Postcard Price Guide Comprehensive Reference

If you have heard of postcard marketing strategies that can help push your business to the top but can't quite decide yet if it is really for you, then consider looking into postcard pricing schemes as an argument for you to jump into the deal.

It is not a stretch to say that the small price you pay for a huge stack of postcards can actually improve your business' visibility so much so that you can easily grow your clientele with postcard marketing.

In the succeeding paragraphs, you can cast your eyes over a few factors to determine the price of postcard printing orders as well as a brief guide on pricing schemes for standard postcard orders.

So how do you determine the price of postcard orders?

Check out the following suggestions so you can pick the best assets for your postcards without the order costing a small fortune.

A Basic Postcard Price Guide

Postcard Size: The size of the postcard is one of the biggest determinants of price. Obviously, the bigger the page, the more ink goes into the print increasing the selling price per copy.

To maximize this, pick the best copy that's just right for you. No need to go for a brochure type 6x11 (inch) postcard? Then order something smaller. As a guide, the standard size of a postcard is 5x7 (inch) and picking this should put you right in the spot where everyone expects a postcard to be.

Paper Quality: You obviously want something good but not too extravagant. Paper quality is determined by paper density which translates to grams per square meter. For 'cardboard' like postcards, a paper quality of 170 gsm is just sufficient. You can go as high as 210 gsm but try not to go over or your postcard costs start climbing up like crazy.
Front and Back Printing: Print on one or both sides? If you plan to give your postcards as handouts for walk-in customers then there's absolutely no need to print on both sides. However if you're planning to send it through the mail, that's when you need to print on both sides with the back essentially being a space for the address.
Print Color: Of course we all want our postcards to be in full-color for maximum effect but do you know that some pictures and marketing strategies work better in sepia or black and white? See if you have postcard themes that fit this bill so you can further cut on costs with black and white postcards.
Bulk orders: Printing companies prefer orders in bulk because it saves them a lot in terms of in-house manufacturing processes. As a consequence, bulk orders are cheaper per postcard than if you were to buy in smaller quantities. Determine the size of your clientele and how many do you expect to give postcards out to on a per year basis.

Pricing Tip - If your business is not yet big enough to handle bulk orders, then try to establish a two year cycle for your postcards so that your order for this year will be good for the next two years. That way, you can still order in relatively bigger sizes without wasting postcards that won't be given away at the end of the year.

Postage: This only applies to direct mailing services. Should you choose to give the postcards on a walk-in basis or mail them individually, then you shouldn't be charged for postage rates. In the case of direct mailing, the postage rates are based on distance and location of the recipient. Check the latest rates from the United States Postal Service (USPS) as printing companies typically follow these guidelines to the letter.
Mailing Lists: In the case of direct mailing, printing companies actually sell mailing lists. These are the potential recipients of your business as identified by criteria you set yourself. If you have your own mailing list, then you shouldn't be charged for mailing lists.

Do Your Postcard Homework

Many online print companies have a handy postcard price guide - it's called a price calculator for printing costs.

Postcard price guide money in pocket
Balance the expense with the results

Using such a price calculator can help you find, select and calculate the price of your order.

The pricing schemes will be different so you will need to do your homework if you want to find the best service at the cheapest rates.

For starters, you can check out online printing companies like VistaPrint, PrintPlace and PsPrint to see which companies offer the most competitive and business-friendly prices.

To give you an idea of how much postcard orders typically cost, here is a quick and dirty list of order prices depending on the specifications.

Our Quick And Dirty Postcard Price Guide List

Example: Order 1: Flat Postcard on 14pt Cardstock Glossy Paper
(500 pieces, printed on the front side only)

Postcard size	Approx postcard price (USD)
4x6	$52.35
5x7	$106.28
5.5x8.5	$115.92
6x11	$164.13

Example: Order 2: Change the paper from Cardstock Glossy to Cardstock Matte Flat Postcards on 14pt Cardstock Matte Paper
(500 pieces, printed on the front side only)