U.S. Postal Service Announces its First Loyalty Program
The U.S. Postal Service announced a loyalty program designed to help smaller businesses, according to a press release obtained by Total Retail. Registered business users of USPS Click-N-Ship will earn credits by purchasing postal products they're already using for their shipping needs. Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express postage purchased online through Click-N-Ship will generate credits that can then be applied to future purchases of these products. Click-N-Ship business account users will earn $40 credits for every $500 spent on Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express labels. The program will launch nationally on Aug. 1.
Existing business accounts will be auto-enrolled in the program. New Click-N-Ship business account users will earn a one-time $40 Welcome Bonus for the first $500 spent on Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express postage. In addition, the Postal Service is offering a one-time $20 Introductory Bonus for any registered Click-N-Ship business user for $500 spent in August and September this year.
Loyalty tiers recognize and reward existing Click-N-Ship users for their ongoing business throughout the year. They provide increasing levels of benefits that users can access as they grow their business and shipping volumes. All participants will be enrolled in the Base Loyalty Tier when the program begins Aug. 1. Assignment to the tiers begins Jan. 1, 2021, and will continue annually thereafter.
Total Retail's Take: The USPS Loyalty Program is geared towards business customers rather than consumers, making the program attractive to retailers shipping hundreds, if not thousands, of packages to customers each day. Earning credits to reduce cost on future shipments could potentially save retailers thousands per year. This loyalty program could have major impact on commercial mailers, and help draw online retailers to USPS from competing parcel carriers such as UPS and FedEx. The program is unique in offering businesses credits towards future packaging supplies, as other shippers' programs, such as FedEx's My FedEx Rewards and UPS Rewards, offer members points to redeem merchandise rewards. The program also comes with bonuses that could help small businesses get back on their feet as the country continues reopening and non-essential retail picks back up. I would expect that many retailers will find the USPS loyalty program cost savings beneficial to their businesses in the coming months.
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Kristina Stidham is the digital content director at Total Retail and sister brands Women in Retail Leadership Circle and Women Leading Travel & Hospitality at NAPCO Media. She is passionate about digital media and handles video, podcast and virtual event production for all brands. You can often find her at WIRLC, TR, WLT&H or industry events with her camera and podcasting equipment—or at home on Zoom—recording interviews with thought leaders and business executives.
Kristina holds a B.A. in Media Studies and Production from the Temple University Klein College of Media and Communication in Philadelphia. Go Owls! When she's not in the office, she loves to go on long walks, sing around the house, hangout with her family and two pet guinea pigs, and travel to new places.
