An apparatus for unfolding a bifolded mailpiece (100) comprises a pair of pivotable receiving walls (16) for receiving a bifolded mailpiece (100), a pair of receiving wall cylinders (34) for pivotally moving the receiving walls and a pair of spreader walls (50) for spreading the bifolded mailpiece received between said receiving walls, the spreader walls being pivotally mounted and actuated by a pair of spreader wall cylinders (64), a ram (68) being provided for moving the spreader walls along a vertical axis to cooperate with the receiving walls to unfold the mailpiece.