First-Class vs USPS Marketing Mail: Are you sending your campaigns correctly?

For direct mail campaigns in the US, how do you know whether to choose First-Class or Marketing Mail?

Getting this wrong isn't just a technicality and it's not just about speed or price. It matters for compliance, for the integrity of your mailing programme, and critically for how you handle your recipients' personal information. 

Choosing the wrong mail class can mean sending sensitive data through a channel it simply wasn't designed to carry. Understanding the distinction between First-Class mail and USPS Marketing Mail isn't optional knowledge for direct mail senders. It's essential.

Before we expand on why it's important, here's a flowchart to guide you through sending your mail correctly.

What's the difference, and why does it matter for compliance?

First-Class mail is the appropriate channel for personal correspondence, bills, statements of account, and any communication where personal information plays a central role beyond simply facilitating a promotion.  If your mailing content contains PHI (Personal Health Information),  USPS requires strict HIPAA compliance, mandating at least First-Class mail. First-Class mail is typically 3-7 business days.

USPS Marketing Mail, previously known as standard mail, exists for one purpose: marketing and promotional content. It's designed for mail pieces that advertise a product, service, or solicitation where any personal information included exists solely to support that message. Marketing Mail is typically 7-14 business days.

The distinction matters because the type of information a mail piece carries should determine how it travels. Sending something as marketing mail when it contains personal information that goes beyond supporting an advertisement isn't appropriate, regardless of whether it's cheaper or more convenient to do so.

Incorrectly classified mail pieces can be flagged or rejected by USPS entirely, which means your campaign may not reach recipients at all.

How to determine which class applies to your mail piece.

The USPS provides a clear decision framework for this. Before you send, work through these questions:

1. Is the mail piece typewritten or handwritten? If yes, it must go by First-Class mail. Marketing Mail is for printed, non-personal correspondence.
2. Is it a bill or a statement of account? If yes, First-Class mail is required. Financial and transactional documents belong in a different channel entirely.
3. Does it contain personal information? If no, you're clear to use Marketing Mail. If yes, you need to go further.

If it does contain personal information, three further tests apply:

1. Is there explicit advertising or solicitation for a product, service, or donation?
2. Is all of the personal information directly related to that advertising or solicitation?
3. Is the exclusive purpose of the personal information to support the advertising or solicitation?

Only if the answer to all three of these tests above is yes does the mail piece qualify as USPS Marketing Mail. If it fails any one of these tests, First-Class mail is the correct choice.

Why this matters for your recipients.

Beyond compliance, this framework is really about respect for your audience. Personal information shared with your business comes with an implied expectation of appropriate handling. Using marketing mail as a vehicle for communications that carry personal data beyond a promotional context, even unintentionally, undermines that trust.

USPS can reclassify your mail. If USPS determines your content should have been sent as First-Class, they can charge you the difference in postage, or hold the mail until it’s resolved. That’s a delay you really don’t want in the middle of a campaign.

You may face compliance issues. USPS regulations exist for a reason, and consistently misclassifying mail can create problems with your account and your mailings

Taking a few minutes to work through the eligibility questions before every campaign isn't bureaucratic box-ticking. It's good practice, and it's the right thing to do.

What are the next steps?

For the full USPS guidelines, the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) sections 233 and 243 are the definitive reference points.

Stannp.com makes it easy to stay on the right side of these rules. When you build your campaign, you have the option to choose if it's a marketing campaign. If you say yes, the option is First-Class or standard class.

If you’re ever unsure whether your content qualifies as First-Class or Marketing Mail, our customer support team is happy to help you figure it out before you hit send. Getting it right from the start saves time, money, and hassle, and makes sure your mail actually reaches the people you’re trying to contact.