for the second half of 2026, the timing is important: the promotion allows participants to select their own six-consecutive-month period, so there’s still an opportunity to build a qualifying campaign around it.
2026 Continuous Contact Promotion
Promotion period: April 1–December 31, 2026
Discount: 5% on qualifying follow-up mailings
Registration: Through December 31, 2026
The Continuous Contact Promotion takes a different approach.
Instead of rewarding a single mailpiece, it encourages marketers to think about direct mail as an ongoing conversation.
The promotion applies to qualifying follow-up mailings sent to the same addresses. Those follow-up pieces need to complement or build upon the initial mailing rather than simply duplicate it.
The initial mailing does not receive the discount, but qualifying consecutive mailings can receive a 5% postage discount. Eligible mail includes USPS Marketing Mail and Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats.
This creates an opportunity to rethink the traditional one-and-done campaign.
A nonprofit might send an initial appeal followed by a reminder and then a stewardship or impact piece. A retailer could introduce an offer, follow up with related messaging, and then send a final reminder. A B2B marketer might use a sequence of mailpieces to introduce a service, provide additional information, and encourage a next step.
The larger strategic idea is consistency.
Instead of asking one mailpiece to do all the work, build a series where each touchpoint has a purpose.
2026 First-Class Mail Advertising Promotion
Promotion period: September 1–December 31, 2026
Registration: July 15–December 31, 2026
Discount: 5%
This promotion is particularly timely for marketers planning fall and holiday campaigns.
The First-Class Mail Advertising Promotion encourages the use of First-Class Mail for advertising and marketing purposes. Eligible First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats can receive a 5% postage discount when they meet the promotion requirements.
First-Class Mail can be particularly useful when marketers want to combine advertising with the reliability and characteristics associated with First-Class service.
With the promotion beginning September 1, marketers planning fall fundraising, membership, acquisition, holiday, or promotional campaigns should be talking with their print and mail partners now.
Don’t Forget the Add-Ons
One of the more interesting changes to the 2026 promotion structure is the introduction of Add-Ons.
Rather than choosing between a promotion and an additional feature, qualifying mailers can pair a base promotion with an eligible Add-On to increase the potential postage savings.
USPS currently offers two 2026 Add-Ons:
Informed Delivery Add-On
Available: Throughout 2026
Discount: 1%
Additional eDoc incentive: 0.5%
Informed Delivery brings a digital component to physical mail by allowing recipients to interact with mail through their digital experience.
Eligible mail includes qualifying First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail pieces, including nonprofit mail in specified categories.
For marketers already thinking about omnichannel campaigns, this can be an opportunity to connect the physical mailpiece with a digital experience without treating the two channels as separate campaigns.
Sustainability Add-On
Available: Throughout 2026
Discount: 1%
The Sustainability Add-On rewards qualifying mailpieces that use paper from a certifiable, responsible source.
Eligible mail includes First-Class Mail letters, cards, and flats; Marketing Mail letters and flats; and Nonprofit Marketing Mail letters and flats.
For organizations already incorporating responsible paper sourcing into their print strategy, this may provide an additional opportunity to reduce postage while supporting their sustainability goals.
Think Beyond the Discount
The biggest mistake marketers can make with postal promotions is treating them simply as a way to save money.
The more interesting opportunity is to use them as a reason to rethink the campaign itself.
Could your next campaign benefit from a digital component?
Could a series of mailings create a stronger customer journey?
Could First-Class Mail make sense for an upcoming advertising campaign?
Could you incorporate sustainably sourced paper into your next mailing?
The discount can be the incentive to try something new, but the real value comes from creating a better mail experience.
Plan the Promotion Before You Design the Mailpiece
Postal promotions shouldn’t be something you discover after the creative is finished.
Eligibility requirements can influence everything from the technology or finishing technique you choose to the type of mailpiece you produce.
That’s why it’s important to involve your printer and mail partner early in the process.
USPS requires promotion participants to submit mailpiece samples through the My Products Portal for pre-approval. Planning ahead gives your team time to confirm that the concept meets the applicable requirements before the campaign moves into production.
The USPS requirements and eligibility rules can also change from one promotion to another, so marketers should review the current guidebook for the specific promotion they’re pursuing rather than relying on general assumptions.
There’s Still Time to Put These Promotions to Work
The 2026 USPS promotion calendar isn’t over yet.
With Integrated Technology, Continuous Contact, and First-Class Mail Advertising still available for qualifying campaigns, along with the Informed Delivery and Sustainability Add-Ons, marketers have several opportunities to make their remaining 2026 mailings more strategic.
The key is to start early.
Talk to your printer. Look at your upcoming campaigns. Determine whether a promotion aligns naturally with your goals, and build the requirements into the campaign from the beginning.
Because the best postal promotion strategy isn’t simply about finding a discount.
It’s about finding the right opportunity to make your next piece of mail work harder.
