MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
- Transactional print can be more than just invoices or account summaries — it can help generate revenue and growth.
- Personalization helps create targeted offers and messaging that entice consumers to respond or convert.
- Digital elements like QR codes create a more multi-channel approach that can also qualify for USPS® postage discounts.
- Incorporating these strategies can help printers become invaluable partners and create long-term relationships with customers.
Transactional print may be one of the most underutilized types of print communication. This type of mail is often viewed as nothing more than a necessity for companies — a category of print that simply needs to be produced in an accurate, timely and secure manner.
However, transactional print gives companies an opportunity to transform nuts-and-bolts communications like invoices and account statements into key marketing touchpoints that build customer loyalty, promote interest in new products or services and generate revenue. With the right paper, transactional print can also deliver tactile appeal and interactivity that better engages consumers.
Here are several strategies printers can use to help their customers maximize the ROI of transactional print — and secure new and repeat print jobs in the process.
Make it personal, make it targeted
Transactional print is inherently personal — it leverages detailed consumer data to deliver account overviews or custom payment information. But companies can enhance it further by incorporating additional data points like purchase history or customer milestones to create highly targeted cross-selling and upselling opportunities.
For example, a payment reminder can encourage customers to open an online account or download an app to speed up payments while creating a digital touchpoint. Or an account statement can position new programs or incentives that save customers money and build stronger loyalty and advocacy.
By seizing this opportunity to transform transactional print into personalized marketing messages, commercial printers can position themselves as data-driven strategic partners — with the creativity and ingenuity to maximize every piece of print communication and help clients optimize their print spend.
Deploy digital elements
Maximizing the ROI of transactional mail means making it easy for customers to act the moment they open the envelope. Digital elements like QR codes and PURLs create seamless print-to-digital experiences that boost response rates and conversions.
In transactional mail, these elements enable quick actions — from enrolling in flexible payment plans to exploring customer benefits programs that deliver real cost savings. Companies also gain valuable data from QR scans and website visits, enabling them to refine messaging and measure campaign effectiveness.
AI in print also creates a pathway for companies to use AI virtual assistants to offer a hyperpersonalized experience that builds a stronger connection with consumers by accelerating and simplifying the process of helping customers get the information they need.
This year’s USPS Integrated Technology promotion — which can be used during any six-month period of 2026 — offers a 5% discount on USPS Marketing Mail® or First-Class letters and flats that incorporate digital technology like QR codes or AI in service of creating a more immersive print experience.
Prioritize the paper
Paper choice directly influences the trust and value consumers place in a brand. Uncoated sheets deliver a premium look and tactile feel that today’s consumers expect from high-quality direct mail. They also offer key production advantages that elevate transactional print:
- Excellent opacity prevents show-through on duplex statements, especially those with QR codes.
- Smooth printing surfaces ensure consistent production and rapid ink drying for on-time compliance mailings.
- High brightness boosts color contrast, enabling distinctive branding or bold visual impact in transactional pieces.
A contract is only as good as the paper it's written on, and the same can be said for high-ROI transactional mail. Using this kind of print communication to engage or connect with customers in a way that promotes engagement, cross-selling or upselling means prioritizing paper.
Accent® Opaque Text is the uncoated sheet to help companies create the kind of transactional print that unlocks new growth opportunities.
Plus, our new Intelligent Paper combines superior production quality with digital technology to make every mailpiece measurable, simplifying the task of understanding and communicating the ROI of transactional print.
Don't forget about the USPS Mail Growth Incentive
The USPS Mail Growth Incentive helps companies that send high volumes of mail — the kind of volumes that are common in transactional mail — earn credits towards postage reductions as a reward for increasing the volume of mailers sent in a given year. MGI participants can earn up to 30% off postage on eligible mailings above their previous thresholds.
Eligible mail types for the 2026 MGI include First-Class Mail® or Marketing Mail®, and registration for this year’s MGI begins in March — you can learn more about this year’s program by visiting the USPS Business Customer Gateway.
Helping your customers transform their transactional mail into a revenue engine can be a true difference maker for their business — and it can help establish you as an invaluable print partner. Accent Opaque can help you be that partner by turning one-off print jobs into long-term relationships.
Contact us today to learn what Accent can do for you.
