How Does EDDM in 30 seconds
- No mailing list. Pieces are addressed to "Postal Customer" and go to every address on the route.
- 200 to 5,000 pieces. That's the EDDM Retail range per day for each 5-digit ZIP Code.
- $0.26 a piece. That's postage for EDDM Retail. Printing is separate.
- You drop it off. You take the bundles to the local Post Office yourself, or ship them there.
The 7 steps at a glance
- 1Choose Retail or bulk entry
- 2Pick your routes
- 3Work out the cost
- 4Design to the size rules
- 5Add the indicia
- 6Pay and print your forms
- 7Bundle and drop off
1. Choose EDDM Retail or bulk entry
There are two ways to send EDDM. EDDM Retail is built for small businesses: you use a regular USPS.com account, mail 200 to 5,000 pieces per ZIP Code per day and drop them off at the Post Office. EDDM BMEU is for large mailers with a bulk mail permit, who enter mail at a Business Mail Entry Unit. If this is your first mailing, you almost certainly want Retail. The comparison below covers the differences.
2. Pick your routes
Open the EDDM Online Tool on usps.com and search an address, city or ZIP Code. The tool shows every mail carrier route in the area with how many homes and businesses are on it, plus Census figures for age, income and household size. You select whole routes, not individual streets. How to choose EDDM routes
3. Work out the cost
Your postage is the number of pieces times $0.26. Add your printing quote and you have your total. A 1,000-piece mailing is $260 in postage before printing. EDDM cost and calculator
4. Design to the size rules
EDDM pieces have to be "flats", which means bigger than a regular postcard. An EDDM Retail piece must be longer than 10.5 inches, taller than 6.125 inches or thicker than 0.25 inches. It must also weigh 3.3 ounces or less. A 6 x 11 postcard qualifies. A 6 x 9 does not. EDDM size requirements
5. Add the indicia and "Postal Customer"
Instead of a stamp, every piece carries the EDDM Retail indicia, a small printed postage box, above and to the right of the address block. The address block just says "Postal Customer" (or "Residential Customer" if you chose residential addresses only). EDDM indicia and address rules
6. Pay and print your forms
Finish your order in the online tool. You can pay online by card or pay at the Post Office when you drop off. The order confirmation gives you the facing slips and forms you need to print.
7. Bundle and drop off
Separate your pieces by route and band or strap them into bundles of 50 to 100, no taller than 6 inches. Then put a facing slip on top of each bundle. Take everything to the Post Office that serves those routes, along with a completed PS Form 3587. How to bundle EDDM and facing slips and drop-off
EDDM Retail or bulk entry (BMEU): which one are you using?
| EDDM Retail | EDDM BMEU | |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Regular USPS.com account | Business Customer Gateway account |
| How many pieces | 200 to 5,000 per day per ZIP Code | No volume limit, multiple ZIP Codes |
| Where you drop it off | The Post Office that delivers your routes | A Business Mail Entry Unit at a mail processing center |
| Permit | None | Bulk mail permit |
| Postage | $0.26 a piece | As low as $0.259 a piece |
| Fees | None | $390 annual mailing fee, plus a $390 permit application fee |
For most small businesses the choice makes itself. Bulk entry saves a tenth of a cent per piece, and the fees wipe that out unless you mail at very high volume. That's why the rest of this guide focuses on EDDM Retail.
What a carrier route is and why it matters
A carrier route is the set of addresses one mail carrier delivers to. EDDM works by route: when you choose a route, every active address on it gets your piece. You can't skip houses or pick single streets, and the online tool only lets you add whole routes.
That's what makes EDDM cheap and simple, since you don't need names or addresses. It's also the main limit. If you only want homeowners, or homes worth over a certain amount, EDDM can only get you close by choosing routes where those people are common. The Census filters in the tool describe each route as a whole, not each home. More on routes
What EDDM really costs
There are two main costs:
- Postage: $0.26 per piece for EDDM Retail, set by USPS.
- Printing: whatever your printer charges. This is usually the bigger number and it varies a lot by size, paper and quantity.
Then there's your time to bundle, and design if you pay someone for it. There are no permit or annual fees for Retail. Try the cost calculator
What you can and can't send
EDDM Retail is for advertising flats: postcards, flyers, menus and similar pieces. Besides the size and weight rules, USPS doesn't allow:
- personal information
- bills or statements of account
- handwritten or typewritten matter
- First-Class Mail enclosures
Labels, stickers and repositionable notes are allowed under certain conditions.
What happens after you drop it off
Your carriers deliver your pieces with the regular mail on the routes you picked. EDDM is USPS Marketing Mail, and USPS does not guarantee delivery by a specific date, so build in some slack if your offer has a deadline.
There's no forwarding and no returns. If a piece can't be delivered, USPS throws it away rather than sending it back to you.
Common first-timer mistakes
- Printing at a size that doesn't qualify. 6 x 9 is a popular postcard size for addressed mail, but it's too small for EDDM Retail. Check your proof before you print.
- Leaving off the indicia, or putting it in the wrong place. It goes top right, above the address block.
- Bundles that are too big or too small. Keep each one between 50 and 100 pieces and no taller than 6 inches.
- Going to the wrong Post Office. Drop off at the one that delivers your routes, which the order summary tells you.
- Going over 5,000 pieces per ZIP Code in one day. Split bigger mailings across days.
Is EDDM right for you?
EDDM tends to suit:
- businesses that serve everyone nearby, such as restaurants, home services, local events and new store openings
- offers where reaching every door is the point
- small budgets that can't stretch to a mailing list
It's a weaker fit when:
- you only want a narrow group, such as homeowners with a pool or people who just moved
- your customers are spread out rather than clustered
- you need delivery on an exact day
In those cases, mail addressed to a list costs more per piece but wastes fewer pieces.
Quick answers
Do I need a permit for EDDM?
No. EDDM Retail needs no permit and has no annual fee. You only need a free USPS.com account.
Do I need names or addresses?
No. Pieces are addressed to "Postal Customer" and go to every address on the routes you pick.
How long does EDDM take to arrive?
USPS doesn't guarantee a delivery date for EDDM, since it's Marketing Mail. Plan around a delivery window rather than an exact day.
Can I do EDDM myself?
Yes. EDDM Retail was built for small businesses doing it themselves. You can also hire a printer or mail service to handle any part of it.
Printable EDDM checklist
Every step on one page, with tick boxes. Free, no signup. Print it or save it as a PDF.