A Guide for Marketers & Mail Owners

When it comes to direct mail campaigns, postage costs add up fast. Finding ways to reduce expenses while maintaining (or even improving) campaign effectiveness is a top priority for marketers and procurement professionals alike. That’s where the USPS 2025 Incentives come into play—offering cost-saving opportunities beyond the USPS Promotions discounts.

Unlike USPS's promotions, which focus on encouraging creative mailpiece enhancements, these incentives reward volume growth and collaborative mailing strategies. If your business is already investing in direct mail, these programs can help stretch your budget while maximizing reach and engagement.

Let’s break down the two incentives and how you can take advantage of them in 2025.

1. 2025 USPS First-Class & Marketing Mail Growth Incentive

How It Works

If your company increases its use of First-Class and/or Marketing Mail compared to your previous year volume–over 1M pieces, you’ll earn postage credits. The idea is simple: send more mail, save more money.

Key Details

Incentive Period: Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2025 (Likely to continue in 2026)

Registration Window: Dec. 2024 – May 2025

Credit Offered: 30% postage credit on incremental volume above your 2024 FY threshold, and 1M mail pieces, whichever is larger.

• To qualify, your 2025 volume must exceed 1M pieces

• If your 2024 volume was less than 1M, you can still qualify, but the credit starts on volume over 1M pieces

• Credits and volumes are specific to the mailing types and cannot be combined to reach minimum thresholds

Eligible Mail Types

• First-Class Mail presort & automation letters, cards, and flats

• Marketing Mail (including saturation mail, high-density mail, carrier route mail, and parcels)
  
  

How USPS Growth Incentive Credits Are Redeemed

Once you qualify for the USPS Mail Growth Incentive, you’ll receive postage credits based on your increased mail volume. Here’s how those credits are issued and applied:

Credits Are Issued in Stages

• USPS calculates your earned credits at three intervals during the incentive period: in June, September and December of 2025.

  • Credits are issued the following month.

• You’ll receive a 30% postage credit on all incremental mail volume above your 2024 baseline and/or 1M pieces, whichever is larger.

Example
If you mailed 900k pieces of marketing mail in 2024, and 1.5M in 2025, the 30% credit would be earned on 500k pieces. If you also mailed 200k pieces via first class mail in both years, they would not qualify for a credit.  

Applying Your Credits

• Once issued, these credits can be applied to future mailings, offsetting postage costs.

• Credits must be used for the same mail class in which they were earned (e.g., First-Class Mail credits can only be applied to First-Class Mail).

• Credits are valid through December 31, 2026, allowing flexibility in how and when they are used.
  
  

Why This Matters

If your business regularly sends direct mail campaigns, this incentive allows businesses to offset future postage costs by earning credits on increased mail volume. Since the credits are redeemable over two years, you can strategically plan future campaigns to maximize their value.

If your team is planning multi-touch campaigns, acquisition mailings, or loyalty-driven outreach, this incentive can make a significant difference.

2. 2025 10% Marriage Mail Incentive

What Is Marriage Mail?

Marriage Mail is a cost-sharing direct mail strategy where multiple advertisers combine their promotions into a single shared mailpiece or bundle. Instead of one company covering all mailing costs, several businesses split the expense—reducing individual postage and production costs while maximizing reach.

How Marriage Mail Works:

1. Multiple Advertisers Participate

• Each mailpiece includes ads, coupons, or promotional content from at least four different businesses (per USPS requirements for the incentive).

• These businesses don’t need to be related—they can be from different industries targeting the same audience.

2. Mail Is Sent to a Broad Audience

• Typically sent via Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM®) or other saturation USPS Marketing Mail services.

• Recipients receive a single bundle or oversized mailpiece that contains multiple offers.

3. Businesses Share Costs

• Postage and printing costs are divided among all advertisers.

• The more businesses participate, the lower the per-business cost.

This incentive offers a 10% postage discount on Saturation USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, including Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM®) pieces, when combining advertisements from multiple businesses into a single mailpiece.

Key Details

• Discount Offered: 10% off postage for qualifying mailpieces.

• Eligibility Requirements:

• Minimum Advertisers
  Each mailpiece must feature advertisements from at least four different companies.

• Mailing Frequency
  A minimum of 10 mailings within a 12-month period is required to maintain eligibility and may be retroactively enforced via a Postage Adjustment.

• Mailpiece Weight
  Eligible pieces must weigh 2 ounces or less.

• Documentation
  Electronic documentation (eDoc) submission is mandatory for postage payment.

Redemption Process

• Postage Discount Application
  The 10% discount is applied directly to each qualifying mailpiece at the time of mailing, reducing the postage cost upfront.

• Identification
  Mailers must identify the use of the Marriage Mail Incentive on postage statements and ensure compliance is tracked via the Mail Owner's Customer Registration ID (CRID).

Why It Matters for Marketers
By participating in the Marriage Mail Incentive, businesses can significantly reduce individual mailing expenses while benefiting from the extensive reach of combined mail campaigns. This collaborative approach not only lowers costs but also enhances exposure by delivering diverse advertisements to a shared audience.

Example
An HVAC company, a lawn care service, a roofing contractor, and a pest control business could form a mailing partnership—allowing all four companies to reach thousands of homeowners at a fraction of the cost of mailing individually.

How to Take Advantage of These Incentives

While USPS promotions focus on enhancing the mailpiece itself (via tactile finishes, technology, and sustainability efforts), these incentives reward strategic mailing behaviors. Here’s how to leverage them:

• Plan Multi-Touch Strategies Early
  If you anticipate increased mail volumes in 2025, register early to track your growth and qualify for postage credits.

• Identify Partnership Opportunities
  If you serve a specific industry, co-branded direct mail efforts may help you capitalize on Marriage Mail incentives.

• Work with a Certified Mail Partner
  USPS incentives require accurate volume tracking and proper documentation. Thysse’s USPS-certified mail experts can help you ensure compliance and maximize savings.

Final Thoughts

For brands that rely on direct mail, the USPS 2025 Incentives can help you stretch budgets and/or enhance reach. Whether you’re scaling up your mailing efforts or exploring cooperative advertising, these programs provide meaningful cost savings for those who plan ahead.

If you’re unsure how to apply these incentives to your direct mail strategy, Thysse is here to help. Our team has extensive experience navigating USPS programs and optimizing direct mail for impact and efficiency.

Let’s talk about how you can make the most of your 2025 mail campaigns. Contact us today or explore our growing library of direct mail resources.