Quick answer (July 2026): The real EDDM cost has two parts: USPS EDDM Retail postage at $0.260 per piece (verified July 17, 2026, Notice 123 effective July 12, 2026), plus EDDM pricing for printing. On a 6.5×9 Every Door Direct Mail printing run at 55printing, print cost is about $0.076 to $0.174 per piece by quantity. All-in EDDM mailing cost to reach 1,000 homes starts around $393; 5,000 homes runs around $1,680 (postage + printing, not design time).
EDDM cost per piece: the quick answer
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) has two separate cost buckets: the USPS postage you pay at the post office window, and the printing cost you pay to a printer. These never combine on one invoice, which is why EDDM cost budgets often surprise people the first time. When shoppers compare EDDM cost quotes, they often look only at postage and forget print EDDM pricing until drop-off week.
The postage rate is federally set. EDDM Retail is $0.260 per piece as of July 12, 2026 (up from $0.247; source: USPS Notice 123, pe.usps.com). That rate applies to any qualifying flat-size piece weighing up to 3.3 ounces, regardless of whether you are mailing to 200 homes on one route or 5,000 addresses across a ZIP code.
The printing cost depends entirely on size and quantity. At 5,000 pieces, a 6.5×9 postcard from 55printing costs $0.076 per piece to print. Combined with postage, the all-in cost sits around $0.34 per piece at that scale.
EDDM pricing and postage: the two halves of every bill
USPS postage: the fixed cost
EDDM Retail postage is charged per piece when you drop the mailing at your local post office. The carrier walks the route and delivers one piece to every address. Prices apply to all pieces regardless of design, size (within the qualifying flat range), or distance. You do not need a bulk-mail permit for the Retail program. You pay at the window on drop-off day.
| Pieces mailed | Postage per piece | Total postage |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | $0.260 | $130.00 |
| 1,000 | $0.260 | $260.00 |
| 2,500 | $0.260 | $650.00 |
| 5,000 | $0.260 | $1,300.00 |
EDDM BMEU (Business Mail Entry Unit, for printers who drop at a bulk facility) runs slightly lower at $0.259 per piece at local entry, but requires a bulk-mail permit and coordinated drop-off. Most small business owners use the Retail program.
Printing by size and quantity
EDDM pieces print on paper, not on postcard card stock, but the quality still needs to be high enough to hold a home buyer’s attention in a mailbox. 55printing uses 100lb gloss-coated stock for EDDM mailers. The table below shows live cart prices (July 17, 2026) for two common EDDM sizes.
| Pieces | 6.5×9 printing | 8.5×11 printing |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | $87.08 | $163.77 |
| 1,000 | $133.20 | $204.72 |
| 2,500 | $208.49 | $352.11 |
| 5,000 | $380.19 | $605.96 |
The 6.5×9 size is the most popular EDDM format. It is large enough to stand out in the mailbox but still qualifies at every USPS retail window without extra processing. The 8.5×11 format delivers more design space for complex offers like menus, coupons, or multi-service listings.
Reaching 1,000 vs 5,000 homes: full math
Here is a complete walkthrough for two common EDDM use cases: a pizza shop mailing to one neighborhood route (about 1,000 addresses) and a real estate agent mailing to a full ZIP code section (5,000 addresses).
Pizza shop, 1,000-home route, 6.5×9:
- Printing: $133.20 (live cart, 55printing, July 2026)
- USPS postage: $260.00 (1,000 x $0.260)
- All-in total: $393.20
- Per home: $0.39
Real estate agent, 5,000-home coverage, 6.5×9:
- Printing: $380.19
- USPS postage: $1,300.00 (5,000 x $0.260)
- All-in total: $1,680.19
- Per home: $0.34
Scaling from 1,000 to 5,000 homes only adds $1,287 to the total cost, and the per-piece rate drops 13 cents. That efficiency is why businesses with larger territories consistently prefer EDDM over paid social for neighborhood-level reach.
Size rules: why EDDM pieces are big
EDDM Retail requires flat-size mail pieces. Under USPS guidelines, a flat must be at least 5 inches long and 3.5 inches tall and no larger than 15 x 12 inches for the Retail program. In practice, pieces below 6 x 9 inches rarely compete well in the mailbox since they fall behind envelopes. The sweet spot most direct-mail designers use is 6.5×9 or 6.5×12.
There is no minimum-quantity requirement per campaign, but the Retail option requires a minimum of 200 pieces per carrier route and limits you to 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per delivery day. If you are covering more addresses in a single day, you would need to use EDDM BMEU with a permit or split the mailing across multiple days.
55printing offers EDDM-ready templates in the EDDM printing product page. The template set includes bleed, safe zones, and the required postal indicia placement so your file is ready to submit at the window without reprinting.
Route selection basics
USPS provides a free online mapping tool (available on usps.com) where you select carrier routes by ZIP code, neighborhood, or radius from an address. Each route shows the approximate number of residential and business addresses. You choose the routes that match your service area and pay only for the pieces delivered on those routes.
A carrier route typically covers 400 to 600 addresses. A single-route test campaign using 500 pieces on a 6.5×9 mailer runs about $217 all-in (printing $87.08 + postage $130). That is a reasonable test for a new promotion before committing to a 5,000-piece run.
For rush EDDM orders, 55printing offers accelerated turnarounds. Confirm the delivery schedule with your local post office to make sure a rush print job does not arrive before your drop-off appointment slot is available.
Where people overspend on EDDM
The most common EDDM budget mistakes are size creep, overprinting, and skipping the proof.
Size creep: Moving from 6.5×9 to 8.5×11 adds $71 to a 1,000-piece print run. If a 6.5×9 piece has enough room for your offer, the smaller size delivers the same household reach for a meaningfully lower price. Upgrade size only if the design genuinely requires more canvas, for example a restaurant menu that must list 12 items legibly.
Overprinting: Ordering 5,000 pieces when your route covers 2,500 homes wastes postage and printing on pieces that will never mail. Use the USPS route tool to get an accurate household count for your target area before placing the print order.
Skipping the proof: A wrong phone number, a blurry logo, or a cut-off coupon code on a 5,000-piece run is an expensive mistake. 55printing provides a free PDF proof before printing begins. Approve or request revisions before the job goes on press, not after.
EDDM cost FAQ
What is the USPS EDDM postage rate right now?
EDDM Retail is $0.260 per piece as of July 12, 2026, when USPS raised rates across all mail classes (Notice 123). The previous rate was $0.247 per piece. The rate applies to flat-size marketing mail pieces up to 3.3 ounces. You pay at the post office window on the day you drop off the mailing. No annual permit or business account is required for the Retail program, which is what most small businesses use.
What is the minimum number of pieces for EDDM?
For EDDM Retail, the minimum is 200 pieces per carrier route. You cannot do 50 pieces on one route. If you only need 200 pieces, they must all go to the same route. Most routes have between 400 and 600 addresses, so a single-route test campaign often prints 400 to 600 pieces even when the minimum is technically 200. The maximum for EDDM Retail is 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per delivery day.
Can you do EDDM on only part of a route?
No. EDDM Retail requires saturation delivery, which means every address on the selected carrier route receives a piece. You cannot select individual streets or address ranges within a route. If a route has 487 addresses and you only want to reach 200 homes, you would need to choose a different route with a lower household count or accept that all 487 addresses receive your mailer. The USPS mapping tool shows household counts before you commit to a route, so you can choose routes that match your budget.
Is EDDM cheaper than sending regular stamps?
Yes, significantly. A standard Forever stamp costs $0.82 per piece (July 2026). A First-Class presorted postcard runs $0.453 at the cheapest automated tier. EDDM Retail is $0.260 per piece, which is about 68 percent cheaper than a regular stamp and 43 percent cheaper than a presorted postcard. The tradeoff is that EDDM requires flat-size pieces (larger than a standard 4×6 postcard) and delivers to all addresses on a route rather than a targeted list. For neighborhood-level saturation campaigns, the price advantage makes EDDM the standard choice for local businesses.
Do I need a template to order EDDM printing?
You do not need a specific template format to start, but your file must have the correct bleed (usually 0.125 inches on all sides), a reserved area for the USPS EDDM indicia (the postal endorsement that replaces a stamp), and safe-zone margins for all critical content. 55printing provides free downloadable EDDM templates that pre-set all of those dimensions. If you upload artwork that does not have the indicia area blocked, the 55printing team will flag it during the free proof review before printing begins.
How far in advance should I order before a planned mail date?
Order at least 7 to 10 business days before your target drop-off date if you are using a standard turnaround. This gives time for printing, shipping to you, and then your trip to the post office. If your campaign is time-sensitive (grand opening, limited-time promotion), use a 3-5 day rush turnaround. You will also want to call your local post office ahead of time to confirm they accept EDDM Retail drop-offs and whether you need an appointment; some offices require advance scheduling for large-volume drops.
Does EDDM reach apartments and businesses or only houses?
EDDM Retail delivers to every deliverable address on a carrier route by default, which includes single-family homes, apartments, and businesses unless you opt out of business addresses. The USPS mapping tool lets you filter routes to include or exclude businesses when selecting your coverage. Some businesses prefer to include commercial addresses when marketing to local business owners; others exclude them to keep the campaign focused on residential households. There is no price difference between selecting a residential-only or mixed residential-business route.
What size EDDM postcard gives the best all-in value?
For most campaigns, the 6.5×9 size delivers the best value. It qualifies as a marketing flat, holds a strong visual and an offer, and costs roughly $0.076 per piece to print at 5,000 copies at 55printing, adding only $0.34 in total per-piece cost (printing plus postage). The 8.5×11 format is worth the premium if your offer is menu-heavy or requires multiple columns of information. Moving to 8.5×11 at 5,000 pieces adds about $226 to the printing cost for the same postage, which is a reasonable investment when the extra canvas produces measurably higher response rates.
Ready to plan your campaign? Start on the EDDM postcards page to configure size, quantity, and turnaround, or use the rush EDDM page for campaigns with tight mail dates. Current EDDM deals can be found on the deals page.