Add-Ons

In 2025, USPS is offering Add-on Promotions that provide additional postage discounts for mailpieces that already qualify for regular USPS promotions.

Add-ons are designed to help you save even more by meeting specific criteria alongside your standard promotional mailings. Explore the details below to see how Lob can support you in applying for these extra savings.

Informed Delivery

What is the Informed Delivery add-on?

Informed Delivery by USPS enhances the traditional mail experience by providing subscribers with a daily email preview of their incoming mail. This preview includes either a representative image or an actual scan of the mailpiece.

The email also includes a ride-along image: a small, full-color, interactive image that links to a target URL. This additional content reinforces your mailpiece’s messaging and call-to-action while providing a digital touchpoint for engagement.

In order to qualify for the Informed Delivery Add-On, your mailpiece has to qualify and be approved for a promotion as well. A mailpiece that does not have a promotion attached to it will not receive the 1% discount.

Why should mailers use Informed Delivery?

Combining direct mail with digital technologies, such as Informed Delivery, amplifies campaign success by connecting physical and digital marketing strategies.

Key benefits

• Increased customer engagement: Seamlessly integrates physical mail with digital campaigns, enhancing interaction.

• Extended marketing reach: Adds a supplemental digital footprint for your mail campaign at no extra cost.

• Attribution data: Provides actionable insights into campaign performance, helping refine future strategies.

Impressive reach

As of March 2024, 62.4 million users are actively subscribed to USPS’s Informed Delivery program, providing a substantial and growing audience for your campaigns.

How can I sign up for Informed Delivery through Lob?

Step 1: Sign up for the Informed Delivery promotion

1. Log into the Lob Dashboard:

   1. Navigate to Billing > Promotions, and click Create an Informed Delivery Promotion.

2. Enter promotion details:

   1. Promotion Name

   2. Promotional URL (where the ride-along image will redirect users)

   3. Upload your Ride-Along Image

3. Ride-along image specifications:

   1. Format: Full-color JPG

   2. Dimensions: 200x300 pixels

   3. Max File Size: 200KB

4. Submit for approval:

   1. Click Create an Informed Delivery Promotion to send your application to USPS.

   2. Allow 3–5 business days for approval and watch for email notification once approved.

Step 2: Send an Informed Delivery Campaign

You can send an Informed Delivery campaign via API or Campaigns in Lob.

Option 1: Send via API

1. POST campaign data:

   1. Use the Lob API to send the informed_delivery_campaign and retrieve a campaign_id.

2. Include required fields:

   1. Ride-along image

   2. Promotional URL

   3. Campaign size

3. Optional fields:

   1. Brand name: Defaults to the company name in Lob unless specified.

   2. Representative image: A sample image of the mailpiece. This should reflect all mailers in the campaign and must not include PII. If omitted, USPS will display a scan of the mailpiece instead.

4. Validate campaign: After a successful POST, receive the campaign_id and confirm qualification for existing promotions.

5. Send mail: Include the informed_delivery_campaign_id in your submission to Lob as usual.

Option 2: Send via Lob Campaigns

1. Set up campaign:

   1. Begin your campaign setup in Lob Campaigns.

2. Enable Informed Delivery:

   1. When prompted, select the option to use Informed Delivery.

   2. Choose from available approved promotions obtained in Step 1.

3. Enter campaign details:

   1. Promotional URL

   2. Upload the Ride-Along Image.

4. Ride-Along Image specifications:

   1. Format: JPG

   2. Dimensions: 500x780 pixels

   3. Max file size: 200KB

5. Optional fields:

   1. Brand name: Appears in the Informed Delivery email sent to subscribers. Defaults to your company name in Lob unless customized.

   2. Representative image: A sample of your mailpiece (similar rules as for API campaigns apply).

6. Launch campaign:

   1. Complete your setup and submit. Lob ensures that the mailpiece adheres to USPS’s Informed Delivery standards.

Sustainability

What is the USPS Sustainability Add-On?

The USPS Sustainability Add-On rewards businesses that use environmentally friendly materials in their print production by offering an additional 1% discount on all eligible mailpieces. This add-on promotes eco-conscious practices and helps businesses reduce their environmental impact.

How can I take advantage of the USPS Sustainability Add-On through Lob?

As long as you opt into the Sustainability Add-On in the USPS Promotions Portal, any mailpiece tied to a USPS promotion will automatically receive the 1% sustainability discount add-on.