21 Questions to Help You Find the Right Print & Mail Solution

1. What Certifications Do You Possess? Do You Have Any Security Measures in Place to Handle Sensitive Customer Information and Confidential Documents?

Most print and mail service providers handle private and confidential information as part of their responsibilities. They help businesses send bank account statements, healthcare bills, notices, etc. Thus, handling data security should be something they are experts in. However, not all providers are alike and might have fluctuating safety measures. 

It is best to inquire about these measures and any certifications they possess. For example, in the US, it is mandatory to be HIPAA compliant to handle documents containing Protected Health Information (PHI). Check whether your provider complies with HIPAA and other regulations. Similarly, here in Canada, it is important to comply with PIPEDA.

Businesses must learn how important it is to keep their customers’ information safe. Any print and mail company they work with should also value this. 

You can better understand the service provider’s commitment to privacy by asking them about their process. Here are some questions to ask:

• What types of sensitive information have you worked with before?
• What steps do you take to ensure privacy?
• How are your employees trained to handle sensitive information?

About Us: PostGrid complies with HIPAA, PIPEDA, GDPR, SOC-2, and PCI DSS. Hence, we always maintain the highest levels of data privacy and confidentiality. In addition to these certifications, we ensure our print and mail partners comply with these laws and only let authorized personnel handle your mail items. 

Furthermore, you can manage your user permissions by adding or removing users, ensuring only trusted people can access your PostGrid account.

2. What Is Your Service Level Agreement (SLA)?

An SLA is a promise your provider makes about the quality and timing of their work. Ask them to explain what standards they follow, how quickly they complete tasks, and what happens if they miss a deadline. This will show how reliable they are.

About Us: PostGrid provides a 2-business-day SLA, which means all mailpieces are prepared and sent for shipping in only two working days. Hence, if your campaign date is November 4, 2025, you can rest assured that your items will be out the door by November 6. Of course, you can send thousands of items and still expect the same SLA unless a custom SLA is decided upon.

3. What Cost Savings Can We Expect by Partnering With You for Our Printing and Mailing Needs?

Your provider can share details about discounts, bulk rates, or any special tools they use to cut costs. This will give you an idea of the savings you can expect by working with them. Compare the rates and cost savings with other print and mail solution providers to decide which vendor works best for your firm.

About Us: We work with several clients and can help them print and mail items in large volumes. Thus, we always benefit from bulk discounts, which we pass down to all clients. Of course, you get maximum discounts when sending items in bulk. However, we offer the lowest rates in the country, even for on-demand, individual mailings. 

4. How Do We Upload Our Mailing Lists? Which Electronic Formats Do You Accept for Mail Processing?

Providers typically offer an easy upload process and accept formats like PDFs or spreadsheets. Confirming the accepted file types in advance ensures your materials are compatible and ready for smooth processing.

About Us: You can upload your mailing lists in CSV format, which is the best way to upload bulky files. Please note that you can add as many columns to your files as needed apart from the names and mailing addresses, like product name, nearest store location, campaign-specific coupon code, etc. These details are variable data for your orders, helping you create and send personalized mailpieces.

5. Do You Use Third-Party Services or Collaborate With Other Providers for Printing and Shipping the Mail Items? 

Ask if your provider relies on third parties for any part of its service, such as printing, fulfilment, or presorting mail, or if it has in-house departments that oversee these activities. Understanding this can help you know who else might handle your materials and give insight into the entire process from start to finish. 

About Us: PostGrid is a print and mail service provider that helps you streamline offline communications. We have partnered with several printing partners on the local, regional, and national levels to pass on your orders to the printers closest to your target locations for mailing. For shipping, we have partnered with USPS to get your mail items to your intended recipients quickly and safely.

6. Does Your Company Assign a Dedicated Customer Service Representative to All Accounts? How Can We Contact You if We Have Any Quick Questions?

Check if the provider assigns a dedicated customer service representative to manage your account. It means you’d have one primary contact who knows your needs well. Also, ask about the best ways to reach them quickly, whether by phone, email, or chat, whenever questions arise.

Always choose a print and mail solution that takes customer service seriously and is available whenever needed. 

About Us: Our customer support team is available 24/7 to answer your questions and resolve concerns. We also assign all enterprise clients a dedicated support and account manager.

7. What Monthly Volumes Do You Expect Your Clients to Bring in?

Understanding the monthly volumes your provider typically manages for clients can help you gauge their experience and ability to handle your needs. Try to know the range of items your provider processes monthly—whether a few thousand or hundreds of thousands.

Such information provides insight into whether they can effectively scale with your business or meet any seasonal spikes in demand. It’s also worth inquiring if they have specific volume requirements or price breaks that could impact your overall costs. 

About Us: PostGrid allows you to send one or a million items. No minimum or maximum mailing requirements exist, and you are not mandated to mail every month. PostGrid gives you 100% flexibility on how much you send and when.

8. How Will Our Organization Be Informed About the Campaign’s Progress? Do You Offer Such Details in Real-Time or Bulk?

The print and mail solution provider can provide complete information on where your sent mailings are and the estimated delivery date. They should also update you on the completion of every stage, such as printing, shipping, and delivery. 

Ask the vendor if they upload the tracking information in bulk for all mailings across the month, or you can get the details of every item sent individually. 

About Us: You can log into PostGrid and access your dashboard to see the status of your campaigns. It updates all information, like when your mailers were printed, shipped, and delivered. There’s also a search option, which lets you look for specific campaigns or items. You can also use filters, like all mailings going to Texas in a particular period.

9. Do You Provide Flexible Pricing Plans? Which Plan Do You Recommend We Use?

It’s important to ask if the provider has different pricing options that can adapt to your needs. Additionally, inquire whether you can switch between plans based on your budget and objectives.

About Us: PostGrid provides two pricing plans: Starter and Enterprise. The Starter plan is best for small-scale mailings (500 items monthly), whereas the Enterprise plan lets you send large-scale mailings at bulk rates and with additional features. 

10. Do You Require a Contract to Provide Your Print & Mail Solution?

Clarify whether a contract is necessary to use their print and ship platforms. Understanding their terms can help you decide if you’re comfortable committing to a long-term agreement or if more flexible options are available.

About Us: PostGrid does not require you to enter into a contract. Based on your needs, you can select a pricing plan and period. 

11. Describe the Innovative Ways You Provide Value to Businesses You Work With That Sets You Apart From Other Print & Mail Solution Providers.

Ask the provider to share unique strategies or services that distinguish them from competitors. This insight can highlight how they add value to your business beyond basic printing and mailing. Also, it lets you know if the print and mail provider has some helpful features from which your business can benefit.

About Us: Our low rates, short turnaround times, and quality set us apart from our competitors. However, we offer several helpful and innovative features, from variable data printing and real-time tracking to our template editor. 

12. Do You Provide the Certified Mail Delivery Option? Who Is in Charge of Designing Certified Mail Items?

Find out if the provider offers Certified Mail as a delivery choice. Additionally, ask who handles the design of Certified Mail items, as this can impact the look and professionalism of your mailings.

About Us: You can select Certified Mail to send crucial documents. You can also choose whether you want the Return Receipt. If yes, we ensure it is sent to you after the item delivery via First-Class Mail. Though we don’t have in-house staff to produce Certified Mail items, our printers care for them. 

13. What Speciality Printing Services Do You Provide?

Learn whether your print and mail provider offers speciality printing services, like custom formats or unique materials. Knowing this can help you explore creative options to enhance your marketing efforts. If you have already conducted mail marketing campaigns in the past, this question will help you compare notes and choose a reliable provider.

About Us: PostGrid offers B&W and colour printing for postcards, letters, flyers, etc. You can also leverage variable data printing to send personalized items. If you have any other requests, you can communicate them when placing the order. 

14. How Can You Help Me if We Need a Design for My Print Collaterals but Do Not Have Any Design Experience? Do You Have an In-House Design Team to Assist Us?

Since design is a big part of print and mail campaigns, many businesses hire a graphic designer, while others have an in-house team. But ask your provider if they can offer design services if you don’t have a designer. If not, you might need to spend extra.

About Us: We offer ready-made, customizable templates in PDF and HTML formats. You can add custom texts, backgrounds, images, and other elements. Since you can create and use templates, making last-minute changes is a breeze. You don’t need to send design files to your designer; you get approval each time.

15. What Steps Do You Take to Minimize the Impact Your Printing and Shipping Initiatives Have on the Environment?

It’s crucial to understand the provider’s commitment to sustainability. Ask what specific practices they implement to reduce their carbon footprint.

About Us: PostGrid takes several steps to reduce the environmental impact of its print and mail activities. It plants trees across many places to balance the mailpieces going out. Its sustainability initiatives include using FSC-certified recycled paper, transparent reporting, and investing in carbon offset projects. 

16. Which Delivery Services Do You Offer Apart From Certified Mail? Can We Choose a Different Delivery Option Every Time We Conduct a Mailing Campaign?

Let the print and mail service provider list all delivery options besides Certified Mail. Knowing if you can select different services for each mailing campaign allows you to tailor your approach based on specific needs. Hence, the provider must be able to accommodate your ever-changing needs and offer numerous options. 

About Us: Based on your budget and turnaround requirements, you can select from First-Class, Registered, Express, Marketing, and Certified Mail. You can always choose a different option for different campaigns. 

17. Do You Offer Any Tracking Mechanisms to Help Check the Response and Conversion Rates?

Ask if the provider lets you use tracking tools to monitor response rates and conversions. You should be able to tell whether your direct mail items are performing well. 

About Us: PostGrid lets you add custom QR codes, PURLS, and coupon codes to measure your campaign results. You can create and add these elements to your mailers without installing another program and view the results on your dashboard.

18. Which Integrations Do You Support? Is Hubspot Included?

If you work with different CRMs, remember to ask the provider about the supported integrations, especially HubSpot. It is understandable if they don’t offer integrations for all platforms and tools, but they should at least be integrated with the most commonly used ones.

About Us: PostGrid supports several integrations, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Stripe, ActiveCampaign, and Zapier. 

19. What Kind of  Collaterals Do You Help Send via Direct Mail Campaigns? Does Your Service Support Door-to-Door Mailings?

Clarify what types of materials the provider can assist with in direct mail campaigns, like postcards, letters, newsletters, etc. Also, check if they support door-to-door mailing services to ensure you can reach your target audience as you want. 

About Us: PostGrid allows you to send several collaterals, including marketing items like postcards and flyers, and transactional items like statements, invoices, and checks. 

For door-to-door mail, we can help you connect with a printing partner that specializes in it and could help you conduct a campaign.

20. What Search Capabilities Do You Provide to Your Users Through Your Dashboard? Can Users Access Accurate Campaign Analytics?

Ask about the dashboard features that allow users to search for specific data, like when a campaign was held or how many items were sent under it. Understanding the level of campaign analytics provided helps you determine whether you can monitor your campaign performance.

The print and mail provider should provide an easy way to view and download your campaign analytics. Otherwise, it might be hard for you to have complete control over your mailing performance. 

About Us: PostGrid lets you search your dashboard using filters, such as the number of items you sent in a particular month or which went to a specific city or state. It allows you to analyze your mailing approach and make changes accordingly. Also, you can quickly get your campaign insights and reports to check how well your campaigns performed.

21. Do You Offer Address Verification With Direct Mail Orders for Free?

Finally, check if the provider includes address verification for direct mail orders at no extra cost. This service is crucial to help make changes to your mailing list and ensure you don’t randomly send your mailpieces to incorrect recipients, causing potential data leaks, delivery delays, returns, etc. 

About Us: We automatically check all your delivery addresses for validity and accuracy before every campaign. Our Address Verification solution helps ensure you send your mailers only to the correct locations. We also enrich your addresses in case some details are unformatted or missing.