---
title: Physical mail research and methodology
description: PostalForm publishes aggregate mailing observations and reproducible cost analysis with dated sources, definitions, and limitations. PostalForm is the publisher and a mailing service; these reports are not independent evaluations of PostalForm or a representative survey of all U.S. mail.
seotitle: Physical Mail Research, Costs and Open Methodology | PostalForm
seo-description: Explore PostalForm's published order aggregates, reproducible Certified Mail cost worksheet and delivery-benchmark methodology with sources and downloadable data.
group: resources
indexable: true
llms: true
nav: false
schema: article
eyebrow: PostalForm research
published: 2026-10-15
updated: 2026-10-15
path: /research
---
# Physical mail research and methodology

PostalForm publishes aggregate mailing observations and reproducible cost analysis with dated sources, definitions, and limitations. PostalForm is the publisher and a mailing service; these reports are not independent evaluations of PostalForm or a representative survey of all U.S. mail.

## What physical-mail research does PostalForm publish?
PostalForm publishes historical order aggregates, a source-backed Certified Mail cost worksheet, and a protocol for future delivery benchmarks. Each resource identifies its observation window or rate date, inputs, and limitations. A cost scenario is not an observed customer expense, and a delivery-study protocol is not a completed benchmark.

## Reports and data
| Resource                                                                        | What it contains                                                | Appropriate use                                                   | Limitation                                                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [H1 2026 online mailing data](/postalform-online-mailing-data-2026-h1)          | Published aggregate counts from 391 paid PostalForm orders      | Historical description of this service's order mix                | Not a market-wide survey or current price list                    |
| [2026 Q4 Certified Mail cost worksheet](/research/certified-mail-cost-2026-q4)  | USPS fee arithmetic and explicit travel scenarios; CSV and JSON | Reproduce a cost comparison using your own assumptions            | Scenario analysis, not measured time or savings                   |
| [Delivery benchmark methodology](/research/certified-mail-delivery-methodology) | Cohort, scan, censoring and privacy definitions                 | Evaluate what a future state-level delivery report must establish | No state delivery rankings have been established by this protocol |

## Cite the result with its scope
Use the specific report title, version, release date, and canonical URL. State whether the result describes observed orders or modeled costs. Keep the denominator, time window, receipt type and geographic scope with any quoted figure. Do not turn PostalForm customer data into a claim about all USPS mail.

The H1 release remains a historical snapshot. Its published page-count buckets sum to 388 while the total cohort is 391. The report's version 1.1 correction discloses that discrepancy without changing counts or inferring a category for the three-order difference. Source reconciliation is still required before treating the buckets as a complete distribution.


## Related
- [Compare mailing services](/compare)
- [Current PostalForm pricing](/pricing)
- [Delivery stages and estimates](/delivery-times)
- [PostalForm resources](/resources)