Online Postage Calculator from the US Postal Service

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A question heard frequently at Copies&Ink is: What’s the postage tab for my upcoming mailing? Here’s the easiest way we’ve found to calculate postage for your business mailing, and also compare the costs for various types of mailing services offered by the USPS.

To be completely accurate, you’ll need to know how many of the destinations in your mailing list will be sorted into 3 digit, 5 digit, carrier route, etc. Of course, this is nearly impossible without software to analyze your list directly. (That’s a service we offer at Copies&Ink.) But for a rough estimate, it’s usually safe enough to guess that your mailing will mostly fall into the “3 digit” category unless it’s going to just a few cities in a focussed area. If you mailing for a certified non profit, you can apply for a special permit to mail at greatly reduced rates. Check out the latest rates at the official USPS online calculator site.

Postage is often one of the largest costs in your direct mail campaign, so it pays to understand the “rules of the road.” When in doubt you can contact your regional USPS business center. We find that for the most part, you’ll find helpful and knowledgeable assistance just for the asking. In our Santa Ana, CA region their phone number is 714-662-6483.

Finally, don’t forget that a well designed mail piece will keep postage at a minimum, while at the same time optimizing response. So the sage advice is: don’t cut corners in the planning stages. Wanna’ know more? Sign up for our InkBlot newsletter. We’ll keep you up to date on all matters print and direct mail.