USPS Postcard Postage Rates (Updated May 2026)

Quick answer: In 2026, a single First-Class postcard stamp costs $0.61 for a standard postcard up to 4.25" × 6". Mail in volume and the price drops sharply — USPS Marketing Mail runs about $0.25 per piece and Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) about $0.23–$0.25 per piece. Below is the full breakdown by mail class and postcard size, with the official USPS sources, plus the levers we use at Catdi Printing to keep our customers' postage as low as possible.

Last updated: May 2026. Heads up — USPS has proposed raising the postcard stamp to $0.65 effective July 12, 2026 (pending Postal Regulatory Commission approval), per the official USPS 2026 price change notice. Always verify the live rate before you print — more on why that matters below.

2026 Postcard Postage Rates at a Glance

Most people only know the retail postcard stamp price. But the stamp is the most expensive way to mail a postcard. Here is how the four common options compare in 2026:

Rates as of May 2026. Always confirm current prices on the official USPS postage prices page before committing to a print run.

First-Class Postcard Postage

The First-Class postcard rate of $0.61 applies to a standard postcard no larger than 4.25" × 6". Go bigger than that and USPS charges the First-Class letter rate instead, which is higher. First-Class is the right call when you are mailing a small quantity, need delivery in a few days, or want undeliverable pieces returned and forwarded to people who have moved — something bulk mail does not do.

Marketing Mail (Bulk) Postcard Postage

USPS Marketing Mail — what most people still call "Standard" or "bulk" mail — is where postcard campaigns get affordable, running roughly $0.25 per piece. It requires a minimum of 200 pieces, a mailing permit, and pre-sorting, all of which Catdi handles for you. The trade-off is speed: plan for 3–10 business days in home. For most marketing campaigns, that is a non-issue, and the per-piece savings over First-Class are substantial.

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) Postage

EDDM lets you blanket entire USPS carrier routes without buying a mailing list, at roughly $0.234–$0.247 per piece for EDDM Retail. Because there is no list cost and no individual addressing, it is usually the lowest all-in cost to reach every household in an area. A 5,000-piece neighborhood saturation drop costs around $1,170 in postage. Learn how it works on our full-service EDDM page, and see the eligible formats on our EDDM postcard sizes page.

Presort: Why Bulk Mail Costs Less

The reason Marketing Mail and presorted First-Class are cheaper is simple: you do some of USPS's work for them. Pre-sorting your mail by ZIP and carrier route, and cleaning your list so every address is valid, earns postage discounts. Catdi pre-sorts every campaign and runs your list through CASS and NCOA processing automatically — see our data processing page for how that protects both your postage and your print spend.

Address Density: The Biggest Lever on Standard-Rate Postage

Here is the part most postage guides skip, and it is the one that moves your budget the most: on USPS Marketing Mail (Standard rate), the single biggest driver of your per-piece postage is not the stamp — it is how tightly your addresses are clustered across carrier routes. USPS prices Marketing Mail by how deeply it can sort your mail, and density is what unlocks the deepest tiers.

• Spread thin across many ZIPs → your mail falls into higher "mixed" rates, because USPS has to do more handling.
• Concentrated to High Density (roughly 125+ pieces to the same carrier route) → a meaningfully lower Enhanced Carrier Route rate.
• Saturation (you cover most addresses on a route) → the cheapest Marketing Mail rates available.

This is exactly why EDDM gets the lowest postage of all — mailing every door on a route is maximum density by design. The practical takeaway: on a Standard-rate campaign, tightening your geography — fewer, denser ZIP codes and carrier routes — usually saves more per piece than any other single change. If you are choosing between blanketing one tight area and scattering the same quantity across a wide one, the tight drop almost always wins on cost.

How Postcard Size Affects Your Postage (and When It Doesn't)

Size affects your postage — but mostly on First-Class, and not the way most people assume. Here is how Catdi's five most-requested sizes line up:

• 4" × 6" — qualifies for the lowest First-Class postcard rate; the cheapest to mail.
• 5" × 7" — popular and still affordable, but billed at letter/Marketing Mail rates.
• 8.5" × 5.5" — a roomy standard mailer with strong presence.
• 6" × 9" — the oversized workhorse; high mailbox impact, EDDM-eligible.
• 6" × 11" — maximum impact and a top EDDM format.

The nuance that trips people up: size only changes your postage on First-Class — only a card up to 4.25" × 6" gets the cheap postcard rate, and anything larger pays the First-Class letter rate. On Standard / Marketing Mail (what most bulk campaigns use), every one of these sizes mails as a "letter" at the same postage. A 6×9 costs the same to mail as a 4×6 on a bulk drop — so going bigger for more impact usually costs nothing extra. What moves your Standard-rate cost is weight and address density, not size.

For a full head-to-head on cost versus impact, read our guide to standard vs. oversized postcards.

Verify final postage before you print. Thickness, aspect ratio, and an extra eighth of an inch can bump a postcard into a higher rate. We confirm the exact postage for your piece before anything goes on press — so the number you budget is the number you pay.

How to Lower Your Postcard Postage

1. Tighten your geography (the #1 Standard-rate lever). The denser your addresses are within each carrier route, the deeper your Marketing Mail discount — saturation and high-density routes earn the lowest rates. Concentrating a drop beats spreading it thin.
2. Mail in larger quantities. Bigger runs unlock better per-piece printing and qualify for bulk postage.
3. Use Marketing Mail instead of First-Class unless you genuinely need 1–5 day delivery or address forwarding.
4. Use EDDM for saturation. When you want every door in an area and do not need demographic targeting, EDDM is the cheapest route.
5. Pre-sort and clean your list. CASS + NCOA removes undeliverable addresses so you never pay postage on mail that bounces. We do this on every job.
6. Right-size your piece. Dropping from a 6×11 to a 6×9, or a 5×7 to a 4×6, can save on both printing and postage.

Postage is a pass-through at Catdi Printing. We bill postage at the exact USPS rate with zero markup — it appears as its own line on your invoice. Want the full cost picture, including printing, list, and processing? See our postage & mailing costs guide, or get a real number for your campaign with our direct mail cost calculator.

Postcard Postage FAQ

How much does it cost to mail a postcard in 2026?

A single First-Class postcard stamp is $0.61 in 2026 for a standard postcard up to 4.25" × 6". In bulk, Marketing Mail runs about $0.25/piece and EDDM about $0.23–$0.25/piece.

What is the cheapest way to mail postcards in bulk?

For a targeted audience, USPS Marketing Mail at about $0.25/piece. To reach every home in an area without a list, EDDM at about $0.23–$0.25/piece is usually the lowest all-in cost.

How many stamps do I need for a postcard?

One postcard stamp ($0.61) covers a standard postcard up to 4.25" × 6". Larger postcards need letter-rate postage, not the postcard stamp.

Does postcard size change the postage?

Yes. Only postcards up to 4.25" × 6" get the low postcard rate. Anything larger is charged at letter or Marketing Mail rates. See our standard vs. oversized guide.

Why does USPS keep raising postage rates?

USPS adjusts prices periodically to cover operating costs. A 2026 increase to a $0.65 postcard stamp is proposed for July 12, 2026, pending approval — always confirm the live rate on USPS.com before printing.

Ready to Mail Your Postcards?

Catdi Printing prints and mails postcards in every common size — and we estimate your real postage before you commit. Browse postcard printing options or request a free, itemized quote with postage included.