Free tool · Canada · CAD
What will your direct mail cost?
Set a quantity and see the real price per postcard or letter, printing and postage included. Postcards run from $3.41 for one card down to $1.63 each at volume. No sign-up, no “call for a quote”.
Direct mail cost calculator
Per postcard
$2.14
Tier 100-999
Total
$1,070.00
500 pieces
At 1,000+ the price drops to $1.94 each (500 more).
Compared with the usual options
- Post TimelyPrint, address, postage and delivery, addressed to each home or business$1,070.00
- Print shop + stampsShort-run printing and a Canada Post stamp. Not included: addressing, stamping and dropping off every card yourself.$745–$1,070
- Canada Post Neighbourhood MailUnaddressed delivery to every mailbox on a route, plus printing. Not included: no names or addresses, no choice of which homes, bundling rules.$175–$300
- Direct mail agencyPrint and postage. Not included: usually a minimum run, a design fee and list rental on top.$875–$1,625
Alternative prices are estimated ranges, not quotes. See how we worked them out below.
Will it pay for itself?
At 1% you could expect about 5 responses (about $214.00 each). You break even after 5 new customers.
Prices in CAD per piece for Canadian addresses: printing, postage and addressing included. Arrives about 5 to 7 business days after it prints.
Mail 500 postcardsThe short version
How direct mail pricing works in Canada
Every mailed piece has the same four costs stacked on top of each other: printing, postage, addressing and handling, and the list of who it goes to. Some companies quote each one separately. We quote one number per piece that already includes the first three, and our targeting tools cover the fourth.
The price per piece falls as volume goes up because printing gets cheaper per sheet and handling is spread over more pieces. Postage is the part that barely moves: Canada Post charges much the same to deliver your first card as your thousandth.
Postcard and letter tiers (live prices)
| Quantity | Postcard (6 x 4) | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.41 | $3.61 |
| 2–9 | $2.91 | $3.11 |
| 10–99 | $2.61 | $2.81 |
| 100–999 | $2.14 | $2.34 |
| 1,000–4,999 | $1.94 | $2.14 |
| 5,000+ | $1.63 | $1.83 |
Recurring, automatic programs (for example, a card to every home that lists for sale in your area) are priced on monthly volume and start at $1.38 per postcard. Unaddressed drops to every home in an area start at $0.45 per piece, with a 500-home minimum.
Cost 1
Postage: what Canada Post charges
Postage is the biggest single line in most small mailings. In Canada a standard postcard and a letter up to 30 g both travel as Lettermail. Since January 2025 a domestic stamp costs CA$1.24 when bought in booklets or coils, and more as a single stamp. That means a do-it-yourself mailing can never cost less than about CA$1.24 a piece before you print anything.
Bulk mailers get commercial rates that are lower than retail stamps, but only if the mail is sorted, bundled and handed over in the format Canada Post expects. That preparation is a large part of what a print-and-mail service does for you.
Unaddressed mail (Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail) is much cheaper per piece because there is no name or address: it goes to every mailbox on the routes you pick. It suits flyers and menus aimed at everyone; it is a poor fit when you want specific households. We compare the two in our Neighbourhood Mail alternative guide.
Cost 2
Printing: card stock, size and run length
Short-run digital printing makes small quantities affordable, but the per-card price still falls steeply between 10 and 1,000 cards. A 6 x 4 inch postcard is the most economical format: it mails at the standard rate and needs no envelope. A letter adds paper, folding, an envelope and insertion, which is why letters cost a little more per piece.
- Postcards get read in the time it takes to walk from the mailbox to the recycling bin, so they work best for one clear offer.
- Letters feel personal and private. Lawyers, financial advisors and anyone sending a longer message tend to prefer them.
Our postcard design guide covers sizes and layout in more detail.
Cost 3
Lists: the cost people forget
Print-and-mail quotes rarely include the list. Renting a consumer or business list from a broker is billed per record and is often a one-time use. In Canada, privacy law (PIPEDA and provincial equivalents) governs how personal information is collected and used, and Canada Post’s change-of-address data can’t be used to build marketing lists, so “new mover” lists here are thinner than in the US.
That is why we focus on targeting that doesn’t need a rented list:
- Homes that have just listed or just sold, and the neighbours around them.
- New homeowners for trades and services — see new homeowner marketing in Canada.
- Your own customer list, uploaded as a spreadsheet.
- Every home around an address you choose.
Doing the maths
From cost per piece to cost per customer
The price of a mailing matters less than what each new customer costs you. Divide the total by the number of responses you expect, then compare that with what a customer is worth. The calculator does this for you in the “Will it pay for itself?” block.
For example, 1,000 postcards at $1.94 each with a 1% response gives about 10 responses. If one in three becomes a customer worth CA$600 in profit, the mailing pays for itself roughly three times over. Timing changes these numbers more than anything else: a card that lands the week someone lists their home or moves in competes with almost no other mail. Read more in our direct mail ROI guide and postcard marketing cost breakdown.
How we estimated the alternatives
Where the comparison numbers come from
The comparison in the calculator uses ranges, not quotes, so you can sanity-check any offer you receive (last reviewed 2026-10):
- Print shop + stamps: about $1.49 to $2.14 per postcard. Includes short-run printing and a canada post stamp. Leaves out addressing, stamping and dropping off every card yourself.
- Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail: about $0.35 to $0.60 per postcard. Includes unaddressed delivery to every mailbox on a route, plus printing. Leaves out no names or addresses, no choice of which homes, bundling rules.
- Direct mail agency: about $1.75 to $3.25 per postcard. Includes print and postage. Leaves out usually a minimum run, a design fee and list rental on top.
Print shop prices assume short-run digital printing plus a booklet-rate stamp. Neighbourhood Mail prices combine estimated unaddressed postage with printing and vary with weight, volume and preparation: check Canada Post’s current rates before you book. Agency prices vary widely and usually add design, setup and list fees.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How much does direct mail cost per piece in Canada?
With Post Timely a 6 x 4 inch postcard costs $3.41 for a single card and comes down to $1.63 each at the highest volume tier; a letter in an envelope starts at $1.83 each at volume. Those prices include printing, addressing and Canada Post delivery. Doing it yourself costs a Canada Post stamp (CA$1.24 at the booklet rate) plus printing, plus your time.
What does the per-piece price include?
Printing on heavy card stock (or a printed, folded letter in an envelope), the recipient address, postage and hand-off to Canada Post. Design help and smart local targeting are part of the same flow. There is no separate setup or plate fee.
Is there a minimum order?
No. You can mail a single postcard. The price per piece drops as quantity goes up, so the tier table shows where the breaks are. Unaddressed neighbourhood drops are the exception: they start at 500 homes.
How long does it take for direct mail to arrive?
Plan on about 5 to 7 business days from the day your mailing goes to print to the day it reaches mailboxes. Rural routes and holiday periods can add a few days, so give time-sensitive offers a margin.
Is direct mail cheaper than Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail?
Per piece, unaddressed Neighbourhood Mail is cheaper because it skips the address and goes to every mailbox on a route. Addressed mail costs more per piece but only goes to the homes or businesses you choose, so you often mail far fewer pieces. The calculator shows both.
What response rate should I plan for?
It depends heavily on the list, the offer and the timing. Planning at around 1% for a cold mailing and higher for well-timed mail (such as to a home that just listed) is a reasonable starting point; put your own numbers into the break-even fields.
Do I need to buy a mailing list?
Not necessarily. You can upload your own customer list, mail every home around an address, or mail homes the moment they list for sale. If you rent a list elsewhere, budget for it separately: it is rarely included in print-and-mail quotes.
Are the prices in Canadian dollars?
Yes. Every price on this page is in CAD per piece for Canadian addresses, and the calculator reads the same price table checkout uses, so the number you see is the number you pay per piece.
Ready to price a real mailing?
Pick who gets it, approve the design, and we print, address and mail it in Canada.
More free direct mail tools
- Just listed and just sold postcardsSee how many homes list near you and what mailing the neighbours costs.
- New homeowner marketing (Canada)Reach households at the moment they move, by industry.
- Send a postcard onlineOne card or a thousand, printed and mailed in Canada.
- Mail a letter onlineBusiness letters printed, folded, enveloped and posted for you.
- Postcard maker that mailsDraft a card for your business in seconds, then send it.
- Neighbourhood Mail alternativeEstimate a drop to every home in an area vs addressed mail.
- Letters for real estate lawyersAn automatic letter to every new listing in your city.