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Sending Political Campaign Mail at USPS Bulk Postage Rates
Scott HochbergPostage $aver Software
Political candidates and campaigns can send mail at the same bulk mail rates that businesses can use. There are a few extra steps that USPS requires to help make sure political mail gets delivered in a timely manner (though bulk mail is always a secondary service, with no particular deadline for delivery).
You need to know:
- If you're mailing to everyone in an area, "Every Door Direct Mail" has very low postage rates and requires very little preparation.
- If you're mailing to a targeted list, you should use USPS Marketing Mail.
- Political bulk mail is usually considered to be commercial mail and is not eligible for nonprofit rates. However, mailings sent by national and state party committees can qualify as nonprofit, as can some materials mailed by voter registration officials.
- For the best delivery, be sure to follow the special instructions for political candidate mail.
More details, including rates, below:
Political mailings using Every Door Direct Mail.Political mailings using Marketing Mail.Special Instructions for Political Mailings.Postage Rates for Political Mail.Political Mailings Using "Every Door Direct Mail"
"Every Door Direct Mail" (EDDM) is the cheapest and easiest way to mail to every residential address in an area. The postal carrier simply puts one piece in every mail box on their route (just like grocery ads).
It's simple for you, because you don't have to address the pieces, or even have an address list. And, unlike all other bulk mail, you don't have to sort the mail in any order and no USPS mailing permit is required.
It's cheap for USPS to handle, because they don't have to worry about getting the correct piece to the correct recipient. USPS passes that savings on to you, charging just no more than 26.2¢ per piece for pieces up to 12" x 15". Large pieces like this would cost $1.20 each to mail if you used regular First Class!
Instead of addressing each piece, you just choose the postal routes where you want your mail delivered. USPS provides a nifty mapping tool to help you find the routes you want to target, and how many pieces are needed for each route.
Then you just take the correct number of pieces to USPS, with each stack of pieces marked by zip and route according to USPS rules. (The stacks are marked, not the individual pieces.)
Unfortunately, EDDM does not work well in every circumstance. Here's why EDDM may not work for your campaign:
What if EDDM won't work for you? Say your district lines don't match up well with the postal routes, or you have to send a letter-size piece, so EDDM won't really work. What then?
In that case, you get the cheapest postage rates by using "Enhanced Carrier Route Marketing Mail". To do that, each piece will need an address, and pieces will need to be sorted in the exact order that the carrier delivers the route.
While there is software that will prepare Enhanced Carrier Route mailings, it's expensive. And you'd have to make sure to keep every piece in the correct order.
Unless you know what you are doing with bulk mail, I'd recommend you use a professional mailing company to prepare mailings to every door if EDDM won't work.
Or, if it's a small mailing (or you're not trying to go to every residence), for a small increase in postage you can use regular Marketing Mail (not Enhanced Carrier Route), which does not require pieces to be sorted in carrier route order.
Keep reading to learn about regular Marketing Mail.
It's simple for you, because you don't have to address the pieces, or even have an address list. And, unlike all other bulk mail, you don't have to sort the mail in any order and no USPS mailing permit is required.
It's cheap for USPS to handle, because they don't have to worry about getting the correct piece to the correct recipient. USPS passes that savings on to you, charging just no more than 26.2¢ per piece for pieces up to 12" x 15". Large pieces like this would cost $1.20 each to mail if you used regular First Class!
Instead of addressing each piece, you just choose the postal routes where you want your mail delivered. USPS provides a nifty mapping tool to help you find the routes you want to target, and how many pieces are needed for each route.
Then you just take the correct number of pieces to USPS, with each stack of pieces marked by zip and route according to USPS rules. (The stacks are marked, not the individual pieces.)
Unfortunately, EDDM does not work well in every circumstance. Here's why EDDM may not work for your campaign:
- You cannot use EDDM for letter-size pieces, half-sheet cards, or any mail that is not larger than 6 1/8" vertically or 10 1/2" wide. (It does not have to be both.) If you absolutely want to send letter-size pieces, this is a dealbreaker for EDDM. But since the postage rates are so low, it may well be worth spending a bit more on printing to send a piece large enough to qualify for EDDM, especially since larger pieces get more attention.
- You must mail to an entire carrier's route. Since postal routes don't line up with political districts, some of your mail may end up going to households outside of your boundaries.
- If you mail more than 5,000 pieces to any zip code one any day, you need a bulk mailing permit and must meet more complicated preparation requirements.
What if EDDM won't work for you? Say your district lines don't match up well with the postal routes, or you have to send a letter-size piece, so EDDM won't really work. What then?
In that case, you get the cheapest postage rates by using "Enhanced Carrier Route Marketing Mail". To do that, each piece will need an address, and pieces will need to be sorted in the exact order that the carrier delivers the route.
While there is software that will prepare Enhanced Carrier Route mailings, it's expensive. And you'd have to make sure to keep every piece in the correct order.
Unless you know what you are doing with bulk mail, I'd recommend you use a professional mailing company to prepare mailings to every door if EDDM won't work.
Or, if it's a small mailing (or you're not trying to go to every residence), for a small increase in postage you can use regular Marketing Mail (not Enhanced Carrier Route), which does not require pieces to be sorted in carrier route order.
Keep reading to learn about regular Marketing Mail.
Political Mailings Using USPS Marketing Mail
Marketing Mail is the most popular type of USPS bulk mail. It's what's typically used for targeted political mailings where you don't have many pieces to any one particular postal route.
You'll typically pay 26.3¢ - 35.5¢ for regular business envelopes or half-sheet cards, and 43.6¢ - 88.1¢ for larger pieces. See more rate details below.
Unfortunately, to get these rates, you can't just take your mail to the post office. You have to get a mailing permit, sort your mail into specific trays or sacks the way USPS wants them, and fill out paperwork.
Unless you're mailing to just one zip code, the sorting and postage calculations can get complicated, so to do this in-house, you'll need software like our Postage $aver Pro that will figure all of that out for you. Or, if you'd rather have someone do it for you, try one of these local print/mail shops that use Postage $aver Pro to prepare bulk mail for a small fee.
If you think Marketing Mail will work for you, here are more details on geting started with USPS Marketing Mail.
You'll typically pay 26.3¢ - 35.5¢ for regular business envelopes or half-sheet cards, and 43.6¢ - 88.1¢ for larger pieces. See more rate details below.
Unfortunately, to get these rates, you can't just take your mail to the post office. You have to get a mailing permit, sort your mail into specific trays or sacks the way USPS wants them, and fill out paperwork.
Unless you're mailing to just one zip code, the sorting and postage calculations can get complicated, so to do this in-house, you'll need software like our Postage $aver Pro that will figure all of that out for you. Or, if you'd rather have someone do it for you, try one of these local print/mail shops that use Postage $aver Pro to prepare bulk mail for a small fee.
If you think Marketing Mail will work for you, here are more details on geting started with USPS Marketing Mail.
Special Instructions for Political Mailings
USPS is aware that political mail is time-critical. Even though they don't promise delivery in a certain number of days, they don't want it hanging around the sorting center, either.
To make sure they can spot a tray or sack of political mail, USPS has special red tags that you should attach. You should be able to get these from any post office, and attach them with a rubber band to each tray or sack of political mail that you submit.
There is also a Political Mailing Notice web form that you should fill out to let USPS know that you are bringing in a political mailing. This gives USPS the chance to catch any issues with the piece or with the postage calculations before you actually get to the post office or bulk mail center. They ask for two days' notice, but the form is voluntary so any advance notice you give them is appreciated.
To make sure they can spot a tray or sack of political mail, USPS has special red tags that you should attach. You should be able to get these from any post office, and attach them with a rubber band to each tray or sack of political mail that you submit.
There is also a Political Mailing Notice web form that you should fill out to let USPS know that you are bringing in a political mailing. This gives USPS the chance to catch any issues with the piece or with the postage calculations before you actually get to the post office or bulk mail center. They ask for two days' notice, but the form is voluntary so any advance notice you give them is appreciated.
Postage Rates for Political Mailings
As discussed above, political campaign mail is generally mailed as either "Every Door Direct Mail" (EDDM) or USPS Marketing Mail (bulk mail). There is no single postage rate that applies to all EDDM or all Marketing Mail. In fact, in any Marketing Mail mailing, you may pay different postage rates on different pieces, depending on where the pieces are going.
For budgeting purposes, here are some examples of what you would pay.
Normal envelopes or cards:
(up to 6⅛" x 11½")
Oversized envelopes or cards:
(larger in either dimension than 6⅛" x 11½", up to 12" x 15")
If you already have a targeted list you want to mail to, we recommend you download a free trial copy of our Postage Saver Pro software, and run your list through it. It will figure out the exact postage you'd pay for mailing that specific list, and let you try various options.
For budgeting purposes, here are some examples of what you would pay.
Normal envelopes or cards:
(up to 6⅛" x 11½")
- Regular retail First Class using stamps: 60¢.
- Regular retail First Class using a postage meter or electronic postage: 57¢.
- Every Door Direct Mail: Available only for larger pieces. See oversized rates below.
- Enhanced Carrier Route Marketing Mail:
To at least 90% of the residences on a postal route ("saturation" rate): 17.9¢ - 20.9¢.
Preparation by a professional mail preparer recommended;
- Presorted First Class Postcards:
For targeted mailings of cards up to 6" x 9", 500 pc. minimum, faster service than Marketing Mail: 32.7¢ - 37.2¢.
Use software like Postage $aver Pro to prepare the mailing.
- Regular Marketing Mail ("bulk mail"):
For targeted mailings, 200 pc. minimum: 26.3¢ - 35.5¢.
Use software like Postage $aver Pro to prepare the mailing.
Oversized envelopes or cards:
(larger in either dimension than 6⅛" x 11½", up to 12" x 15")
- Regular retail First Class using stamps, meter or electronic postage: $1.20
- Every Door Direct Mail
To every residential door on a postal route:
18.7¢ without a permit (retail).
18.2¢ - 26.2¢ with a permit.
- Enhanced Carrier Route Marketing Mail:
To at least 90% of the residences on a postal route ("saturation" rate): 18.1¢ - 26.1¢.
Preparation by a professional mail preparer recommended.
- Regular Marketing Mail ("bulk mail"):
For targeted mailings, 200 pc. minimum: 43.6¢ - 88.1¢.
If you have 150 pieces or more to the same zip code: 43.6¢ - 61.1¢.
If you have 150 pieces or more to zips with the same first 3-digits: 59.0¢ - 73.6¢.
Use software like Postage $aver Pro to prepare the mailing.
If you already have a targeted list you want to mail to, we recommend you download a free trial copy of our Postage Saver Pro software, and run your list through it. It will figure out the exact postage you'd pay for mailing that specific list, and let you try various options.
