A printed marking on a mail piece that authorizes prepaid postage in place of a physical stamp.
Definition
A postage permit indicia is a printed marking on the upper-right corner of a mail piece that takes the place of a physical postage stamp. It indicates that postage has been prepaid through the sender's USPS permit account. Indicia typically include the permit holder's name or city, the permit number, the mail class (e.g., "PRSRT STD" or "FIRST-CLASS MAIL"), and a brief authorization line.
Why it matters
For high-volume direct mail, indicia are faster and cheaper than affixing stamps. Most direct-mail platforms (including PostKnock) print indicia under their own master USPS permit, so individual customers don't need to file for or maintain their own permit — eliminating one of the biggest barriers to running direct mail.
Example
A PostKnock customer mails 1,500 postcards via the platform. Each card prints with PostKnock's First-Class indicia in the corner instead of a stamp. The customer pays one combined fee for printing + postage, and never deals with USPS forms, permit fees, or stamp inventory.
Related terms
- USPS First-Class Mail — The USPS's premium mail class — fastest delivery, address forwarding, and free return o...
- PRSRT STD — A USPS Marketing Mail postage class indicia indicating bulk-rate, presorted, non-First-...
- USPS Marketing Mail — USPS's bulk mail class for promotional content — lower postage, longer delivery times, ...
- Direct Mail — Promotional or transactional mail sent through the postal service to a targeted list of...
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