Disclosure: this page is published by TouchDrop, which offers a competing direct mail product. Competitor facts are checked against each vendor's own live pages.
Lob vs PostGrid: Two Print-and-Mail APIs Compared
Lob and PostGrid sell the same kind of product. Your developers send an API request, and the vendor prints and posts a postcard, letter or cheque. They part ways on geography. Lob routes mail through its US Print Delivery Network and USPS. PostGrid lists delivery networks in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. If some of your recipients are Australian, start there.
Last updated: 26 September 2026. Lob facts checked against lob.com and Lob's international mail guide; PostGrid facts against postgrid.com.au pricing and features. Prices change, so confirm them with each vendor.
Short answer: Choose Lob for high-volume US mail and enterprise compliance: published plans run from US$0 to US$550 a month, with HIPAA-compliant mailing on Enterprise. Choose PostGrid if you mail several countries or mail Australians, because it lists Australia as a delivery network and publishes Australian postcard rates. With either one, a developer still builds the triggers, the offer codes and the link back to orders.
Sending to Australia is where they split
- Lob posts from the US. Its help centre says international pieces go by USPS First Class only, 4x6 postcards are the only postcard size allowed abroad, transit adds 5-7 business days, each piece carries a US return address, and tracking ends at the final US scan.
- PostGrid delivers inside Australia. Its Australian site describes delivery partners across Australia, routes each order to the vendor nearest the destination, and hands pieces over for delivery within two business days.
- PostGrid publishes an Australian rate card. In USD on its Starter tier: US$2.35 for an A5 standard-class postcard (3-6 business days) and US$2.68 for an A6 First Class Priority postcard (2-4 business days), printing and postage included.
- Both verify Australian addresses. PostGrid's verification API is AMAS certified for Australian address data; Lob's international verification costs US$0.07 per additional lookup on its Developer plan.
Lob vs PostGrid vs TouchDrop
| Lob | PostGrid | TouchDrop (AU) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Print-and-mail API with campaign tools | Print-and-mail API with a dashboard | Shopify postcard campaign product |
| Delivery networks | US Print Delivery Network, USPS entry via Postal IQ routing | US, Canada, UK and Australia | Australia (plus the UK and the Netherlands) |
| Mail to Australia | From the US, First Class, 4x6 only, +5-7 business days | Local network; A5 standard postcard from US$2.35 | Printed and lodged in Australia, 3-7 business days |
| Free tier | Developer: up to 6,000 mailings a year | Starter: up to 500 mailings a month | Published AUD plans |
| Paid plans | Startup US$260/mo, Growth US$550/mo, Enterprise custom | Enterprise, quoted | Plan plus per-card rate, GST included |
| US postcard rate | From US$0.905 (Developer) to US$0.615 (Growth) | US$0.902 for 4x6 First Class (Starter) | Does not mail the US |
| Klaviyo | Klaviyo Flow webhook to the API | Klaviyo integration on Enterprise; Zapier on Starter | Native segment sync |
| Shopify | Address Cleanser app; mail via API | Checkout address app (US/Canada); mail via API or Zapier | Native event triggers |
| Address verification | US and international APIs | AMAS-certified for Australia; 245+ countries | AU validation and parcel-locker filtering per campaign |
| Currency | USD | USD; local currency through sales | AUD, GST included |
What your developer builds on either one
Neither API ships a winback or abandoned-cart campaign. Lob's documented Klaviyo route is a webhook step inside a Klaviyo Flow that calls Lob's postcards endpoint with a Base64-encoded key, after you add mailing-address properties to your Klaviyo profiles. PostGrid lists Klaviyo, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations on its Enterprise tier; on the free Starter tier your routes in are the API and Zapier, which PostGrid says reaches more than 1,600 apps. On both, the discount codes, suppression rules and the match from a delivered card to a Shopify order stay with your team.
Lob gives more room to grow into: five webhooks and five users on Growth, custom envelopes and specialty formats on Enterprise. PostGrid's free Starter tier is tighter, with one user, ten templates, one webhook and 500 mailings a month, and it moves you to a quoted Enterprise plan for unlimited users, NCOA and HIPAA-compliant mailing.
Where TouchDrop fits
If no one on your team wants to own an integration, an API sits at the wrong layer. TouchDrop is built for Australian Shopify brands: connect Shopify, Klaviyo or Omnisend, pick a trigger, and each card carries a unique Shopify discount code and QR. Cards are printed and lodged inside Australia and arrive in 3-7 business days, billed in AUD with GST. TouchDrop sends marketing postcards only, so for letters, cheques or US mail, one of these two APIs is the better tool.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lob or PostGrid cheaper for US postcards?
At entry level they are close: Lob's free Developer plan lists postcards starting at US$0.905 and PostGrid's free Starter tier lists US$0.902 for a 4x6 First Class postcard. Lob publishes lower rates on its paid plans (US$0.645 on Startup at US$260 a month, US$0.615 on Growth at US$550 a month); PostGrid quotes Enterprise rates on request. Checked 26 September 2026, in USD.
Can Lob send postcards to Australia?
Yes, from the US. Lob's help centre says international mail leaves the US by USPS First Class only, that only 4x6 postcards can go abroad, that delivery takes an extra 5-7 business days, that every piece needs a US return address, and that tracking stops at the final US scan.
Does PostGrid print in Australia?
PostGrid's Australian site describes a network of delivery partners across Australia and says orders are routed to the vendor closest to the destination and handed over for delivery within two business days. It does not name print sites, so ask its sales team if the print location matters to you. Its Australian rates are published in USD.
Do Lob or PostGrid have a Shopify app for sending postcards?
No. Lob's Shopify app, Address Cleanser, checks addresses, and PostGrid's free Shopify app verifies checkout addresses against USPS and Canada Post standards. Sending mail runs through each vendor's API, webhooks or Zapier.
What if we have no developers?
Then both APIs leave the trigger logic, discount codes and order matching unbuilt. TouchDrop is a finished postcard product for Australian Shopify brands: pick a winback, abandoned-cart or post-purchase trigger, and it prints and lodges each card inside Australia, billed in AUD with GST. Rates are at touchdrop.com.au/guide/pricing.
Related reading
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Pick a Shopify or Klaviyo trigger; TouchDrop prints and lodges each card in Australia.
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