What is EDDM? Real costs and how it works
EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) is the USPS program that puts your mail piece in every mailbox on the carrier routes you choose, with no mailing list and no postage permit. Retail postage is $0.26 per piece as of July 2026, you can send 200 to 5,000 pieces per ZIP per day, and the whole thing is genuinely doable yourself. This is the exact workflow I am running for The Local Vibe's first Q4 2026 drop, and the honest version of what it takes.
How EDDM actually works, step by step
Most write-ups stop at "pick routes online." Here is the full version, including the steps the USPS guides bury in the fine print.
Pick your routes
The free USPS tool at eddm.usps.com maps every carrier route on Staten Island with live household counts. You literally click the streets you want. This is also where the math starts: the tool tells you exactly how many pieces you are paying for.
Print to spec
The piece must be a flat. A 9x12 card qualifies on length alone (12 inches clears the 10.5 inch minimum), which is why it is one of the most common EDDM sizes: maximum presence in the mailbox, no special handling.
Bundle it
USPS wants bundles of 50 to 100 pieces, each topped with a facing slip (the tool generates them). For 5,000 pieces that is 50 to 100 bundles, and yes, you band every one. This is the step nobody's blog mentions.
File the paperwork
One PS Form 3587 (the EDDM Retail mailing statement) per order, listing your routes and piece counts.
Drop and pay
You bring the bundles to the post office that serves your routes and pay postage at the counter: $0.26 per piece at the EDDM Retail rate (usps.com, July 2026). No permit, no mailing list, no middleman required.
What 5,000 Staten Island doors actually costs
Run the numbers for a typical neighborhood drop, a 9x12 card to 5,000 doors:
That is 60 cents or more per door, and every one of those doors gets your card. When the offer is strong and the budget covers a second mailing (repetition is where solo mail really pays), this is a genuinely good channel, and you now know the whole workflow to run it yourself.
For most trades testing the mailbox for the first time, though, that all-in number is the obstacle. It is exactly why I built The Local Vibe the way I did: sixteen businesses share one 9x12 card to the same 5,000 doors, one business per industry, $475 to $575 per slot, and you design your ad yourself with the AI Ad Builder. Same mailbox, a fraction of the check. The full comparison, including when solo EDDM beats a shared card, is at Advertise on Staten Island.
EDDM questions, answered plainly
Do I need a mailing list or postage permit for EDDM?
No. EDDM Retail requires neither. You pick carrier routes with the free USPS online tool, address every piece to Local Postal Customer, and pay retail postage at drop-off. That is the whole point of the program.
What does EDDM cost per piece?
EDDM Retail postage is $0.26 per piece (usps.com, July 2026). Printing is on top of that: a one-off retail run of 9x12 flats on heavy uncoated stock typically starts around 35 cents per piece, and quotes vary widely by spec, volume, and printer. Plan on roughly 60 cents or more per door all-in before design.
What sizes qualify for EDDM?
EDDM pieces must be flats. A 9x12 card qualifies on length alone, since 12 inches clears the 10.5 inch minimum, and at normal card weights it sits far under the 3.3 ounce ceiling. The USPS EDDM Quick Reference Guide is the fastest authority on edge cases.
How many pieces can I send with EDDM Retail?
Between 200 and 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per day at the retail rate (usps.com, July 2026). A 5,000-door neighborhood drop fits inside a single day.
Is EDDM worth it for a small business?
Yes, when the offer is strong and the math is done before printing. For roughly $3,000 or more all-in you own every door of a 5,000-home neighborhood. If that budget is heavy for a first test, a slot on a shared card like The Local Vibe reaches the same doors for $475 to $575.
Sources
- USPS Every Door Direct Mail, pricing and daily limits: usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm (checked July 2026)
- USPS EDDM Quick Reference Guide (flat dimensions and weight rules)
- USPS EDDM online route tool: eddm.usps.com
- Print cost: typical retail estimates for a short-run 9x12 flat on heavy uncoated stock; quotes vary widely by spec, volume, and printer, so get your own