The USPS wants to raise rates to mail promotional materials, and it could have a negative effect on your business.

The United States Postal Service recently announced a proposed rule change for mailing direct mail, marketing mailers, and promotional merchandise through the USPS.

Until this point, all promotional materials and direct mail pieces were to be mailed using USPS Marketing Mail. This service is for both for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations. Under this program, you have been able to send:

• Printed materials (flyers, brochures, circulars, advertising)
• Newsletters, bulletins, and circulars
• Small parcels

If this proposed rule passes, what you can send via Marketing Mail will be limited just to letter-sized or flat-size pieces. All other mailers (like small packages containing branded giveaways) will have to use a different USPS service, like Priority Mail or Parcel Select. This could end up costing you more just to mail your promotional materials.

Though this was just recently announced, there has already been a great deal of pushback from both suppliers and distributors within the promotional products industry. If this goes into effect, this could negatively affect you and your marketing budget; you would end up paying more to mail logo giveaways to your customers.

Who this proposed USPS rule change affects

This affects anyone who mails promotional giveaways, branded merchandise, or marketing mailers to their clients or target audience. It can especially hurt business owners with strict marketing budgets because what used to be affordable might now become a deal-breaker.

But this will really affect non-profits who rely on marketing mail prices to afford mailing promo merchandise. In fact, the Alliance for Nonprofit Mailers has submitted comments to the USPS calling the proposed content restriction unlawful.

What you can do about this proposed change

The USPS is accepting comments on this proposed rule. You have until October 22 to submit comments. You can mail or deliver your written comments to:

Manager, Product Classification
U.S. Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446
Washington, DC 20260-5015

You can also email your comments or questions to: ProductClassification@usps.gov using the subject line “USPS Marketing Mail Content Eligibilty.”

You can read the full details of this proposed rule change at federalregister.gov.