docs: add postcard print-and-mail vendor pricing (Lob verified, PostGrid/Click2Mail quote-gated)

docs/new-sector-compliance-targets.md

@@ -201,3 +201,69 @@ Ranked options to reach them on cheaper/faster channels:
 > If email-native outreach (like FCC RMD) is the hard requirement, the better
 > targets are state license boards (contractors/CSLB, insurance producers, NMLS,
 > cannabis/ABC) that publish licensee email directly. Worth a separate survey.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Postcard Print-and-Mail Vendor Pricing (Lob vs PostGrid vs Click2Mail)
+
+For our use case (targeted list of named license holders with mailing addresses,
+personalized + QR to the free compliance-check tool, API-driven like Listmonk),
+a print-and-mail API is the right tool — no USPS permit, no presort, no BMEU
+drop-off. Per-piece is all-in (printing + postage + address verification).
+
+Rates verified from live pricing pages on the session date. Confirm before
+committing volume; these vendors change rates and gate some behind sales.
+
+### Lob — VERIFIED from lob.com/pricing/print-mail
+4x6 postcard, "starting at" per-piece by plan tier (volume + automation lower it):
+
+| Plan | Monthly fee | 4x6 postcard from | Notes |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Developer (free) | $0 | **$0.872 / postcard** | up to 5 templates, low limits, good for testing |
+| Growth | **$260/mo** | **$0.612 / postcard** | 10 HTML templates, address verif. included tiers |
+| Enterprise | **$550/mo** | **$0.582 / postcard** | 25 templates, custom volume, lowest per-piece |
+
+- Letters from ~$0.806 / check ~$1.159 (for reference).
+- Address verification (US) ~$0.05/lookup pay-go, cheaper bundled.
+- Strong API + webhooks (in-transit tracking), best docs of the three.
+- Best fit if we want to wire postcards into the existing pipeline cleanly.
+
+### PostGrid — quote/login gated (not publicly itemized)
+- Pricing page does not publish per-piece; requires signup/sales for the rate
+  card. Historically positioned **slightly under Lob per-piece** (~$0.50–$0.80
+  range for 4x6 depending on volume) with pay-as-you-go + no mandatory monthly
+  minimum on the entry tier.
+- US + Canada print/mail, address verification (CASS/NCOA, SERP for Canada),
+  good API. Often pitched as the cheaper Lob alternative.
+- **Action:** get an actual quote keyed to our expected monthly volume before
+  choosing — the public "slightly cheaper" claim is unverified here.
+
+### Click2Mail — login/quote gated, but the cheapest at low volume historically
+- Public pages (postcards / cost-calculator) gate exact rates behind an account;
+  rates depend on size (4x6, 4x9, 5x8, 6x9, 6x11), class (First-Class vs
+  Standard/Marketing Mail), and quantity.
+- Historically the **lowest all-in for small/medium runs** (often well under
+  $0.50/4x6 First-Class at modest volume) because it's a self-serve mail house,
+  not a developer-API-first platform. Has an API but less polished than Lob.
+- **Action:** run their cost calculator logged in for a real number on a sample
+  4x6 First-Class run of ~1,000 and ~5,000 pieces.
+
+### Practical comparison
+
+| | Lob | PostGrid | Click2Mail |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Per-piece 4x6 (4x6) | $0.58–$0.87 (verified) | ~$0.50–$0.80 (quote) | typically lowest at low vol (quote) |
+| Monthly fee | $0 / $260 / $550 | none on entry (quote) | none (self-serve) |
+| API quality | Best | Good | Basic |
+| Address verif (CASS/NCOA) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
+| Best for | API-wired campaigns at scale | cheaper Lob-style API | cheapest small/medium runs |
+
+### Recommendation
+- **Start on Click2Mail (or Lob Developer free tier) for the first test batch** to
+  validate conversion at the lowest fixed cost — no $260/$550 monthly commitment.
+- **Move to Lob Growth/Enterprise (or a PostGrid quote) once volume justifies the
+  per-piece drop** (~the monthly fee pays for itself only at several thousand
+  pieces/month). Lob's API is the cleanest to wire into our existing pipeline.
+- Always personalize with the detected deficiency + a **QR code / short URL** to
+  the relevant free lookup tool — that QR is our tracking + conversion bridge,
+  the same role the email CTA plays today.