Postcard Printing and Mailing Services: Sizes, Pricing, Turnaround

Postcard sizes drive everything about a postcard campaign: the postage rate, the print cost, the response rate, and whether USPS treats the piece as a postcard, a postcard-rate postcard, or a letter. Pick the wrong size and you pay 60 percent more in postage on the same drop. Pick the right size and you can move 25,000 oversized 6 by 11 postcards for under a quarter a piece in postage at Marketing Mail rates.

Mail Processing Associates is a single Lakeland, Florida production facility (one roof, one team, all 50 states) that has been printing and mailing postcards since 1989. Over 35 years we have run more than 10 million pieces a year for over 700 lifetime business customers, holding a 5.0 stars across 100+ verified Google reviews rating along the way. If you need to print and mail postcards, the rest of this page covers the postcard sizes the USPS accepts, what each size costs, the formats that actually drive response in 2026, and exactly how to run a postcard campaign through MPA. Get a custom postcard quote when you are ready, or call (863) 687-6945.

Postcard Sizes the USPS Accepts in 2026

USPS recognizes three distinct postcard size categories, and the category determines the postage you pay. This is the single most important table on this page.

The boundary that matters most for postcard sizes is the 4.25 by 6 inch line. A postcard at exactly 4.25 by 6 inches qualifies for the postcard-rate stamp at $0.56 per piece First-Class. A postcard at 4.26 by 6 inches (or 5 by 7, or 6 by 9, or 6 by 11) does not. The oversized postcard pays letter postage, which is $0.43 per piece at Marketing Mail rates and $0.56 per piece at First-Class with a postcard stamp.

This sounds backward. Bigger postcards cost less to mail when you use Marketing Mail. The reason is simple: at Marketing Mail rates, the per-piece letter rate is $0.43, and that rate applies to most oversized postcard sizes from 4.26 by 6 inches up to 6.125 by 11.5 inches. Hit Marketing Mail's 200-piece minimum, hold the dimensions, presort the file, and the savings show up at scale.

Standard Postcard Sizes Used in 2026 Direct Mail

These are the postcard sizes that actually run in modern business mail, in order from smallest to largest.

4 by 6 inch postcard

The smallest standard postcard size. Qualifies for the postcard-rate stamp ($0.56) when sent as First-Class mail. Used for personal correspondence, save-the-date cards, and reminder cards from small local businesses. Print cost is low, but the small canvas limits the message. Most B2B marketers skip this size because the larger postcard sizes get more attention in the mailbox for almost identical postage cost at Marketing Mail rates.

4.25 by 6 inch postcard

The largest postcard size that still qualifies for the postcard-rate stamp. The maximum format for a $0.56 First-Class postcard piece. Useful if you specifically want the postcard-rate look and feel.

5 by 7 inch postcard

Oversized. Pays letter postage. A common photography and event-invitation size. In business direct mail, the 5 by 7 inch postcard is increasingly rare because the 6 by 9 inch postcard gives you 50 percent more design real estate for the same postage class. If you have an existing 5 by 7 inch design and want a deeper analysis of the tradeoff between 4 by 6 and 5 by 7, our postcard sizes explained guide breaks down the math.

6 by 9 inch postcard

The workhorse of business postcard mailing in 2026. Sits in the oversized-postcard window, pays letter-rate Marketing Mail postage at $0.43 per piece, and offers enough real estate for a headline, a hero image, two or three benefit bullets, and a strong call-to-action plus QR code. Most prospect postcard programs run on the 6 by 9 inch postcard size.

6 by 11 inch postcard (jumbo postcard)

The jumbo postcard. Still inside the letter-postage window (6.125 by 11.5 inches is the upper bound), pays the same $0.43 per piece Marketing Mail rate as a 6 by 9 inch postcard, and gives you nearly twice the design canvas. Jumbo postcards outperform 6 by 9 inch postcards by 20 to 40 percent on response rate in most A/B tests, and the only added cost is print, never postage. The jumbo postcard is the response-rate winner for prospect mail when budget allows.

6.25 by 9 inch postcard (EDDM standard)

Sized specifically for USPS Every Door Direct Mail. Hits the EDDM Retail minimum dimension. Pays the EDDM BMEU postage rate of $0.242 per piece (or $0.247 per piece at Retail) instead of letter postage. The 6.25 by 9 inch postcard is the most popular EDDM size for restaurants, home services, real estate agents, and any local business saturating a postal route. See the EDDM service page for the full saturation-mail workflow.

6.25 by 11 inch postcard (EDDM jumbo)

The jumbo EDDM postcard. Same $0.242 per piece BMEU postage rate, larger canvas, used when a local business wants to dominate the mailbox on a saturation drop. The 6.25 by 11 inch postcard size is most common in roofing, HVAC, automotive, and high-ticket home services where the bigger format earns a closer read.

What Each Postcard Size Costs in 2026

Print cost scales roughly with surface area, but the bigger jumps happen at the postage boundary. Here is what a 2,500-piece postcard run lands at, all-in (print, lettershop, list, postage), at MPA in 2026:

Three takeaways from the postcard sizes pricing table. First, EDDM is the cheapest per-piece postcard mail option in 2026, full stop. Second, a 6 by 11 inch jumbo postcard at Marketing Mail rates is barely more expensive than a 4 by 6 inch postcard at First-Class rates, despite being 275 percent larger. Third, the postage line is doing more of the work than the print line in every row. For a deeper price breakdown by quantity, see our postcard pricing breakdown and postcard postage rates guide.

Request a custom postcard quote with your target postcard size, quantity, and drop date and you will have a fixed number back within one business day.

Why Postcard Mail Still Works in 2026

The digital channels people keep predicting will kill postcard sizes campaigns are not killing them. According to the DMA Response Rate Report 2024, postcards and other direct mail formats average a 9% average response rate for B2C house lists, a 5 percent response rate on B2C prospect lists, and a 4.4% average response rate for B2B direct mail. Email response rates in the same study sit near 1 percent. Postcard mail outperforms email by 5x to 9x on response, and the gap is widening as inbox saturation gets worse.

Why postcards specifically beat letters and self-mailers in many tests:

1. No envelope to open. A postcard delivers the message the moment it leaves the mailbox. Letters add friction, and friction loses readers.
2. Visible offer. The biggest postcard sizes (6 by 9, 6 by 11, EDDM jumbo) put a headline, an image, a price, and a QR code all in front of the recipient in one glance.
3. Lower cost per piece. Postcards cost less to print than letters with envelopes and inserts. Per-impression economics favor postcards on most prospect campaigns.
4. Faster turnaround. No envelope inserting step, fewer points of failure, lower cycle time from approved file to mailed piece.

Add in the structural advantage that approximately 90% of households open direct mail (versus a sub-20 percent email open rate in most B2B segments), and a 29% median ROI for direct mail campaigns across the DMA's 2024 categories, and the postcard is still earning its place in the marketing mix every year.

Postcard Printing Capabilities at MPA

A postcard size only matters if the printer can hold it. MPA prints all common postcard sizes in-house, on production presses sized for direct mail volume:

• Xerox Iridesse production press, color, up to 120 pages per minute color, with white, metallic gold, metallic silver, and clear spot colors when a postcard needs to feel premium (luxury real estate, financial services, hospitality).
• Xerox Versant production press, color, for high-volume CMYK postcard runs.
• Xerox Nuvera, B and W, for transactional mail, statement-style postcards, and lower-cost notification cards.

Substrates we run for postcard mail:

• 14 point C2S (coated two sides), the standard postcard stock. Holds color saturation, ships flat, runs well at every postcard size.
• 16 point C2S, a heavier postcard stock, used when the touch and feel matter (luxury, professional services).
• 100 lb gloss cover, coated cover stock for medium-weight postcards.
• Uncoated stocks (smooth or felt finish), used when a postcard needs to look hand-written, organic, or premium-rustic (real estate offers, nonprofit appeals).

Every postcard mail piece goes through CASS standardization and NCOA processing (approximately 94% match rate on NCOA processing) before it prints, producing 98.5% deliverability after NCOA hygiene on the resulting drop. That hygiene step saves more in undeliverable postage than it costs in data processing on any postcard run over about 2,000 pieces.

Postcard Mailing Classes: EDDM, Marketing Mail, First-Class

Once you have settled on a postcard size, the next decision is the postal class. Each class has its own minimums, its own response-rate profile, and its own use case.

EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)

Saturation mail to every household on selected USPS carrier routes. No list required. Postage runs $0.242 per piece BMEU and $0.247 per piece Retail in 2026. Minimum postcard size for EDDM is 6.25 by 9 inches (the standard EDDM postcard size). Maximum size is 12 by 15 inches. Minimum quantity is 200 pieces for EDDM Retail; no upper minimum on BMEU. Use EDDM when your audience is geographic, not demographic. The EDDM Planner tool walks through route selection visually.

Marketing Mail (Standard Mail)

Targeted bulk mail using a customer list. 200 piece minimum. CASS-validated addresses required. Postage runs $0.43 per piece for letter-rate (most oversized postcard sizes) and $0.36 per piece for postcard-rate pieces under 4.25 by 6 inches. Delivery is 5 to 14 business days depending on geography. Marketing Mail is the workhorse for any postcard campaign over 500 pieces where you have a list and a defined audience.

First-Class Mail

Faster delivery (2 to 5 business days), forwards automatically, and shows up at the 4.25 by 6 inch postcard-rate boundary at $0.56 per piece. Used for time-sensitive postcard mail (event invitations within 10 days, appointment reminders, urgent renewal notices) and for very small drops below the 200-piece Marketing Mail minimum.

Nonprofit Marketing Mail

Available to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations with a USPS authorization. Postcard rates drop further: $0.24 per piece for nonprofit letter postage. Nonprofit postcard mail is the cheapest piece-rate direct mail in the United States outside of EDDM. See nonprofit direct mail services for the qualification path.

Postcard Sizes by Industry: What Actually Works

Different industries pull different postcard sizes for structural reasons (offer complexity, audience attention level, deal size). Patterns we see across MPA's customer base:

Service and vertical reference pages for the categories above: direct mail for real estate, direct mail for home services, direct mail for dental offices, and the B2B mail marketing hub. Talk to us about the direct mail services overview if you are evaluating channel mix, not just postcard sizes.

Postcard Design Specifications That Print Correctly

The most expensive mistake in postcard mail is a file that arrives wrong. Sizing is the most common error. Bleed is the second. Here are the specs MPA needs to print any postcard size correctly the first time:

• Bleed: 0.125 inch on all four sides. A 6 by 9 inch postcard with bleed is supplied as a 6.25 by 9.25 inch file.
• Safe area: 0.125 inch inside the trim line for any text or logo you cannot afford to lose to trim drift.
• Resolution: 300 DPI minimum at final trim size. 600 DPI for photo-heavy postcard sizes if your source files support it.
• Color space: CMYK, not RGB. RGB files print darker and shift hue versus on-screen preview.
• Embedded fonts: Outline all fonts or supply the source font files. Missing-font substitution is a reprint trigger.
• USPS address area: The mailing panel on the back must be a clear 4 by 3.5 inch block in the bottom-right, with a 1 by 0.5 inch indicia or stamp space in the top-right and a 5/8 inch tall clear barcode zone along the bottom.

For exact templates by postcard size, see our postcard size and dimensions guide or download an MPA template from the artwork-prep section of any postcard quote.

Postcard Turnaround Times

Realistic windows from approved data and approved artwork:

• EDDM postcard runs: 3 to 5 business days for most EDDM jobs. The postcard prints in 1 to 2 days, the USPS BMEU induction happens the same week.
• First-Class postcard mail: 3 to 5 business days for First-Class mail in production, plus 2 to 5 business days of USPS delivery.
• Marketing Mail postcards: 5 to 7 business days in production, plus 3 to 10 business days of USPS delivery depending on geography.
• Rush programs: 24 to 48 hour expedited production is available for time-critical postcard drops (event invitations, market-moving announcements). Schedule the rush at quote time so we can stage stock and reserve press time.

The MPA USPS Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) with direct postal entry on-site eliminates the truck transit between our facility and a destination delivery unit. That alone typically improves in-home dates by 1 to 2 days versus competitors who drop at a DDU. For a postcard campaign timed to an event, a grand opening, or an end-of-quarter promotion, that day or two is the difference between hitting the window and missing it.

Why MPA for Postcard Printing and Mailing

You can find a postcard printer in 10 minutes. You can find a list broker in 10 minutes. The painful part is making the two of them agree on a file, a size, a postal class, and an in-home date without something breaking. MPA replaces both with one team in one building.

One project manager owns your postcard job from artwork receipt to USPS handoff. No file transfers between vendors, no daisy-chained delivery dates. Call one number.

Data hygiene happens inline. Every list runs through CASS and NCOA before any postcard prints. The 98.5% deliverability after NCOA hygiene we routinely see on B2B and B2C lists adds up fast on a 25,000-piece run. Postage on undeliverable pieces is the most expensive line item in a poorly-managed postcard campaign, and we eliminate it before it starts.

Variable data printing on every postcard size, every time. Personalize the salutation, the offer, the geo-specific call-out, the matched landing-page URL on the back of the postcard. Personalized postcards consistently outpull generic postcards 2 to 3 times in side-by-side tests. Our variable data printing service covers the technical detail.

USPS BMEU on-site. Postcard mail does not get trucked to a destination delivery unit. It is verified, paid, and inducted into the USPS network directly from our Lakeland facility. Typically improves in-home dates by 1 to 2 days.

SOC 2 Type 2 certified (Vanta-managed, audited annually). HIPAA-compliant for protected health information handling on healthcare postcard programs. Florida State Mail Contract holder for state and municipal customers. Veteran-Owned Small Business with the documentation that procurement teams need.

No minimums. We have run 50-piece postcard programs and 500,000-piece postcard programs in the same week. Economics get more favorable above 1,000 pieces for postcards and above 2,500 pieces for EDDM runs, but there is no per-job floor we will turn away.

How to Run a Postcard Campaign That Generates Response

Picking the right postcard size is step one. The campaign discipline around the postcard is what actually moves response rate from "marginal" to "obviously worth doing." A postcard campaign that works in 2026 looks like this:

1. Define the audience with precision. EDDM: pick the carrier routes (saturation, no list needed). Marketing Mail: filter the list by income, age, dwelling type, behavior signals, or B2B firmographics. The narrower the audience, the higher the response.
2. Run the file through hygiene. CASS, NCOA, dedup. Skip this step and you pay postage on undeliverable postcards. We do this inline on every job.
3. Pick a postcard size that matches the offer. Simple reminder: 4.25 by 6 inch. Standard offer: 6 by 9 inch. High-attention offer or premium product: 6 by 11 inch jumbo or EDDM jumbo.
4. Use variable data printing. Even a basic personalization layer (first name, neighborhood reference, account number) lifts response 20 to 40 percent over a static postcard.
5. Stack the postcard with digital. Mail lands, email follows within 48 hours, paid social retargets the same audience. Integrated postcard plus digital programs deliver 40 to 63 percent higher response than digital-only programs in 2026 research.
6. Measure response with a tracked path. Personalized landing page, tracked phone number, QR code, scannable offer code. If you cannot measure the response, you cannot run the campaign again with intent.
7. Sequence the drops. A second postcard 2 to 3 weeks later, to the same list, to non-responders, typically pulls 60 to 80 percent of the response of the first drop at half the cost. Three-touch postcard sequences outperform single drops by a wide margin.

Our ROI calculator will model the math against your specific postcard size, quantity, and response assumptions.

What MPA Will Not Do

A short list because honesty saves both of us time:

• We will not publish per-click equipment rates. Those are internal cost data. The per-piece postcard prices above are the customer-facing numbers that actually matter.
• We will not over-promise response rates. Postcard response depends on your list, your offer, and your follow-up. We will help you design a postcard campaign that earns a good response, but we will not pretend our printing magically lifts a weak offer.
• We will not run a postcard at an unprintable size. If your file arrives at an oddball size between USPS thresholds, we will tell you on day one, not surprise you on the mailing date.
• We will not take a deposit on a postcard job we cannot deliver on time. If your calendar is impossible, we will say so before you commit budget.

Frequently Asked Questions About Postcard Sizes and Postcard Mail (FAQ)

What postcard sizes does the USPS accept in 2026?

The USPS accepts three postcard size categories. Postcard-rate postcards run 3.5 by 5 inches to 4.25 by 6 inches and qualify for the $0.56 postcard stamp First-Class. Letter-rate oversized postcards run over 4.25 by 6 inches up to 6.125 by 11.5 inches and pay letter postage ($0.43 per piece Marketing Mail, $0.56 First-Class postcard stamp). Anything larger pays flat-rate postage and is rarely cost-effective for postcard mail.

What is the most common postcard size for business direct mail?

The 6 by 9 inch postcard is the most common business postcard size in 2026. It sits in the oversized-postcard window, pays Marketing Mail letter postage at $0.43 per piece, and has enough surface area for a headline, photo, two or three bullets, an offer, and a QR code or response path. For EDDM saturation drops, the 6.25 by 9 inch postcard is the most common because it hits the EDDM minimum dimension and pays the EDDM BMEU rate of $0.242 per piece.

Is a bigger postcard size always better?

No. A bigger postcard size costs more to print and only earns the higher cost if the format actually improves response. In most A/B tests, the 6 by 11 inch jumbo postcard outperforms the 6 by 9 inch postcard by 20 to 40 percent on response rate when the design uses the extra real estate well. If the design wastes the space, the jumbo postcard does not pay back its print premium. Match the postcard size to how much you have to say.

What is the difference between EDDM and Marketing Mail postcards?

EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) is saturation mail to every household on a USPS carrier route. No list required, $0.242 per piece BMEU postage, minimum postcard size 6.25 by 9 inches. Marketing Mail is targeted bulk mail using a customer list, 200 piece minimum, CASS-validated addresses, $0.43 per piece letter postage for most oversized postcard sizes. EDDM is cheaper per piece but cannot target by demographics. Marketing Mail is more expensive per piece but lets you filter by income, age, dwelling type, B2B firmographics, or whatever data the list supports.

How much does it cost to print and mail 5,000 postcards?

For a 5,000-piece 6 by 9 inch postcard run at Marketing Mail rates in 2026, expect roughly $0.55 to $0.75 per piece all-in (print, lettershop, list, postage) depending on color complexity and list source. For 5,000 EDDM postcards at 6.25 by 9 inches, expect roughly $0.45 to $0.55 per piece all-in. First-Class 4.25 by 6 inch postcards run higher per piece because of the $0.56 First-Class postage. Get a custom quote with your specific postcard size and quantity for a fixed price.

How long does it take to print and mail postcards?

Most postcard jobs print in 1 to 2 business days. Marketing Mail postcards mail 5 to 7 business days after approval, plus 3 to 10 business days of USPS delivery. EDDM postcards mail 3 to 5 business days after approval. First-Class postcards mail 3 to 5 business days after approval, plus 2 to 5 business days of USPS delivery. Rush production (24 to 48 hour expedited) is available for time-critical campaigns.

What postcard size is best for EDDM?

The 6.25 by 9 inch postcard is the most popular EDDM size because it hits the EDDM minimum dimension exactly and keeps print cost reasonable. The 6.25 by 11 inch EDDM jumbo postcard is the choice when you need more selling space (home services, real estate, automotive). Both sizes pay the same $0.242 per piece BMEU postage rate, so the choice comes down to how much canvas your offer needs.

Can MPA print postcards with metallic foil or spot UV?

Yes. The Xerox Iridesse production press at MPA runs white, metallic gold, metallic silver, and clear spot colors inline at production speed. Spot UV and foil treatments are also available through our finishing line. These finishes typically run 10 to 25 percent above standard CMYK postcard pricing and are most often used on luxury real estate, financial services, and hospitality postcard programs where the touch and feel matter.

Do I need to design the postcard myself, or can MPA design it?

Either works. If you have a print-ready file, we run it as-is after a preflight check. If you need design help, MPA has in-house design support for any postcard size we print. Send us the offer, the target audience, and any brand assets, and we will turn a design proof in 2 to 3 business days for review.

What is the minimum quantity for postcard mailing?

There is no per-job minimum on our end. We have run 50-piece postcards and 500,000-piece postcards in the same week. USPS class minimums do apply: 200 pieces for Marketing Mail and EDDM Retail, no minimum for First-Class mail. Economics get more favorable above 1,000 pieces on most postcard sizes, but small postcard programs (under 200) work well as First-Class drops at the postcard-rate stamp.

Ready to Run a Postcard Campaign

If you have a postcard size in mind, a target drop date, and a list (or you want to use EDDM and skip the list), we can quote within one business day. If you are earlier than that, still scoping the offer or comparing postcard sizes, schedule a 15 minute call and we will walk through the campaign architecture.

Request a custom postcard quote or schedule a call. Mail Processing Associates, 430 N Wabash Ave, Lakeland, FL 33815. Call (863) 687-6945.