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A mailing permit is an account a bulk mailer holds with a postal service that lets it print a permit imprint, a small printed marking, instead of sticking a stamp on each piece. It is a tool for organizations that mail in volume, not for single letters, and it replaces stamps only for mail sent under that permit account.
Instead of buying stamps, a permit holder prints an imprint in the top-right corner of each envelope, showing the permit number, the mailing city, and the class of mail. The postal service then charges the permit account for the pieces mailed, based on counts and weights the mailer declares. That is why permit mail looks different from personal mail: no stamp, no meter mark, just a small rectangular imprint where the stamp would normally sit.
Permits are tied to a specific mailer and a specific post office of mailing. A nonprofit, a university, a city department, or a large company may hold one or more permits, each for a different kind of mailing. The permit does not itself give a discount: any savings come from the class of mail used, such as presorted bulk mail, and from meeting preparation rules for that class.
Almost nobody sending ordinary mail needs a permit. If you mail a few letters a month, stamps or an online postage label are simpler and cheaper in practice, since a permit involves an account, an application, and ongoing record-keeping. Permits start to make sense when an organization mails hundreds or thousands of identical or similar pieces at once, such as bills, statements, newsletters, or fundraising appeals, and wants to avoid sticking stamps on each one.
Small businesses often assume they need a permit when they do not. A local shop mailing fifty flyers can use stamps. A charity mailing five hundred appeal letters might use a permit, or might use a mailing house that already holds one. Using a mailing house's permit is common: the house prepares and mails the pieces under its own account, and the client never holds a permit at all.
| Mailing method | Best for | How postage is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp | Single letters, small runs | Stamp bought in advance |
| Postage meter | Offices mailing daily | Meter account topped up as needed |
| Permit imprint | Bulk mailers, mailing houses | Permit account charged per mailing |
| Online postage label | Occasional senders, parcels | Paid per label at purchase |
A postage meter prints a dated postage mark for each piece and draws from a prepaid meter account, piece by piece. A permit imprint prints no value at all: it only identifies the permit, and the postal service bills the account for the whole mailing. Meters suit offices that mail varied letters every day. Permits suit bulk runs where every piece is similar and counted together. Both replace stamps, but they work in opposite ways, and a mailer can hold both for different jobs.
There is also a detail that trips up new mailers: a permit imprint is not valid on its own for a single personal letter. If you print a permit-style marking without a permit account, the piece will be treated as unpaid and may be returned or delivered with postage due. Permit mail must go through the permit process, with the right counts, sorting, and drop-off location.
No, not as a bulk permit service. LetterAgent mails single letters, one at a time, through its standard service: you describe the letter to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed with first-class postage or the fastest available non-express service. If you need to send a bulk mailing under a permit, a mailing house or your postal service's business mail office is the right route, and they can advise on preparation rules for your volume.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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