Zone-Based Pricing: The “Known–Unknown” Marketers Can’t Afford to Ignore

For many marketing and operations teams, the new zone-based postage model from USPS sits in an uncomfortable middle ground: familiar enough to recognize, but not deeply understood. And the data proves it. Our 2026 State of Direct Mail Business Insights report is on the way early next year… but consider this your first look.

Only 26% of leaders feel “very educated” about zone-based postage. Yet even among that group, understanding doesn’t translate to behavior:

• Just 28% see zone-based postage as a top challenge for 2026
  
• Only 25% see any potential for lower-cost opportunities
  
• Meanwhile, 51% say USPS changes are significantly disrupting planning
  

This mismatch of high confidence, low comprehension is exactly why teams feel like they’re preparing for change while still being blindsided by it.

Zone-based postage, a proposed USPS postage model that would tie the cost of sending Marketing Mail to how far a mail piece has to travel, is no longer a conceptual shift. It’s an operational one that could take place in the next year.

For a foundational primer on what zone-based pricing is, see our breakdown:‍

Zone-Based Pricing 101

The decisions marketers make in the next 12–18 months will determine how well they manage cost, timing, and efficiency as the USPS redesigns its national network.

Below, we break down what’s really happening, what the data tells us, and the strategic moves high-performing teams are making now.

1. Awareness ≠ Understanding

On the surface, leaders feel prepared: 62% say they’re “informed” or “very educated.”
But look deeper and the picture changes.

Only 1 in 4 is truly very educated. And even among that group, the lack of operational clarity is clear.

Teams may know what zone-based postage is, but most don’t understand how the USPS zone system actually works. For a simple breakdown of how postal zones work today and how distance can impact pricing, this resource offers a clear overview:‍

How USPS Postal Zones Work‍

Takeaway:
Terminology-level awareness is not the same as operational readiness. True preparedness requires understanding the mechanics and their impact, not just the vocabulary.

2. The Logistics Gap Is Growing

Leaders believe they’re tracking the USPS shifts. Their behavior tells a different story.

Among those who describe themselves as “informed” or “very informed”:

• 83% admit they still struggle to follow USPS changes
  
• 87% say direct mail logistics remains a blind spot

USPS has already released its first pricing recommendations for 2026 and the message is clear:
teams need a logistics owner now.

With more pricing increases on the horizon, marketers can’t afford surprise costs or guesswork. But our research shows confidence is outpacing competence. Many teams think they understand postal changes, but struggle to turn that awareness into decisions about entry points, cost modeling, and operational strategy.

Takeaway:
To weather 2026, organizations need clear logistics ownership and a framework for making smarter, data-driven mailing decisions.

3. Postal Literacy Boosts ROI

Organizations that reported the strongest direct mail ROI in our State of Direct mail report have one thing in common: higher postal literacy and better operational understanding.

Meanwhile, 46% of lower-ROI teams say they “know a little”. This level of understanding often leads to reactive, inefficient planning.

Takeaway:
Postal-literate teams anticipate cost curves, plan regional strategies, and build campaigns around delivery predictability. 

What Teams Should Do Now

Zone-based postage is coming in 2026, but the disruption doesn’t have to be.
Here’s how organizations can move from awareness to operational readiness:

1. Assign clear ownership of postal logistics

Someone inside the business needs accountability for USPS updates, modeling cost scenarios, and planning. This could live in marketing, ops or supply chain.

2. Prepare your mail for regional distribution

As distance-based pricing matures, centralized printing becomes increasingly inefficient.
Regional entry will soon determine delivery speed, cost efficiency, and predictability.

Teams should take a hard look at where their mail is produced and whether they’re working with partners who can print and enter mail regionally to stay ahead of shifting cost models.

3. Work with a print logistics partner who can route intelligently

Zone-based postage rewards flexibility. A distributed Print Delivery Network paired with routing intelligence helps brands enter mail closer to its destination, reducing cost and improving delivery windows.
‍
Learn more about how smart printing decisions power better campaigns

‍The invisible layer of routing, presort, and entry logistics

The Bottom Line

USPS reforms under Delivering for America are reshaping the economics of direct mail, and teams who understand these shifts will be positioned to adapt with confidence.

Awareness isn’t enough.‍

Deeper understanding of the postal landscape is the differentiator.

In the year ahead, the gap will grow between the teams who prepare and those who assume they already know enough.

Now is the moment to build the operational literacy, systems, and partnerships that future-proof your mail strategy.

‍