Marketing (Standard) Mail

What is Marketing Mail?

USPS Marketing Mail is the new name for "Standard Mail" (not to be confused with First-Class Mail), which was also referred to as Bulk Mail long ago.  Marketing Mail is a type of mail that is not First-Class mail.  It may take more days to arrive than a First-Class letter, the postage costs are lower, and it should be used for marketing purposes.

How long does it take Marketing Mail to be delivered?

When we send letters via USPS Marketing Mail it is hard to predict when the letter will arrive because the delivery standards are not the same as they are for First-Class mail.  We've seen letters delivered in as little as 3 days and letters delivered in more than 14 days.  Generally speaking, you should typically see letters being delivered between 10 - 14 business days.  If you happen to notice that some of your letters take longer than that to be delivered, we wouldn't be too surprised.

We certainly wouldn't recommend the use of Marketing Mail for time-sensitive mail, but its not a bad option for general information.  

Can any letter be sent via Marketing Mail?

No, the USPS has certain restrictions on what can be sent via Marketing Mail.  Specifically, the USPS does not allow the use of Standard Mail for bills or statements.  Additionally, letters with recipient-specific information that does not also contain a solicitation for a donation, or an offer to sell, are not permitted.

The USPS put together this helpful article and decision tree to assist in determining if your mail is eligible to be sent as First-Class or Marketing mail. 

The flow chart below is a good test for your mailing.  Except you can ignore the 200 piece minimum.

Source: https://pe.usps.com/StandardMailEligibility/Index