2024 USPS® Promotions and Incentive Programs: Q&A with Jennifer Vitali, Direct Mail Expert at Quadient.
Welcome, Mailers! For this article, we sat down with Jennifer Vitali, Direct Mail Expert at Quadient, to delve into the details of the 2024 Promotions and Incentive Programs from the United States Postal Service. Jennifer oversees direct mail efforts for Quadient, so we asked her to share insights into each of the promotions and the top benefits for your business.
Q: Hi Jennifer, can you start by explaining what the USPS Promotions and Incentive Program is?
A: Certainly! The USPS promotions and incentive programs are designed to support businesses, both large and small, in minimizing the costs associated with direct mail postage. Most promotions are available for First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail, but unfortunately, you can’t combine multiple promotions. The discounts range from 3% to 6%, depending on the specific promotion. The best part? You can still enjoy these perks even if you use a postage meter for your mailings.
Q: Can you give us an overview of the different USPS promotions for 2024?
A: The USPS has some new and exciting promotions lined up for 2024. Here are the key efforts the USPS wants to encourage businesses to explore:
Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Engagement
- Incentive: 5% postage discount for direct mail campaigns that elevate customer engagement through innovations in paper and stock, substrates, inks, interactive elements, and finishing techniques.
- Eligible Mail Class: First-Class Mail® & Marketing Mail®
- Promotion period: February 1 - July 31, 2024
Personalized Color Transpromo
Get creative, stand out and make a statement with your monthly statements!
- Incentive: 3% or 4% discount to enhance the impact of bills and statements by incorporating vibrant colors and strategic marketing to highlight your message.
- Eligible Mail Class: First-Class Mail® presort and automation letters.
- Promotion period: February 1 - July 31, 2024
Emerging and Advanced Technology Program
- Incentive: 3% discount off for emerging technology (QR codes or augmented reality) or 4% discount off for enhanced emerging technology (Mixed Reality or Virtual Reality)
- Eligible Mail Class: First-Class Mail® & Marketing Mail®
- Promotion period: The start date begins on the first mail date claiming the discount and must run for up to 6 consecutive months during the January 1 - December 31, 2024 calendar year.
Reply Mail IMbA Promotion
Speed up your processing time with Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting (IMbA) and ensure you receive your reply mail and invoice payments quickly.
- Incentive: 3% Discount off Static IMbA OR 6% Discount off Serialized IMbA. The 2024 Reply Mail IMbA Promotion encourages Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM) and High-Volume QBRM customers to adopt IMbA.
- Eligible Mail Class: First-Class Mail®
- Promotion period: July 1 - December 31, 2024
Informed Delivery
Informed Delivery already has over 60 million active, engaged subscribers who receive free email notifications with a digital preview of their mail. You can add a digital message to those previews to enhance your mail, increase brand awareness, or drive direct response.
- Incentive: 4% Discount for mailers at Postage Statement line level and 0.5% Incentive for eDoc submitter. The Informed Delivery® Promotion (ID Promotion) encourages mailers to add digital “ride-alongs” with their mailpieces for another touchpoint.
- Eligible Mail Class: First-Class Mail® & Marketing Mail®
- Promotion period: August 1 - December 31, 2024
Retargeting
Match the IP address of a site or app visitor to their physical mailing address, only with the help of the Postal Service.
- Incentive: 5% Discount off at Postage Statement line level. The Retargeting Promotion incentivizes marketers to send out personalized postcards within 24-48 hours to recent website visitors that didn’t convert.
- Eligible Mail Class: First-Class Mail® Postcards
- Promotion period: September 1 - November 30, 2024
Q: Which USPS promotion does Quadient utilize, and how has it impacted your budget?
A: At Quadient, we currently leverage the Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Engagement promotion. Our glossy paper stock qualifies for a 5% discount, not only helping us offset postage increases but also enabling us to increase our mail volume and reach throughout the year. The immediate savings at the time of mailing are a game-changer for us. By taking advantage of this promotion, our per-piece postage rate is now lower than the rate prior to the January postage rate increase. What is particularly beneficial about the program is that savings are applied at the time of mailing, eliminating the need to wait for a refund or credit. The benefits are immediate.
Q: Is it easy to use, especially for businesses that might not be mailing experts?
A: Although my printing and fulfillment vendor was very helpful in getting the direct mail pieces approved for the promotion, there is a portal available that businesses or individuals can use to initiate and manage the approval and mailing process. The USPS guides for each promotion are extremely informative and easy to understand. You can also sign up for the Business Customer Gateway and get help finding and managing incentive programs.
Q: Any final thoughts or advice for businesses considering these USPS promotions?
A: Don’t hesitate to dive in! These promotions can be excellent opportunities for small businesses to save money while gaining attention and awareness for their business. Even those who mail bills and statements can take advantage of these opportunities. Additionally, you can make use of these promotions even if you use a postage meter. We use one for our mailings!
Thank you, Jennifer!
Useful links:
Wondering what postage meter Jennifer uses?
With Quadient Postage Meters you can save 6% on First-Class Mail®. Save money on every invoice, statement, or letter you send. the savings really add up. Plus, they are IMI Ready!
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