Skip to main content
When you set up a letter or postcard campaign, one step asks Who mails these letters? (or Who mails these postcards?). Your answer decides who prints the mail, who puts it in the mail, and who pays for printing and postage. You can pick a different option for each campaign.

Which should I choose?

A simple rule of thumb:
  • You already mail in-house, or you have a print shop you like → You fulfill.
  • You already use LetterFriend for letters → LetterFriend.
  • You want postcards to go out on their own, with nobody at your firm handling them → Outbound Legal Fulfillment.

You fulfill

This is the default. It works for every campaign type. What happens: each time the campaign runs, we make the files: the letters or postcards with each prospect’s details filled in, plus address labels if you asked for them. We email the people on your campaign’s list when the files are ready. Your staff prints and mails them, or you send the files to your own print shop. Who pays: you pay your own printing and postage, the same as you would without us. We don’t charge anything extra for this option. What you set up: nothing beyond the campaign. Where to find the files: in the run email, and any time later under Marketing → Reports, in Execution Logs. Click Letters or Labels next to a run.

LetterFriend

For letter campaigns only. What happens: each time the campaign runs, we send the letters to your own LetterFriend account. LetterFriend prints and mails them. Who pays: LetterFriend bills you directly, through your LetterFriend account, at your LetterFriend rates. We don’t charge for this option. What you set up:
  1. In LetterFriend, find your API key in your LetterFriend account settings.
  2. In OutboundLegal, click your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then Settings → Integrations.
  3. On the LetterFriend card, paste the key and save it.
Until a key is saved, the LetterFriend option in the campaign wizard is greyed out, with a link to Connect LetterFriend in Settings → Integrations.
Early access. If this option is greyed out in your wizard, click Request Outbound Legal Fulfillment under it, or email support@outboundlegal.com, and we’ll turn it on.
For postcard campaigns. What happens: each time the campaign runs, we print full-color, double-sided postcards and send them USPS First-Class through our mail partner. They go in the mail the next business day. Delivery usually takes 4 to 6 days. Nobody at your firm has to handle them. Who pays: you pay per postcard, from a prepaid mail balance you keep with us. The price covers printing and postage: If your account has a custom rate, Settings → Postcard Balance shows it. Each run takes (number of postcards × price) from your balance. When the balance gets low, we automatically charge your saved card to top it back up. The Postcard Balance page shows your balance, the reload amount, and every charge and send. What you set up first (one time, for all your postcard campaigns):
  1. A return address on file. If the wizard says you need one, contact us.
  2. Billing setup. Go to Settings → Postcard Balance and add the starting balance. The card you pay with is saved for automatic reloads.
  3. A postcard template in one of the sizes above. The Postcard Balance page has a layout guide for each size. Upload your design under Marketing → Templates.
  4. Your OK in the wizard. When you pick this option, tick the box that says you understand sends run automatically on the campaign’s schedule, draw down your balance, and reload your card when the balance gets low.
Turning off automatic reloads: you can switch them off on Settings → Postcard Balance. Then any send that would go over your balance is skipped until you add funds, and your card is never charged automatically. If a reload payment fails: postcard sending pauses. The Postcard Balance page and the wizard both say so. Update your card on the Postcard Balance page to start again. Not available on all-county campaigns. To use it, set the campaign to One county or Some counties.
Coming soon. We’ll print and mail your letters for you too, paid from the same prepaid balance as postcards. Email support@outboundlegal.com if you’d like us to tell you when it’s ready.
You may see this option in the wizard, greyed out, as Outbound Legal Fulfillment on a letter campaign.

Third party (older postcard campaigns)

Some older postcard campaigns show a Third party option. It works like You fulfill: a print shop or partner mails from the same files. New campaigns use You fulfill for this.

Pick an option in the campaign wizard

  1. Go to Marketing → Campaigns and click New campaign (or edit an existing letter or postcard campaign).
  2. Choose where it runs, the type (Letter or Postcard), a filter and a template.
  3. On Who mails these letters? / Who mails these postcards?, click the option you want. Greyed-out options have a link that tells you what to do to turn them on.
  4. Under Return address, keep Use my default address, or choose Custom for this campaign and type the address to print on this campaign’s mail.
  5. Finish the rest of the steps and save.
See Campaigns for the full wizard.

Client letters

Client letters — letters to your own clients — are mailed by LetterFriend, or by us once Outbound Legal letter mailing is turned on for your account. Every client letter batch waits for your approval before it mails.