GLOSSARY
USPS Marketing Mail
By Justin Winter · Updated August 28, 2026
The short answer
The bulk advertising class, formerly Standard Mail: cheaper per piece, but it requires a permit, a minimum volume, presorting, and it travels slower.
USPS Marketing Mail is what most large advertising and fundraising mailings travel as. The lower rate is paid for with work: minimum quantities, address quality standards, presorting, and a permit held with USPS.
It is not a class for time-sensitive or individually addressed correspondence — a single letter that has to arrive by a date goes First-Class.
See also
- Every Door Direct Mail — A USPS saturation-mailing service that delivers to every address on selected carrier routes without a mailing list of names.
- Permit imprint — Printed postage indicia used instead of stamps or a meter, drawn against a prepaid account held under a USPS mailing permit.
- Intelligent Mail barcode — The USPS barcode printed on letter mail that encodes routing and a unique piece identifier, enabling automation rates and tracking.
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