How to Run Your First EDDM Campaign

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a USPS program that lets you saturate an entire carrier route with your mail piece — no address list required. You pick the routes, print the postcards, and drop them off at the post office. USPS does the rest.

• No mailing list needed. Instead of targeting specific addresses, you mail to every door on a route. That makes EDDM ideal for businesses targeting a neighborhood, zip code, or radius around a location.
• Flat-rate postage. EDDM Retail postage is $0.247/piece in 2026 — regardless of where the mail is going. No per-address variation, no bulk mail permit required.
• Built for local businesses. Restaurants, gyms, real estate agents, home service companies, daycares, and medical practices are among the most common EDDM users — any business with a defined service area and nearby households to reach.
• Size requirements apply. Your mail piece must exceed at least one USPS threshold to qualify: greater than 10.5" long, OR greater than 6.125" high, OR greater than 0.25" thick. Standard 4X6 postcards don't qualify — you'll need a larger format like 6.5X9, 6.5X12, or 8.5X11.

USPS provides a free online mapping tool at eddm.usps.com that lets you browse and select carrier routes by zip code. You can filter by household count, average household income, and age range — so you can target the neighborhoods most likely to need what you offer.

• Search by zip code or city. The USPS EDDM tool shows a map of carrier routes with exact address counts. Most residential routes run 200–800 addresses.
• Filter by demographics. Narrow routes by average household income and age range — useful when your product or service appeals to a specific demographic.
• Select multiple routes. The tool tallies your total piece count in real time as you add routes, making it easy to plan your print quantity and estimate total postage cost.
• Save your route list. Download or note the route identifiers once you've made your selections. You'll need them when you fill out the USPS facing slips before drop-off.

EDDM postcards are bigger than standard postcards — which works in your favor. More space means more room to make an impression. Just keep in mind that USPS has specific size requirements your design must meet.

• Required dimensions. Your piece must exceed at least one of these: greater than 10.5" long, OR greater than 6.125" high, OR greater than 0.25" thick. Maximum size is 12" × 15".
• Popular EDDM sizes at TheFlyerLab. The most common choices are 6.5X9, 6.5X12, and 8.5X11. Each gives you significantly more visual presence in the mailbox than a standard postcard.
• Reserve space for the USPS indicia. Your design needs a clear area (minimum 3.5" × 2") in the upper right of the address side for the EDDM postal indicia. TheFlyerLab can verify indicia placement before going to press.
• Lead with one clear offer. EDDM is a cold-touch medium — most recipients don't know you yet. Put your most compelling offer front and center: a discount, a free estimate, a grand opening special. Be specific. "20% off your first order" outperforms "great service at great prices" every time.

Once your design is approved and your order is placed, TheFlyerLab ships your EDDM postcards in 2–4 business days. Before heading to the post office, you'll need to bundle and label your pieces — USPS requires this before they'll accept the mailing.

• Bundle in groups of 50 or 100. Stack your postcards face-up and secure each bundle with a rubber band. Bundles must be consistent — all 50s or all 100s.
• Print and attach facing slips. Each bundle gets a USPS EDDM facing slip on top identifying the carrier route. These are free to download and print from eddm.usps.com.
• Complete PS Form 3587. This is the USPS Postage Statement for EDDM Retail — also available free at eddm.usps.com. Fill it out with your route selections and total piece count. The post office uses this to process your mailing.
• Organize bundles by route. If you're mailing to multiple carrier routes, keep each route's bundles together. It makes the drop-off process faster and reduces the chance of errors.

The final step is bringing your bundled postcards to your local post office retail counter. Walk up to a clerk — don't use drop boxes or self-service kiosks — and let them know you have an EDDM Retail mailing.

• Go to the retail counter. Bring your bundled postcards, your facing slips, and your completed PS Form 3587. The clerk processes everything at the counter.
• Pay postage at drop-off. You pay $0.247 per piece on the spot. For 1,000 pieces that's $247. For 5,000 pieces that's $1,235. Cash, card, and check are all accepted.
• No permit required. EDDM Retail doesn't require a business mail entry permit. You're paying retail postage at the counter — that's the whole process.
• Delivery within 2–3 business days. USPS typically delivers EDDM pieces within 2–3 business days of your drop-off, though timing can vary by location and time of year.

Your total EDDM cost has two components: printing and postage. The postage rate is fixed at $0.247/piece regardless of quantity. Here's how the postage math breaks down at common campaign sizes, along with estimated all-in totals including printing at TheFlyerLab:

Printing prices vary by size and quantity — visit the EDDM product page for exact pricing on your specific size.