USPS Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion (2027): Everything You Need to Know
When was the last time someone played with your marketing?
In today’s digital world, most marketing is viewed for only a few seconds before it’s forgotten. Direct mail has an advantage because it engages multiple senses—and the USPS is rewarding marketers who take advantage of that opportunity.
The 2027 USPS Tactile, Sensory & Interactive (TSI) Promotion offers a 5% postage discount for qualifying First-Class Mail® and USPS Marketing Mail® pieces that incorporate tactile, sensory, or interactive print features. The promotion is specifically designed to encourage marketers to create memorable mailpieces that recipients want to touch, open, explore, and keep.
At JET Print and Mail, we help clients not only qualify for USPS promotions—we also design, print, and mail pieces that maximize marketing performance.
What Is the USPS Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion?
The USPS created this promotion to encourage mailpieces that stimulate one or more of the recipient’s senses through innovative printing techniques, specialty papers, coatings, dimensional elements, and interactive experiences.
Qualifying pieces can receive a 5% postage discount during the promotion period while creating a stronger customer experience.
Think beyond ordinary postcards.
Imagine mail that:
- Changes color in sunlight
- Feels like leather or velvet
- Releases a fragrance
- Pops open into a 3D display
- Includes hidden messaging through infinite folds
- Uses metallic or thermochromic inks
- Invites recipients to scratch, pull, peel, or unfold
These experiences naturally increase engagement because recipients spend more time interacting with the piece.
Promotion Dates for 2026/27
Registration Period
October 15, 2026 – June 30, 2027
Promotion Period
January 1, 2027 – June 30, 2027
Qualified mailings entered during this period receive the 5% postage discount.
Which Mail Classes Qualify?
Eligible mail includes:
- First-Class Mail® letters
- First-Class Mail® postcards
- First-Class Mail® flats
- USPS Marketing Mail® letters
- USPS Marketing Mail® flats
- Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail® letters
- Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail® flats
Periodicals, Bound Printed Matter, and Media Mail are not eligible.
What Types of Print Effects Qualify?
The USPS groups qualifying features into three categories.
1. Specialty Inks
Specialty inks create visible, distinctive effects that enhance the marketing message.
Examples include:
- Metallic inks
- Conductive inks
- Thermochromic inks
- Photochromic inks
- Hydrochromic inks
- Piezochromic inks
- Scented inks
- Optically variable inks
The effect must be obvious to the recipient and contribute to the overall experience.
2. Sensory Treatments
These treatments engage one or more senses through texture, scent, sound, or visual effects.
Popular qualifying treatments include:
Textural
- Soft-touch coatings
- Velvet finishes
- Leather textures
- Embossing
- Spot gloss
- Sandpaper textures
Scent
- Scratch-and-sniff varnishes
- Ambient scented coatings
- Scented labels
- Microencapsulated fragrances
Visual
- Lenticular printing
- Holographic elements
- Specialty visual papers
Sound
- Embedded sound chips
- Audio-enabled print pieces
The sensory element must reinforce the marketing message—not simply exist as decoration.
3. Interactive Elements
Interactive mail encourages recipients to physically manipulate the piece.
Examples include:
- Pop-up structures
- Scratch-offs
- Peel-and-reveal features
- Infinite folds
- Pull tabs
- Zip strips
- Clean release cards
- Three-dimensional mailers
- Trailing Edge Die-Cut (TED-C) envelopes
Simple folds like tri-fold brochures or accordion folds do not qualify on their own.
What Doesn’t Qualify?
Some common print features are specifically excluded, including:
- Standard gloss stock
- Laminated postcards
- Linen embossed paper
- Geometric die cuts
- Blow-in cards
- Buckslips
- Reply envelopes
- Address labels
- Standard stickers (except qualifying holographic treatments)
Additionally, the USPS prohibits “mail diversion” messaging that encourages recipients to bypass the physical mail experience (for example, telling recipients to ignore the mailed statement and simply pay online). Such messaging makes the mailing ineligible for the promotion.
Can You Combine This Promotion with Other USPS Discounts?
Yes.
The USPS now offers Add-Ons that can increase your total savings.
Informed Delivery Add-On (+1%)
Pair your tactile mailpiece with an Informed Delivery campaign that includes:
- Ride-along image
- Clickable call-to-action
- Landing page URL
This extends your campaign into recipients’ email inboxes while adding another postage discount.
Sustainability Add-On (+1%)
Organizations using certified responsibly sourced paper may qualify for an additional discount through certifications such as:
- FSC®
- SFI®
- PEFC
- Bureau Veritas
- SCS Global Services
- PrintReleaf
Combined with the TSI Promotion, total discounts can reach 6–7% on eligible mailpieces.
How Do You Qualify?
The USPS approval process includes:
- Design a qualifying mailpiece.
- Submit artwork through the USPS My Products Portal.
- Send a physical sample (when required).
- Receive USPS approval.
- Register for the promotion.
- Claim the correct promotion code when submitting postage.
The USPS recommends submitting samples well before your mailing date to allow time for review and any required revisions.
Why Tactile Mail Performs Better
Consumers remember experiences more than advertisements.
A textured finish, interactive fold, specialty ink, or scented coating encourages people to:
- Spend more time with the mailpiece
- Explore additional content
- Share it with others
- Associate higher quality with your brand
Instead of competing with hundreds of digital ads, tactile direct mail creates a memorable physical experience that is difficult to ignore.
How JET Print and Mail Helps
Designing a USPS-compliant promotional mailing involves more than adding an emboss or a specialty coating.
Our team helps clients:
- Develop USPS-eligible mailpieces
- Recommend qualifying print embellishments
- Produce specialty finishing and interactive formats
- Coordinate USPS pre-approval
- Manage data, printing, mailing, and postage
- Maximize available USPS promotions and add-on discounts
Whether you’re launching a product, promoting an event, fundraising, or driving retail traffic, we help you create mail that people don’t just read—they experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the USPS Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion?
It is a USPS Mailing Promotion that offers a 5% postage discount for qualifying direct mail that includes tactile, sensory, or interactive print enhancements.
How much is the USPS TSI Promotion discount?
Eligible mailpieces receive a 5% postage discount, with additional savings available through qualifying USPS Add-Ons.
What kinds of print enhancements qualify?
Examples include metallic inks, thermochromic inks, soft-touch coatings, embossing, scratch-and-sniff varnishes, pop-ups, peel-and-reveal elements, infinite folds, sound chips, and specialty die cuts.
Can I combine the promotion with Informed Delivery?
Yes. Eligible mailers may combine the TSI Promotion with the USPS Informed Delivery Add-On to receive additional discounts and create an omnichannel marketing campaign.
Who can help me qualify for the USPS promotion?
JET Print and Mail can design, print, obtain USPS approval, manage mailing logistics, and help you maximize available USPS Mailing Promotions while creating high-impact direct mail campaigns.
Ready to Create Mail That People Remember?
Anyone can print a postcard.
The brands that stand out create an experience.
JET Print and Mail combines creative design, specialty print manufacturing, USPS expertise, and direct mail production to help you build campaigns that engage more customers while reducing postage costs through USPS Mailing Promotions.
Let’s build a direct mail campaign that your customers will actually want to touch, open, and remember.