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First-Class Mail®

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For your business.

First-Class Mail is a fast and affordable service for envelopes and packages weighing up to 13 oz with delivery in 3 days or less. It’s perfect for sending marketing materials, bills, and light merchandise to your customers.

Benefits

First-Class Mail offers a wide range of options for all businesses. When sent locally, 96 percent of First-Class Mail arrives within 1 day. When sent nationwide, 94 percent arrives within 3 days. And with address correction and forwarding services, your message reaches an even greater percentage of your audience. First-Class Mail is targetable, trackable, and measurable — helping to increase the overall effectiveness of your integrated marketing campaigns.

First-Class Mail is secure. It’s supported and protected by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and can be combined with extra services, such as Signature Confirmation™.

Scale Mail Image

Features

  • Secure delivery within 3 days in most cases
  • Our best priced service for mail up to 13 oz
  • Can be combined with extra services to confirm delivery
  • 2nd Ounce Free
  • Cost effective way to reach larger percentage of your audience

2nd Ounce Free

The Postal Service™ offers 2nd Ounce Free for First-Class Mail Presort and Automation letters. This allows you to make use of a free second ounce for your operational or marketing purposes and realize more value from your mailings. The one price for up to 2 oz is not a blended price and does not apply to First-Class Mail single piece letters or residual single piece letters.

Second Ounce Free allows you to combine more promotional messages with bills, invoices, and statements without having to worry about additional postage costs. As a cost-effective way to enhance your mailings, 2nd Ounce Free is also great for…

  • Cross-selling and up-selling products and services
  • Informing, educating, and instilling loyalty
  • Communicating features, benefits, and advantages of reward programs
  • Promoting new products, discussing time sensitive information, or sharing company news
  • Providing special offers or upgrades to your customers
  • Partnering with companies looking to market a complementary product

To learn more about 2nd Ounce Free, download the Fact Sheet. RTF

Still have questions?

Send us an email: 2ndouncefree@usps.gov
Browse our 2nd Ounce Free FAQs ›

Downloadable Pricing Files
First-Class Mail – Commercial Flats
First-Class Mail – Commercial Letters and Postcards
First-Class Mail – Retail

 

You can add the following options to First-Class Mail® (except for postcards) to…

Insure the contents.

Insurance for loss or damage up to $5,000 for merchandise only.

Registered Mail™ for loss or damage up to $25,000.

Get delivery information (parcels only).

Delivery Confirmation™ to see when the parcel was delivered or delivery was attempted. Must meet additional requirements.

Signature Confirmation™ to see when the parcel was delivered or delivery was attempted, and add security by requiring a signature. Must meet additional requirements.

Get proof of mailing.

Certificate of Mailing as a way of proving the date you sent it. Must meet additional requirements.

Get proof of mailing and delivery information.

Certified Mail™ See when it was delivered or delivery was attempted. Requires the signature of the recipient.

Get proof of delivery.

Return Receipt with proof of delivery sent by mail or email showing the recipient's signature. Must meet additional requirements. Must be combined with Certified Mail, Registered Mail, Insured Mail (over $200), or COD service.

Getting only authorized recipients to sign for the delivery.

Restricted Delivery to specify who is allowed to sign for the delivery. Must be combined with Certified Mail, Registered Mail, Insured Mail (over $200), or COD service.

Getting your customers to pay for merchandise.

Collect on Delivery (COD) Recipient pays for merchandise and shipping when they receive the package.

Sending contents needing extra care.

Special Handling to get preferential handling.

Learn more about extra services for business mailings ›

Use mail to bring in business. photo of direct mail materials. Air Balloons and real estate mailer Learn about direct mail. Budget for your shipping needs. photo of checkbook and pen Calculate business prices PackYour Shipment. Buy ReadyPost® supplies photo of ready post envelopes and box

For commercial pricing, mailers must meet certain quantity, sorting method, and entry point requirements. They must also have a mailing permit and pay an annual mailing fee for each mail service they use.