First-Class vs. Marketing Mail

First-Class Mail delivers in approximately 2–5 business days and includes forwarding (the piece is forwarded to a recipient's new address if they have filed a change-of-address) and return service (undeliverable pieces come back to you). Marketing Mail — formerly called Standard Mail — is cheaper per piece but takes 7–21 business days to deliver, has no forwarding or return service, and is simply discarded if undeliverable. For time-sensitive campaigns like appointment recalls or expiring offers, First-Class is often the right choice despite the higher postage. For broad awareness or saturation mailings where timeliness is less critical, Marketing Mail's lower cost makes it attractive. Note that 4×6 postcards can qualify for the First-Class postcard rate, which is lower than First-Class letter rates.