Direct Mail Postcards
Direct mail postcards, printed and mailed for up to 60% less
Full-color direct mail postcards in 4×6, 5×7, 6×9 and 6×11, printed on 14pt stock, addressed, presorted and mailed anywhere in the US from $0.08 per piece plus postage.
What it costs
All-in per piece, postage included
Printing and mail processing at our published rate plus USPS postage at cost (Marketing Mail automation 5-digit, $0.395). Every size and quantity is on the pricing page.
A direct mail postcard is the cheapest way to put a physical offer in front of a specific household or business, and it is still the format that produces the most response per dollar. There is no envelope to open: the offer, the picture and the call to action are read in the seconds between the mailbox and the kitchen counter.
We print postcards on heavy 14pt cover stock in full color on both sides, address them from your list or ours, run the addresses through CASS and NCOA so the postage discount applies, presort the mailing, and hand it to the USPS under our permit. You pay for printing and mail processing at our rate and for postage at cost.
How much do direct mail postcards cost?
Printing and mailing a 4×6 postcard costs $0.19 per piece at 1,000 pieces and $0.12 per piece at 5,000, plus postage. Postage for a postcard mailed as USPS Marketing Mail is $0.395 per piece at the automation 5-digit rate, so a 5,000-piece 4×6 campaign lands at roughly $0.52 per piece all-in, or about $2,600 before any list or design work. A 6×11 jumbo postcard at the same quantity is about $0.61 per piece all-in.
Most online printers quote a single blended number that folds postage into the print price; that is where the "direct mail costs a dollar a piece" idea comes from. We itemize the three costs so you can see what you are paying for and choose the lever that matters: a smaller size, a bigger run, or Marketing Mail instead of First-Class.
Which postcard size should you mail?
The 4×6 is the economy piece: it qualifies for the First-Class postcard rate when speed matters and for Marketing Mail letter rates when cost does. The 6×9 is the workhorse for offers with a coupon, a map and a short list of services. The 6×11 is the largest card that still mails at letter rates, and it is the size real estate, home services and restaurants use when they want to own the mailbox for the day.
A 5×7 sits between the two and is popular for appointment reminders, thank-you cards and invitations, where a smaller, more personal card reads better than a jumbo one.
Marketing Mail or First-Class?
Marketing Mail is the right default for promotions: it is cheaper, it takes five to ten business days to arrive, and it needs a minimum of 200 pieces. First-Class costs more per piece, arrives in one to five days, is forwarded when the recipient has moved and is returned to you when it cannot be delivered, which makes it the choice for time-sensitive mail, small runs and anything you want to clean a list with.
What makes a postcard actually get a response?
One offer, stated in the headline, with a deadline. A picture that shows the outcome rather than the product. A phone number, a short URL and a QR code, all three, because different people respond different ways. Your name and a real address, because people check. And a second and third drop to the same list four to six weeks apart, because the household that ignored the first card is often the one that calls on the third.
- Headline: the offer and the deadline, not the company name
- Front: one image, one message, readable at arm's length
- Back: the details, the map, the QR code and a plain call to action
- Personalization: the recipient's name or neighborhood on the card lifts response
- Cadence: three drops to the same list outperform one drop to three lists
Run your numbers
Price a direct mail postcards mailing in ten seconds
Pick a piece, a quantity and a mail class. The estimate shows printing, postage and the all-in figure, next to what the same job typically costs elsewhere.
Answers
Direct Mail Postcards: questions people ask
How much does it cost to send 1,000 direct mail postcards?
About $590 all-in for a 4×6 postcard mailed as USPS Marketing Mail: $190 for printing and mail processing at $0.19 per piece, plus $395 in postage at $0.395 per piece. A 6×9 at the same quantity runs about $665 and a 6×11 about $715. Design and a purchased mailing list are extra if you need them.
Is there a minimum order for direct mail postcards?
No minimum for First-Class Mail, so you can send one postcard or fifty. USPS Marketing Mail, the cheaper class, requires at least 200 pieces per mailing because it is a presorted bulk rate.
How long does it take for direct mail postcards to arrive?
We print and mail within two business days of proof approval. From there, First-Class postcards arrive in one to five business days and Marketing Mail postcards in five to ten. Allow about two weeks end to end for a Marketing Mail campaign.
Can you design the postcard for us?
Yes. Every order includes free templates you can edit, and our designers will produce a custom two-sided postcard from your logo, photos and offer for a flat fee, with revisions until you approve the proof.
Do you print postcards for realtors?
Yes, real estate is one of our largest categories: just listed, just sold, open house, market update and farming postcards, with variable data so each card can carry the recipient's street name. See the real estate industry page for examples and cadence advice.
Get a quote in minutes
Tell us what you want to mail. We will price it today.
Send the size, the quantity and where it is going. You get a written all-in quote — printing, mail processing and postage — usually within a business hour, with no obligation.