With the 2025 USPS promotions just around the corner, now is the perfect time to review what’s new, what’s staying the same, and how you can start preparing to maximize these promotions and make every mailpiece count. Whether you’re a seasoned participant or a newcomer, understanding these changes and opportunities will help you optimize your direct mail strategy and Do Something! to proactively address changes in the DFA plan.
What You Should Be Doing Now to Maximize 2025 Promotions
Now is the time to start thinking about 2025 USPS promotions. Here are steps you should take so you (and your customers, if you are a mail service provider) are ahead of the curve when the new year approaches:
- Early Registration: Start registering for the USPS Mailing Promotions Portal now. Pre-approval and registration are required for most promotions, so getting ahead will save time and prevent delays.
- Evaluate Your Mailpiece Designs: Review your current and planned designs to ensure they align with the promotion requirements. Focus on adding qualifying technologies, tactile elements, or advertising features that will make your mail eligible for discounts. It’s not unlikely that many of the mailings you already use qualify for discounts.
- Leverage Add-Ons: Explore the USPS add-on features like Informed Delivery® or sustainability efforts that offer additional savings. Integrating these into your campaigns can enhance engagement and further reduce mailing costs.
- Plan for Technology Integration: If you’re aiming to participate in tech-based promotions, such as the Integrated Technology Promotion, now is the time to experiment with QR codes, Augmented Reality (AR), or other interactive technologies.
- Prepare Samples for Approval: Pre-approval is mandatory for many of these promotions. Ensure you have prototypes ready to submit by early 2025, giving yourself ample time for any required adjustments.
What’s New in 2025?
1. Enhanced Add-Ons
For 2025, USPS has expanded the use of add-ons like Informed Delivery® and Sustainability Features. Mailers who use these add-ons can boost their discount percentage by 1-2% on top of the base promotion discount. Informed Delivery® enables businesses to reach customers digitally through email previews of physical mail, while the Sustainability add-on showcases environmentally conscious mail materials.
2. Flexible Timelines for Technology-Based Promotions
The Integrated Technology Promotion offers flexibility, allowing participants to select their promotion start date anytime during the calendar year. Once selected, the discount runs for six consecutive months. This change provides businesses with more control over campaign timing, letting them align the promotion with their broader marketing strategy.
3. Continuous Contact Focus
The Continuous Contact Promotion, new for 2025, incentivizes follow-up mailings to the same recipient. By sending additional touchpoints that build on the original message, mailers can receive a 3% discount on subsequent mailings, encouraging sustained customer engagement throughout the year.
What’s the Same?
1. Pre-Approval and Registration Requirements
As in previous years, nearly all promotions require participants to register through the USPS Mailing Promotions Portal. Additionally, pre-approval of mailpieces is mandatory to ensure compliance with promotion guidelines. This remains a critical step for mailers looking to claim discounts.
2. Focus on Engagement and Innovation
The USPS continues to prioritize innovative mail treatments and technology integration. Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive (TSI) Promotions remain a staple, encouraging brands to use sensory elements like special inks, textures, and interactive folds. Similarly, Integrated Technology remains a core focus, with discounts for mail incorporating AR, NFC, or video.
3. Discounts on First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail
Many promotions continue to offer discounts of 3-4% on First-Class Mail® and Marketing Mail®. Whether you’re using advanced technology, tactile elements, or creative advertising in First-Class Mail, the core structure of these promotions remains the same.
Steps to Get Started with USPS 2025 Promotions
Choose Your Promotions
Review the list of available promotions and determine which ones align best with your business goals. Are you focused on customer engagement? Consider the Tactile, Sensory, Interactive or Integrated Technology promotions. If your goal is repeated engagement, Continuous Contact may be ideal.
Register on the USPS Business Customer Gateway
- Visit the USPS Business Customer Gateway.
- Ensure your organization is registered under the Incentive Programs section.
- Pre-register for any promotions that require approval, such as Tactile, Sensory, Interactive, or Integrated Technology.
Pre-Approval Process
- Submit Your Mailpiece Samples: Design your mailpiece according to the promotion requirements, and upload electronic samples to the Mailing Promotions Portal. Ensure the design includes eligible elements, such as QR codes, special inks, or augmented reality triggers, depending on the promotion.
- Receive Feedback: USPS will review your samples and return any revisions necessary for approval. Allow at least four business days for this process.
Design Your Campaigns
- For technology-focused promotions like Integrated Technology, test technologies such as AR, VR, NFC, or video embedding in small pilot campaigns.
- Ensure your website or landing pages linked to the mailpiece (via QR codes or NFC) are mobile-friendly and optimized for user engagement.
File Postage Statements Electronically
- Once your mailpiece is approved, submit your postage statements electronically. Be sure to use the appropriate discount code (e.g., IT for Integrated Technology, SS for Tactile, Sensory, Interactive). If you’re utilizing add-ons, claim those discounts at the same time.
Track Your Progress
Monitor your mailing activity through the Business Customer Gateway, where you can view reports and ensure you’re receiving the appropriate discounts.
Closing remarks
The 2025 USPS promotions offer exciting opportunities to enhance your direct mail campaigns while saving on postage costs. With new add-ons, flexible timelines, and continued focus on engagement through tactile and technology-driven experiences, there’s a lot to gain. Start preparing now by registering, refining your designs, and submitting mailpiece samples for approval to ensure a successful 2025 mailing strategy.
