Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is the USPS service that delivers your postcard to every address on the carrier routes you choose. You do not need a mailing list or names. You pick neighborhoods, and the letter carrier does the rest.
USPS only accepts EDDM pieces that count as "flats". A piece qualifies if it passes any one of the three tests in the first row.
| Rule | USPS requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum size | Longer than 10.5 in, or taller than 6.125 in, or thicker than 0.25 in |
| Maximum size | 15 in long, 12 in high, 0.75 in thick |
| Maximum weight | 3.3 oz per piece |
Popular sizes that qualify are 6.25 x 9, 6.5 x 9, 6.5 x 11 and 8.5 x 11 in. A standard 6 x 9 postcard does not qualify, because it is neither taller than 6.125 in nor longer than 10.5 in. We print EDDM at 11 x 8.5 in on 100 lb coated cover, full color on both sides, so your card is the biggest thing in the mailbox.
The indicia is the printed box that replaces a stamp. For EDDM Retail, USPS requires this wording in capital letters:
The address area reads "Postal Customer" or "Local Postal Customer" instead of a name. When we mail for you, we place the indicia and the address line. Just leave a clear block 3.5 in wide by 2 in high at the lower right of the address side.
USPS lets you prepare an EDDM Retail mailing yourself, but the rules are strict:
A mailing that covers several towns means a separate trip to each local Post Office. We print, bundle, complete the paperwork and drop the mail at the post office for you, and postage is already in our price.
Our price covers printing, mail prep, route bundling, facing slips, USPS paperwork, the post office drop and postage. No mailing list and no permit needed.
| Homes | Per piece | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $0.71 | $710 |
| 2,500 | $0.68 | $1,700 |
| 5,000 | $0.63 | $3,150 |
| 10,000 | $0.61 | $6,100 |
| 25,000 | $0.57 | $14,250 |
| 100,000 | $0.55 | $55,000 |
Sales tax and design are extra. Design help starts at $49.99.
Any flat longer than 10.5 in or taller than 6.125 in, up to 15 x 12 in. Ours is 11 x 8.5 in.
No. It is too small on both tests. A 6.25 x 9 or 6.5 x 9 card does qualify.
No. EDDM goes to every address on a route, and we handle the postal paperwork.
We print in 2 business days after you approve the proof. Local delivery usually lands within a week of the drop. USPS does not guarantee a delivery date for this class of mail.
From $0.71 a home at 1,000 homes down to $0.55 at 100,000. That price covers printing, mail prep and postage.
Postal rules checked against USPS in November 2026: Every Door Direct Mail, Domestic Mail Manual 143 and Domestic Mail Manual 101. Related guides: real estate postcards and rush printing in NYC.