If you are planning a postcard or flyer mailing in the Phoenix area, start with one job brief you can send to everyone quoting it. A quote for 2,500 printed pieces covers a different job from a quote for 2,500 addressed and mailed pieces. The details below help you get estimates you can compare line by line.
Have the basics ready? Request a quote from Accurate Mailing Service or call 602-433-9101.
Put these details in your quote request
- Piece and finished size. Say whether you want a postcard, flat flyer or folded flyer. Give the dimensions after trimming or folding if you know them. For a folded flyer, include the flat size and fold style if known.
- Paper, color and finish. Name any stock or thickness you already have in mind, whether one or both sides print in color, and any folding, coating or other finishing you want. Ask for options where you are flexible.
- Print count and mail count. State how many pieces you want mailed and how many extra copies you want shipped to you for handouts. If you want quantity options, request a separate estimate for each.
- Artwork and proof. Say whether you have a finished file, need changes or want help with the design. If you have more than one version, give the quantity of each. Tell us who will approve the proof and when they can review it.
- Audience and geography. Give the cities, ZIP codes or neighborhoods you want to reach. Say whether you have your own address list, need help sourcing one or are considering USPS mail routes.
- Scope and schedule. Say who will handle mailing and what week you would like the pieces to arrive. If there is an event or offer deadline, include that date too.
If you are deciding between formats, describe how you plan to use the piece and ask which options suit the mailing. Confirm the format and finished size before you finalize artwork.
Choose who handles the mailing
For printing and shipping, tell us where to ship the finished pieces and when you need them there. If you plan to mail those pieces yourself, your USPS handoff and postage are separate from that printing request.
For printing and mailing, ask the estimate to identify who supplies the list, who handles any list preparation and addressing, what mailing preparation is included, and who hands the pieces to USPS. If you have a list, start with its approximate count and geography. Ask how to send the file securely when it is needed.
If you are considering a neighborhood mailing with Accurate Mailing Service, use our EDDM tool to explore nearby USPS mail routes. Share the routes you are considering if you have them, or give us the area you want to reach. Keep a route-based estimate separate from one based on an address list so you can see which audience and count each quote covers.
Give the arrival week and ask about the USPS handoff
Say when you would like people to receive the piece. Ask what proof approval, production and planned USPS handoff dates the estimate assumes. The handoff is when the mailing goes to USPS. The arrival week is your delivery goal, and USPS determines delivery timing. For copies shipped to you, give the date you need them at your location.
Copy and adapt this example request
This example is fictional. Replace the project details and dates with your own.
Please quote an addressed postcard mailing for a community open house in Tempe. I would like 2,500 pieces mailed to addresses on my list in Tempe and Scottsdale, plus 100 extra copies shipped to my office. I am considering a 6 by 9 inch card, full color on both sides. Please confirm the finished size for the mailing and suggest a stock and finish. I have draft artwork and can approve a proof by [date]. My desired arrival week begins [date] and the event is on [date]. Please show the estimated mailed count, printing, list and mailing preparation, postage, shipping for the extra copies, any applicable tax and the estimated total. What USPS handoff date does the quote assume?
Compare quotes on the same scope
Suppose one estimate covers 2,600 printed postcards shipped to you. Another covers 2,500 postcards mailed and 100 shipped to you, with postage shown as an estimate. Ask both for the same 2,500 mailed and 100 shipped, with the same size, stock and finish. Confirm the same audience and planned handoff, then compare the revised totals.
- Counts. Match the printed, mailed and shipped quantities. Ask how the total will change if the confirmed mail count differs from the estimate.
- Inclusions. Check the artwork, proof, printing, finishing, list costs, mailing preparation and shipping. Ask which items are included and which would be added.
- Postage and total. Ask for postage as a separate line, the mailing option assumed, and whether the amount is estimated, included in the total or billed separately. Compare totals on the same postage and tax basis.
- Schedule. Compare proof approval, USPS handoff and your target arrival week. For shipped copies, compare the shipping schedule separately.
Send your postcard or flyer brief to Accurate Mailing Service or call 602-433-9101. Include the decisions you have made and the options you want priced separately.
