Understanding The Basics Of Bulk Standard Class & First Class Postage
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Direct mail campaigns are incorporated in almost every type of business and organization as this method of direct communication can be used for marketing, donation requests, notification, collecting payments for statements/invoices & more. Generally, these mail campaigns have a large enough volume where handling the printing, fulfillment, mailing & postage becomes difficult & expensive, and outsourcings begins to make more and more sense to save time & money.
When you outsource your campaigns to a direct mail house or direct mail provider, you will be presented a few options of postage including standard class and first class postage. These are two discounted postages offered for bulk campaigns who send at least 200-500 pieces at a time. Below are the basics to understanding the differences of the two postages that most businesses & organizations should understand before sending their first bulk campaign:
Standard Class Postage
Heavily discounted costs as it will cut your postage almost to half, as of Jan 2026, first class forever postage is $0.78 (retail rate) vs standard class postage is $0.433. There are further discounted postage for saturation/residential mailing or targeting an entire area with a mailer.
There is no returned mail for any rejected or undeliverable mail but the Addressers are required to clean your lists and this includes any recent moves and changes of address. The process of cleaning the list will eliminate the majority of bad addresses.
The delivery speed of standard class takes about 1-2 weeks. This can vary as if the mailing addresses are very local, the delivery can be under 1 week.
Requires 200 pieces of mail sent together to qualify for standard class postage. Any quantity under 200 requires the retail postage rate of $0.78.
Highly recommended for any bulk mail campaign that can be planned ahead for.
First Class Postage
First class postage at the presort rate is $0.672 compared to the first class forever rate of $0.78 (retail postage).
There will be returned mail for any rejected or undeliverable mail, but again, the majority of these returns will be eliminated as we clean and verify the lists before they are used.
Typically used for statements/invoices, rushed notification or any urgent mailing that needs to arrive in 3-5 business days after the drop date. Or for campaigns that require a tighter delivery window.
Requires 500 pieces of mail sent together to qualify for the discounted first class postage. Any quantity under 500 requires the retail postage rate of $0.78.
Postage used for direct mail campaigns can be quite complicated so it is very important to communicate your in-home dates, budget, and needs for your direct mail campaign. Utilizing the wrong postage can be very costly for the overall success of the bulk mail campaign. The best mail houses will be able to advise what postage works best for your situation and provide the reasons why.
It’s very crucial to partner with a direct mail house that will advocate for your best interest, and that’s where the Addressers comes in. As a Southern California mail house, we proudly partner with companies across the US and our quick turnaround times allow us to plan ahead for our clients. Are there any limitations to working with the Addressers out of state? We don't believe so. We understand our capabilities and our expertise allows us to get your mailer out in time at the lowest postage rates your campaign will qualify for.
These are just a few of the many differences between these two classes of postage, and there are many other options including nonprofit, flat, saturation and further discounted postage that your campaign might qualify for so please reach out and we'll make sure we qualify you for the lowest postage.