Why “postcard cost” is usually quoted wrong
Agents often compare a print shop’s per-piece price to a mail platform’s all-in price. Those are different products:
| Cost line | Typical print-only shop | All-in platform (Wise Pelican) |
|---|---|---|
| Printing | Quoted per piece / setup | Included in $1.04 pay-as-you-go (lower on subscriptions) |
| Postage | Extra (you pay USPS or vendor add-on) | Included at standard-class all-in rate |
| Addressing / list prep | Extra or DIY | Included for mail-for-you; list purchase is separate if you buy addresses |
| USPS drop / mailing | Extra or DIY | Included |
| Design time | DIY, freelancer, or design fee | Free self-serve PowerDesigner; optional custom template $129 (1–2 day turnaround) |
| Order floor | Often a minimum run | No minimum |
Takeaway: For campaign planning, use all-in cost per piece that lands in a mailbox, then add list purchase if you need one.
Official Wise Pelican pricing: direct mail pricing and cost. Help article: What’s the cost per postcard?. Subscriptions: wisepelican.com/subscriptions/.
Comparing vendors on more than price? See the best real estate postcard companies.
Wise Pelican postcard pricing (verified)
| Item | Price | What’s included / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard postcard (print + mail), pay-as-you-go | $1.04 each, any quantity | Printing, mailing, and postage (standard class); 6″ × 9″, 100 lb gloss |
| Subscriptions (Starter / Growth / Dominate) | Monthly 99¢ / 94¢ / 88¢; annual 94¢ / 88¢ / 83¢ | Same mailed postcard, discounted per-piece rate — Subscriptions |
| Automated Seller Valuation (ASV) postcard | $1.09 each + standard class mailing | Valuation URL/QR workflow |
| First-class mailing | Optional upgrade | Confirm the add-on at order |
| Purchased mailing list | 10¢ per address | Separate from postcard price |
| Custom postcard design service | $129 | Custom template; 1–2 days turnaround |
| PowerFarm (farming product) | Starts at $500/month for 500 properties | Monthly market-update postcards, printing, postage, QR valuation codes, scan tracking — PowerFarm pricing |
| Minimum order | None | Can mail 1 postcard |
Specs that affect perceived value (not separate line items at the $1.04 rate):
- Size: 6″ × 9″ jumbo
- Color: full color both sides
- Stock: 100 lb double-sided high-gloss cardstock
Product hub: postcards · mailers solution · postcard sizes.
Do not repeat third-party “from $0.89 / $0.82” figures as Wise Pelican list prices. The published pay-as-you-go rate is $1.04. Subscription discounts are published on the subscriptions page: $1.04 pay-as-you-go; as low as 83¢ on an annual Dominate plan.
Mail 6″ × 9″ Postcards With No Minimum
Browse All Postcards for Free ➤Worked budget examples (Wise Pelican math)
Use these as planning scaffolds. Examples below use the public $1.04 pay-as-you-go rate so the math is easy to check. If you subscribe, replace $1.04 with your plan rate (as low as 83¢). Adjust farm size and cadence to what you can sustain.
Example A — Neighborhood farm, monthly mail
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Farm size | 500 homes |
| Cadence | 12 mailings / year |
| Card price | $1.04 pay-as-you-go |
| List purchase | Assume you already have the list (or amortize separately) |
Annual postcard spend: 500 × 12 × $1.04 = $6,240 / year
Per mailing: 500 × $1.04 = $520
If you purchase the list once at 10¢: 500 × $0.10 = $50 (one-time or as refreshed).
On an annual Dominate plan at 83¢, the same 6,000 pieces would be $4,980 / year.
Example B — Small Just Listed radius drop
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Pieces | 150 |
| Card price | $1.04 |
| List | Upload your own (no list fee) |
Campaign cost: 150 × $1.04 = $156
No minimum order—so you are not forced into a larger print run.
Example C — Valuation QR test (ASV)
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Pieces | 200 ASV cards |
| Card price | $1.09 |
Campaign cost: 200 × $1.09 = $218
Example D — PowerFarm-style monthly program
PowerFarm starts at $500/month for 500 properties (includes monthly market-update postcards, printing, postage, QR valuation codes, scan tracking). Treat it as a separate farming product, not a substitute for the public $1.04 à-la-carte postcard rate—compare the package to your own farm size and cadence rather than inventing a lower “per postcard” list price.
What changes the price
| Factor | How it affects cost | WP note |
|---|---|---|
| Print-only vs all-in | Print-only looks cheaper until postage + drop | WP public pay-as-you-go is all-in $1.04 |
| Subscription plan | Lowers per-piece rate for regular mailers | Monthly 99¢ / 94¢ / 88¢; annual 94¢ / 88¢ / 83¢ |
| List purchase | Adds 10¢/address when you buy | Upload your own list to skip purchase fee |
| ASV / valuation cards | Slightly higher per piece | $1.09 |
| First-class upgrade | Higher postage | Optional; confirm price at checkout |
| Custom design | One-time creative fee | $129 template option |
| Letters / brochures | Different SKUs | See pricing page |
| Quantity | Some vendors discount at volume | WP pay-as-you-go: same $1.04 any quantity |
| Fulfillment mode | Mail-for-you vs print-and-ship to you | Mail: typically 2–3 business days to USPS; print-and-ship: same-day when ordered by 12pm Pacific, free standard shipping |
Mailing lists product: mailing lists.
EDDM postage vs total campaign cost
USPS EDDM can look cheap on postage alone because it saturates carrier routes without selecting individual homeowners. Targeted postcards cost more per piece but reach chosen addresses (often property owners)—usually what farming requires.
- Wise Pelican does not offer EDDM.
- For the comparison, use USPS EDDM vs Wise Pelican.
- Do not budget an EDDM campaign from the $1.04 figure; that rate is for Wise Pelican’s targeted all-in postcards.
Turnaround (so “cost” includes time)
| Mode | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Direct mail (mailed for you) | Typically mailed within 2–3 business days; help: printed and sent to USPS within about two business days of payment, often faster |
| Print-and-ship to you | Orders by 12pm Pacific print and ship same day; free standard shipping; expedited options listed on the postcards page (2-Day $9, Next Day by 10:30am $50, Next Day by 11pm $45) |
Do not conflate same-day ship-to-you with mail-for-you USPS drop timing.
How to decide if the spend is worth it
Cost without response tracking is a guess. Pair budget with:
- A countable CTA (QR, unique URL, dedicated phone)
- The direct mail ROI calculator
- Published case studies
Then model cost first with $1.04 (or $1.09 ASV, or your subscription rate), then refine from your own reply data. Full walkthrough: Real estate postcard ROI. What “response” means: response rates.
Site notes on valuation scan rates: home valuation postcards “yielding scan rates as high as 2% per mailing” (signup realtor postcards). Treat as a site-stated upper illustration, not a personal guarantee.
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See Live Rates and Design a Postcard
$1.04 pay-as-you-go; as low as 83¢ on an annual Dominate plan. Printing, postage, and mailing included—no minimum order.
Browse All Real Estate Postcards for Free
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