How Many Postcards Are Mailed Each Year in the U.S.?

Written by UPrinting    ●    Published on August 8, 2023

Do people still send out postcards?

There was a time when the humble postcard was considered revolutionary, for it became easy to send a spur-of-the-moment or thoughtful message with an apt image anywhere in the world. In fact, the first two decades of the 1900s was known to be the Golden Age of postcards. Sending and collecting postcards became such a craze that it was called "postcarditis."

Nowadays, while the hype over postcards isn't the same as in the last century, postcards are still widely used in the Digital Age especially by businesses. In this article, we find out how many postcards are mailed in the U.S. each year, and explore the trends, patterns, and other factors that contribute to their relevance today.

Postcards Mailed Each Year in the U.S.

• · 3.23 billion postcards were mailed in 2022 according to the USPS!
• · 2.82 billion postcards were mailed through presorted mail (direct mail and EDDM combined) in 2022! Up 24% from 2021 with 2.28 billion.
• · How much do postcards cost now?
  • o 0.48¢ to send a postcard (cost of 1 stamp)
  • o $0.189/piece for an EDDM Retail® USPS Marketing Flats
  • o $0.19-$0.29/piece to send a Postcard via USPS Direct Mail
• · The number of stamped postcards declined by 10% each year. From 1 billion in 2013 to 413 million in 2022.
• · Only 413 million postcards (13%) were self-stamped while 87% were from businesses.
• · During the COVID years (2020-2022), business postcards that were sent out (via EDDM and Direct Mail) increased by 742 million pieces.
  • o 2020: 2,079,692,000
  • o 2021: 2,277,695,000
  • o 2022: 2,822,193,000
• · Based on UPrinting’s 2022 sales, many customers ordered custom postcards:
  • o 38% of sales were 4” x 6” size
  • o 16% were 5” x 7”
  • o 5% were 5.5” x 8.5”
  • o 48% ordered 14 pt. cardstock with a glossy finish,o 14% ordered the same cardstock but with a matte finish
• · These are the top 5 states that searched for postcards in 2022, according to Google Trends:
  • o Hawaii
  • o Montana
  • o Nebraska
  • o Maine
  • o District of Columbia
• · According to the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), postcards receive the highest response rate of 4.25%, and letters get the lowest response at 3.5%.
• · Postcards are a leading option when it comes to the most preferred type of direct mail, with 52.5% of recipients claiming to read them – unlike with letters, which are opened only in one out of three instances.

Key Takeaways From the United States Postal Services (USPS) Data

Here are our takeaways based on the data provided by the United States Postal Service (USPS):

1. Overall Trend

There’s been a consistent decline in the number of stamped postcards and custom postcards mailed in the last decade, by 1%-12% each year. One factor to consider about the decline is the possible preference for other forms of digital communication over time, which offers convenience and instant communication.

2. COVID Changed Everything

However, during the COVID years (2020-2022), there was a 1%-24% increase in volume – showing a temporary shift in communication patterns. This could be because individuals and businesses were looking for alternative ways like postcard printing to communicate and stay connected during periods of lockdowns and social distancing.

Since more people were at home during the lockdown, contactless deliveries also gained popularity. This led to more people checking their mail often, while marketers also learned to adapt to the new normal by including COVID-related messages in their postcards.

3. Varying Trends With Presorted Postcards

Presorted postcards, which are commonly used for business-related mailings and bulk distribution, have shown varying trends from 2013-2022. Data shows that there were some years with a slight increase in volume, and there were also decreases. With this data, we could attribute the 87% increase in 2022 as a result of businesses using direct mail and EDDM for targeted mailing and promotional campaigns.

At present, more companies are discovering that direct mail marketing works and has a higher response rate compared to its digital counterparts. Postcards even show better results when incorporated with digital call-to-actions like QR codes, social media accounts, website URLs, and more. Businesses are also realizing that direct mail can help reach audiences in ways that digital channels can’t, and that they need to stand out in the mailbox against other competitors using direct mail marketing.

Postcards are Timeless

Postcards may be a tool that dates back in the 1900s, but they still remain relevant in the digital age. The growth in the number of postcards mailed by businesses annually in the U.S. is a testament to postcard marketing's power to bring results. In a world of digital interactions, postcards prove to be timeless and serve as a reminder of the lasting power of physical communication.

If you want to incorporate postcards in your marketing strategy, choose a reputable printing company like UPrinting to deliver what you need. Order custom postcards with us today.