USPS Holds January 2026 Postage Rates Steady—But Smart Marketers Are Already Planning Ahead with Direct Mail Credits.
The USPS just announced what many marketers have been hoping for: no postage rate increase in January 2026. Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed that First-Class Mail stamps will stay at 78 cents, giving direct mail campaigns a brief reprieve from the annual price bump marketers have come to expect.
Here’s the quote from Postmaster General Steiner: “We continually strive to balance our pricing approach both to meet the revenue needs of the Postal Service and to deliver affordable offerings that reflect market conditions… We have therefore decided at this time to forgo a price change for First-Class Mail postage and other market-dominant services until mid-year 2026.”
This is great news in the short term. But here’s the thing—if you’re only thinking about postage costs after the USPS announces rate changes, you’re already behind.
The Problem with Traditional Direct Mail Budgeting
Most marketers approach direct mail budgeting like it’s still 1999. They estimate postage costs based on current rates, hope nothing changes mid-campaign, and scramble to adjust budgets when inevitable price increases hit. It’s reactive, unpredictable, and frankly, inefficient.
This outdated approach creates several problems:
Budget Uncertainty: Traditional direct mail campaigns take weeks to plan and execute. By the time your campaign launches, postage rates might have changed, throwing your ROI calculations out the window.
Cash Flow Issues: Large direct mail campaigns require significant upfront investment in postage, tying up marketing budgets for weeks or months.
Limited Campaign Flexibility: When postage costs fluctuate, marketers often reduce mail volume or delay campaigns entirely, missing critical marketing opportunities.
Disconnected Spend Management: Unlike digital channels where you can adjust spending in real-time, traditional direct mail offers no flexibility once campaigns are in motion.
How Postalytics Direct Mail Credits Change the Game
We believe direct mail budgeting should be as flexible and predictable as your email marketing spend. That’s why Postalytics offers innovative direct mail credits that completely transform how marketers plan, budget, and manage their direct mail campaigns.
Here’s how our direct mail credit system works:
Pre-Purchase Flexibility: Buy direct mail credits in advance at current rates, protecting your campaigns from future postage increases. When rates go up, your credits maintain their original value.
Budget Certainty: Know exactly what your direct mail campaigns will cost, regardless of USPS rate changes. No more budget surprises or mid-campaign recalculations.
Real-Time Campaign Management: Use credits to launch campaigns instantly—no waiting for purchase orders or budget approvals. Launch a campaign in 30 minutes, not 30 days.
Seamless Integration: Credits integrate directly with your existing marketing automation platforms through HubSpot, Salesforce, ActiveCampaign, and other CRM systems. Trigger automated campaigns without manual budget interventions.
Why The USPS January 2026 Postage Increase Postponement Matters Less When You’re Thinking Ahead
While the USPS rate freeze is welcome news, smart marketers aren’t celebrating—they’re planning. Rate stability gives you the perfect opportunity to stock up on direct mail credits at current prices, positioning your campaigns for success regardless of what happens in mid-2026.
Consider this: the USPS has raised rates consistently over the past decade. Even with the current freeze, Postmaster General Steiner explicitly mentioned potential increases by “mid-year 2026.” Forward-thinking marketers are already preparing.
With Postalytics direct mail credits, you can:
- Lock in current postage rates for future campaigns
- Eliminate budget uncertainty from your direct mail planning
- Scale campaigns up or down without renegotiating vendor contracts
- Track ROI with precision because your postage costs remain consistent
Direct Mail Should Be as Predictable as Email Marketing
Email marketing doesn’t become more expensive based on external rate changes—neither should direct mail. Our credit system makes direct mail costs as predictable and manageable as any other digital marketing channel.
Marketers using Postalytics credits report 40% faster campaign launches and significantly more predictable marketing spend. They’re not worried about USPS rate announcements because they’ve already locked in their costs.
The Bottom Line
The USPS rate freeze buys marketers time, but it doesn’t solve the fundamental problem: traditional direct mail budgeting is unpredictable and reactive. Postalytics direct mail credits offer a better way—predictable costs, instant campaign launches, and complete budget control.
Don’t wait for the next rate announcement to rethink your direct mail strategy. Smart marketers are already moving beyond traditional budgeting constraints.
Ready to see how direct mail credits can transform your campaign planning? Let’s talk about making your direct mail as predictable and scalable as your email marketing.
About the Author
Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly is CEO and co-founder of Postalytics, the leading direct mail automation platform for marketers to build, deploy and manage direct mail marketing campaigns. Postalytics is Dennis’ 6th startup. He has been involved in starting and growing early-stage technology ventures for over 30 years and has held senior management roles at a diverse set of large technology firms including Computer Associates, Palm Inc. and Achieve Healthcare Information Systems.