• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 15, 2012

The U.S. Postal Service has approved 2D mobile barcodes from SpyderLynk, called SnapTags, for inclusion on mass mailings from direct marketers. The USPS and SpyderLynk are both offering discounts to marketers that send out mass mailings with 2D codes as part of the Postal Service’s “Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion.”

Marketers that include 2D mobile barcodes -- or any other print-mobile technology that can be read or scanned by a mobile device -- on their direct mail will receive a 2% discount from the USPS on the mailing, including Standard Mail and First-Class Mail letters, cards and flats.

SpyderLynk will offer marketers an additional 10% discount off the cost of its SnapTag barcodes for mass mailings as part of the promotion.

To qualify for the discounts, the 2D barcodes must link to either a mobile-optimized Web page where the recipient can purchase a product or service, or to a mobile-optimized and customized Web page that is tailored to the mail recipient and accessible by a personalized URL. The promotion lasts from July 1-August 31 of this year; customers who wish to participate can register beginning May 1.

Earlier this year, the USPS announced another initiative aimed at encouraging small businesses to make greater use of direct marketing mail.

The Web-based service, Every Door Direct Mail, offers small business owners a simplified online interface for planning and executing local direct mail promotions at an average price of less than $0.15 per piece. Users don’t need to provide their own list of names and addresses for direct mail campaigns, which are targeted geographically down to the street or neighborhood level. The USPS is promoting the new service to small business owners through a new marketing campaign, including integrated TV, print and marketing mail advertisements.