USPS Catalog Mailing Incentive: Big Savings for Catalog Mailers Starting August 15, 2025
If you’re a catalog marketer, there’s exciting news on the horizon: The USPS Catalog Mailing Incentive goes into effect August 15, 2025, offering substantial postage savings just in time for peak campaign planning and holiday mailings.
What Is the USPS Catalog Mailing Incentive?
The USPS Catalog Mailing Incentive is a new program designed to help catalogers offset recent postage rate increases and encourage continued investment in print catalogs. Starting August 15, 2025, qualifying catalog mailings can receive a 10% discount on postage, with the promotion running through June 2026.
Why Is This Incentive Important?
With postage rates for flats rising as much as 13% in 2025, this incentive offers catalog marketers a rare opportunity for real savings. When combined with additional USPS programs—such as Informed Delivery and Sustainability initiatives—total discounts can reach up to 12%. This can help brands maintain or even expand their catalog programs without sacrificing quality or frequency.
Who Benefits Most?
-
Catalogs weighing 7 oz. or more may see the greatest benefit, as the USPS is lowering per-pound rates for heavier flats. In some cases, catalogs over 7 ounces could see no net increase—or even a decrease—in postage costs.
-
Marketers mailing to house files will find it easier to keep up regular customer touchpoints, keeping acquisition and retention strategies cost-effective.
Key Details and Eligibility
-
Discount: 10% off qualifying catalog postage (potentially up to 12% with other incentives)
-
Effective Dates: August 15, 2025 – June 30, 2026
-
Eligible Mail: Catalogs that meet the USPS’s updated definition, mailed as USPS Marketing Mail flats
- 12 pages minimum
- Bound: A catalog is a bound (stapled, stitched, glued or fastened together along one edge)
- Content: Providing an organized listing of products or services offered for sale. A catalog mailpiece may be letter-shaped, flat-shaped or parcel shaped, and is mailed at USPS Marketing Mail®. The product listing must include images, photographs or illustrations of the products or services, descriptive details, fulfillment information and prices or contain an alternate method for the reader to determine prices. Catalogs must contain enough information to allow an order to be placed, e.g., an order form, a phone number, a web address, or the means to access a web address. Catalogs will also enable fulfillment options for the products or services offered for sale.
-
How to Participate: Ensure your catalogs meet the new USPS definition (see the Domestic Mail Manual and PostalPro for details), and contact your representative at Modern Litho to submit for pre-approval and register your mailing for the incentive.
Why Is USPS Doing This?
The USPS launched this incentive in response to industry data showing that lower postage rates actually increase catalog mail volume and overall postal revenue. This program is also a chance for the Postal Service to evaluate catalog price sensitivity ahead of future rate changes.
Plan Ahead!
This incentive aligns perfectly with fall and spring campaign planning windows, giving catalogers a strategic advantage for the 2025–2026 mailing seasons. Start working with your print and mailing partners now to ensure your catalogs qualify and your campaigns are ready to take full advantage of these savings.
Need help navigating the USPS Catalog Mailing Incentive?
Contact Modern Litho’s postal experts for guidance on eligibility, registration, and maximizing your catalog campaign ROI.