What’s New with the 2026 USPS® Promotions and Incentives Program?
SUMMARY:
- Postage discounts have increased for several of the 2026 USPS promotions.
- The Reply Mail IMbA program will not be available in 2026.
- The Postal Service will continue to offer a couple of discount add-ons and upgrades that can be stacked to increase savings.
Direct mail is a proven marketing communication channel that offers a wealth of exciting design possibilities, particularly with the powerful variable data and stunning color capabilities of digital inkjet print. However, postage costs are often a stumbling block for brands in fully embracing the opportunities direct mail provides to connect with a target audience.
The USPS® Promotions and Incentives Program is an annual offering of postage discounts for mailers that meet certain criteria — and these incentives also push designers to think more strategically and creatively about how to create mailers that increase engagement and response rates.
Here, we’ll take a quick look at what’s new with the 2026 USPS Promotions and Incentives Program to help you start planning now for cost-effective direct mail in the coming year.
Some postage discounts are going up
Here’s a quick breakdown of postage discount increases in 2026:
- Integrated Technology will increase from 3% to 5%
- Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive will increase from 4% to 5%
- Continuous Contact will jump from 3% to 5%
Add-ons and upgrades are still available
Aside from the core incentives and promotions, the USPS will still offer a couple of add-ons and upgrades that can be combined with each program to help increase your cost savings and encourage you to push the envelope — pun intended.
The available upgrades and add-ons for 2026 will include:
- Informed Delivery®
A perennial favorite, Informed Delivery helps users better engage recipients via digital previews of incoming mail. This multi-channel approach creates an additional touchpoint to position personalized offers and gives recipients more incentive to engage with print mailers. The Informed Delivery add-on promotion comes with an additional 1% discount on postage. - Sustainability
This promotion offers an additional 1% postage discount on mailings that demonstrate a more eco-friendly approach to direct mail. The criteria for this discount is sourcing sustainably harvested paper that is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) or Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®).
These add-ons and upgrades can be stacked to help you further reduce mailing costs. These add-ons can also help you think about direct mail in ways that open new creative or strategic avenues to explore.
A quick breakdown of the 2026 USPS postage discount program
Aside from discount increases and the discontinuation of the Reply Mail IMbA promotion, there are several important things to know about this year’s lineup, especially with elements like registration and promotional periods and the type of mail required to earn each discount.
Here’s a quick breakdown to help you better understand which incentive or promotion might best suit your needs.
Integrated Technology
This promotion offers a 5% discount on Marketing Mail® or First-Class Mail® letters & flats that incorporate digital technology like augmented reality, virtual reality, video in print, and near field communication. Registration period: November 15, 2025 to December 31, 2026. Promotion period: Any six-month period during 2026 calendar year.
Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive
This year’s program offers a 5% discount on Marketing Mail or First-Class letters & flats that use specialty inks, scented or textured papers, finishings, and other interactive components. Registration period: October 15, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Promotion period: January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026.
Continuous Contact
This promotion provides a 5% discount on Marketing Mail letters & flats that follow up and build on the messaging of an initial mailing. This promotion is designed to help create an ongoing conversation with a targeted audience in service of boosting response rates. Registration period: February 15, 2026 to December 31, 2026. Promotion period: April 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.
First-Class Mail Advertising
This incentive offers a 5% discount on First-Class letters & flats that incorporate sales and marketing messaging into more traditional transactional communications like invoices or account statements. Registration period: July 15, 2026 to December 31, 2026. Promotion period: September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.
Catalog Insights
This promotion offers a 10% discount on Marketing Mail or Bound Printed Matter that includes images, photographs or illustrations of the products or services, descriptive details, fulfillment information, and pricing information. Registration period: August 15, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Promotion period: October 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026.
Combining these incentive programs with the quality, speed, and cost reduction opportunities of digital inkjet print for direct mail can help you leverage mail campaigns that generate revenue and demonstrate ROI. Knowing the ins and outs of designing for digital inkjet is key, and The Designer’s Guide to Inkjet, 3rd Edition can help you get to where you need to go — and pairing knowledge with inspiration can help take your direct mail designs to a whole new level.
Download The Designer’s Guide or browse some recent direct mail projects to jumpstart your next direct mail campaign.
