Updated August 1, 2026
Leverage USPS ® promotions to your benefit
Mailers have several choices when it comes to creating a multi-channel campaign— and they also have good reason to do so. The United States Postal Service® (USPS®) offers several promotions that can help mailers map out and save on their next campaign. These promotions include are related to integrated technologies, Informed Delivery (2026 and 2027 Add-Ons) or retargeting. You can find the latest promotion details on USPS Postal Pro site.
Qualify for USPS Promotions by Using AR and QR Codes
Integrated Technology Promotion
In addition to captivating audiences, AR can help mailers save. Through the USPS’s 2026 Integrated Technology Promotion, brands that create mail experiences using any of the approved technologies to receive a discount. Mailers now get to choose any six consecutive months in 2026 to run the promotion rather than adhering to a strict fixed window.
A 5% discount applies to mail pieces that use:
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Mixed Reality (MR)
- Virtual Reality (VR)
- Integration with Voice Assistant
- Video in Print Technology (VIP)
- Near Field Communication (NFC)
- Mobile Shopping (QR codes)
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Informed Delivery ® Promotion
The Informed Delivery® (ID) program sends a daily email with a preview of that day’s mail before it arrives in mailboxes. The feature allows mailers to create an omnichannel experience that drives more impressions, interactions and insights. Active Informed Delivery enrollment has surpassed 70 million registered users, reaching nearly 30% of all U.S. consumer households. The USPS 2026 Add-Ons Informed Delivery promotion offers a stackable 1% discount (plus a 0.5% eDoc submitter credit). Instead of running as a standalone discount, it now layers directly on top of core promotions (like Integrated Technology), pushing total postage savings to 6%–7%.
Mailers can capitalize on those impressive rates by creating graphics to grab their audience’s attention. A standard ID campaign has three elements:
- ride-along image: full color, clickable Ride-along Images in an email message have an average open rate of 58.6%. This is where mailers include a compelling call-to-action (CTA) and link to their website.
- representative image: a full-color image in place of the black-and-white scan of the mailpiece. This offers them the chance to tie into the ride-along imagery and create a more cohesive and impactful message.
- personalized URL (PURL): either in the direct mailpiece itself or the ride-along image. When a customer clicks on a PURL, they’re taken to a customized webpage just for them. PURLs also make it easy to track and gain customer information.
Retargeting
Website-triggered direct mail retargeting has matured rapidly. Updated performance metrics show that automated print retargeting yields average conversion rates of 4.5% to 6.8% compared to digital retargeting display ads, which average under 0.7%. In the 2026 USPS promotion framework, programmatic retargeting falls under the 5% First-Class Advertising or 5% Continuous Contact promotional tracks, and includes First-Class Mail® postcards. Retargeting is an effective way to meaningfully reengage because mailers can tailor offers and messaging to a person’s online habits and interests.
Stackable Savings and Sustainability Add-On (New 2026 feature)
The USPS introduced a new +1% Sustainability Add-On for 2026. Brands that use certified eco-friendly paper options (SFC/FSC certified) and layer them with Informed Delivery and Integrated Technology can unlock total savings of up to 7% on standard campaigns (and up to 12% on catalog mailings).
The Future of Direct Mail is Interactive, Measurable, and Discounted
The bridge between physical touchpoints and digital conversion is no longer an emerging trend—it’s the modern standard for high-performing marketing campaigns.
By marrying the inherent trust and high open rates of physical mail with friction-free technology like QR codes, WebAR, and dynamic PURLs, brands can turn every mailbox into a direct gateway to their digital channels.
Even better, the Postal Service actively rewards this multi-channel approach. By leveraging the updated 2026 USPS Integrated Technology Promotions and stackable incentives like Informed Delivery® and eco-friendly paper options, mailers can unlock up to 7% in postage savings while simultaneously driving conversion lifts of up to 135%.
The data is clear: when print and digital meet, response rates climb, ROI increases, and your marketing budget works significantly harder.
Bridge the Gap Between Inbox and Mailbox
Ready to transform your next direct mail campaign into a high-converting, interactive digital gateway while cutting your postage costs?
Download Tension’s full “Phygital Marketing: Where Print and Digital Meet” White Paper to steal the exact strategies, technology blueprints, and USPS promotion roadmaps you need to maximize your campaign ROI.
About Tension Corporation
A global leader in envelopes, printed products, packaging and packaging automation solutions, the Tension Corporation is a privately held and operated company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Tension manufactures billions of envelopes annually and their envelope and printed products division serves a variety of industries, including third-party billing, financial, insurance and direct marketing. The packaging and automation division of Tension provides software, consumables, automation and service and support for fulfillment to the e-commerce and pharmaceutical industries.
