USPS Tactile, Sensory & Interactive (TSI) Promotion 2026: A Guide for Delmarva Businesses
Are you looking for a competitive edge in your marketing? The USPS Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive (TSI) Promotion offers a powerful way for Delmarva businesses to capture customer attention and save significant money on postage. By incorporating innovative features into your mail, you can create unforgettable brand experiences and get up to a 7% discount on postage costs.
At Mail Movers, we specialize in helping businesses across Salisbury, MD, and the entire Delmarva Peninsula navigate these complex USPS promotions. We handle everything from design and printing to ensuring your mailpiece qualifies, so you can focus on what you do best: running your business.
What is the USPS TSI Promotion?
The TSI Promotion encourages mailers to enhance customer engagement by adding tactile, sensory, or interactive elements to their mail. The program offers a base 5% discount, which can be boosted to 7% with eligible Add-Ons. The promotion runs from January 1 to June 30, 2026, with registration opening on October 15, 2025.
Eligible Mail Classes
- First-Class Mail® letters, cards, and flats.
- USPS Marketing Mail® letters and flats.
- Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail® letters and flats.
Ineligible Mailpieces include Periodicals, Bound Printed Matter, and Media Mail.
How to Qualify for the 5% Discount
To receive the base 5% discount, your mailpiece must include one or more qualifying features on the content or the outside of the envelope. Here’s a breakdown of what qualifies:
Category | Qualifying Feature Examples | Ineligible/Excluded Treatments |
|---|---|---|
Tactile / Texture | Papers that are soft to the touch, leathery, or crinkly; embossing; grit or leather texture; and non-geometric-shape die cuts. | Linen-embossed paper stock, laminated postcards, gloss stock, and geometric-shaped die cuts. |
Specialty Inks | Metallic ink, Conductive inks (for circuits), Thermochromics (temperature-sensitive), Photochromic (UV light-exposed), Optically variable ink (changes appearance with angle), Piezochromic, Hydrochromic, and Scented Ink. | Inks that are absorbed into the substrates with limited visibility, clear inks, or inks that look only like photos and are not distinguishable as specialty inks. |
Sensory | Scent Marketing (scented varnishes, coatings, or labels); Sound features (paper incorporating sound chips/speakers); Visual effects (holographs, filters, and lenticulars). | Scents applied within the opening mechanism; scents cannot contain unpleasant odors. Stickers (except holographic treatments). |
Interactive | Three-dimensional elements, pop-ups, peel and reveal, scratch-offs, infinite folding, Clean release cards, Perforated pull open strips (zip strips), and Trailing Edge Die-Cuts (TED-Cs). | Simple folds (half-folds, tri-folds, gate folds, etc.). Snap packs, perforated stubs, and tear stubs. |
Note: Treatments should not be placed in the indicia or barcode clear zones. Enclosures such as inserts, order forms, or reply envelopes are not eligible for the promotion discount even if treated.
Boost Your Savings to 7% with Add-Ons
You can claim up to two Add-Ons (1% each) on top of the base 5% TSI discount. The Add-Ons Promotion Period runs from January 1 to December 31, 2026.
Informed Delivery® Add-On (1% Discount)
Enhance your direct mail campaign with a digital component. The Informed Delivery® Add-On allows you to send a full-color, clickable ad to a recipient's email inbox, giving them a preview of the mailpiece to come.
- Discount: 1% added to the promotion discount.
- Requirements: Must submit a pre-approval request with a Ride-Along Image, a live Target URL, and a representative image of the mailpiece.
Sustainability Add-On (1% Discount)
This Add-On rewards mailers who use responsibly sourced and sustainably produced paper. To qualify, you must provide documentation of an eligible certification (e.g., SFI, FSC, PEFC).
- Discount: 1% added to the promotion discount.
- Requirements: Submit documentation of a valid sustainability certification via the Mailing Promotions Portal.
How Mail Movers Makes it Easy for Delmarva Businesses
Navigating USPS promotions can be complicated, but our team at Mail Movers has it down to a science. Here’s how we handle the entire process for you:
- Consultation and Design: We work with you to design a mailpiece that not only meets your marketing goals but also qualifies for the maximum TSI discount.
- Pre-Approval Submission: Our experts handle all the paperwork, submitting your design and samples to the USPS for pre-approval.
- Printing and Production: We produce your mailpieces using high-quality materials and qualifying features right here in Salisbury, MD.
- Mailing and Discount Claiming: We prepare your postage statements, submit them electronically, and ensure the 5-7% discount is applied at the time of mailing.
- Post-Mailing Compliance: We retain all necessary documentation and mailpiece samples for the required 90-day period to ensure compliance with USPS audits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How can my Salisbury, MD business use the USPS TSI promotion?
Any business on the Delmarva Peninsula can use the TSI promotion to make their marketing mail more engaging. Whether you're a retailer sending a catalog, a nonprofit sending a fundraising appeal, or a service provider sending a promotional offer, adding a unique texture, interactive element, or even a scent can dramatically increase your open rates and ROI. Contact Mail Movers to brainstorm ideas that fit your brand and budget.
What are the benefits of using interactive mail for businesses on the Delmarva Peninsula?
In a crowded digital world, tangible media stands out. Interactive mail is memorable, engaging, and drives higher response rates. For local businesses in areas like Salisbury, Easton, and Ocean City, it’s a proven way to cut through the noise, create a lasting impression, and drive customers to your storefront or website—all while saving up to 7% on postage.
Does Mail Movers handle the entire USPS TSI promotion process?
Yes! We are a full-service USPS-certified mail service provider. Our team manages every step, from initial design consultation and USPS pre-approval to printing, mailing, and ensuring your discount is applied correctly. We take the complexity out of the process so you can enjoy the savings and results.
What's the first step to get the 7% mail discount with Mail Movers?
The first step is to contact us for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your marketing goals, review the TSI promotion requirements, and develop a strategy to create a qualifying mailpiece that maximizes your postage discount and marketing impact. Fill out the form below to get started!
Ready to Save 7% on Your Next Direct Mail Campaign?
Don't leave money on the table. The USPS TSI promotion is a powerful way to make your mail stand out and save on postage. Contact our Delmarva-based mail experts today, and we'll handle the entire process for you—from design and printing to navigating the USPS approval process. Fill out the form below to get started!
