Direct Mail ROI Calculator
Plug in your campaign details and instantly see your projected revenue, total ROI, and the break-even response rate you need to cover costs. All calculations update in real time โ no email required.
Your Campaign
Typical range: $0.30โ$0.80 for postcards, $0.60โ$1.20 for letters
Leave at 0 if you already own the list
Industry average: 2โ5% for consumer, 1โ3% for B2B
How many people who respond actually become customers
Your Results
How the numbers are calculated
- Total cost = (list size × cost per piece) + list cost
- Expected responses = list size × response rate
- Expected customers = responses × close rate
- Projected revenue = customers × average sale value
- Net profit = revenue − total cost
- ROI = net profit ÷ total cost × 100
- Break-even response rate = total cost ÷ (list size × close rate × avg sale)
This calculator models a single campaign. It does not account for repeat purchase rates, lifetime customer value, or the compounding effect of a house list built over time. For campaigns where customers buy more than once, your actual ROI will be higher than shown here.
Direct Mail Benchmarks
Not sure what numbers to plug in? Here are typical ranges from the ANA/DMA 2023 Response Rate Report:
| Format | Typical response rate | Typical cost per piece |
|---|---|---|
| Postcard (consumer house list) | 5.3% | $0.30โ$0.60 |
| Postcard (prospect list) | 2.9% | $0.30โ$0.60 |
| Letter / envelope (consumer) | 3.5% | $0.60โ$1.20 |
| Letter / envelope (B2B) | 1.0% | $0.80โ$1.50 |
| Oversized postcard | 4.0% | $0.50โ$0.90 |
| EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) | 1โ5% | $0.20โ$0.45 |
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