If you’ve searched “what does EDDM stand for” or “how does EDDM work” while planning a mailing, here’s the short version: EDDM stands for Every Door Direct Mail, a USPS program that lets you mail to every address on a chosen carrier route — no names, no mailing list, no purchased data. You pick the neighborhoods, USPS delivers to every mailbox on those routes, and you skip the cost and hassle of building a targeted list altogether.
How Does EDDM Mailing Work?
Instead of mailing to a specific list of names and addresses, EDDM mailing works route by route. USPS carrier routes are mapped and searchable, so you (or your printer) select the routes that cover the neighborhoods, zip codes, or radius around your business that you want to reach, and your mail piece goes to every address the carrier delivers on that route — homes and, depending on the route, some businesses too. That’s the “every door” part of the name.
EDDM Retail vs. EDDM Business (BMEU)
There are two ways to send an EDDM mailing, and the right one depends on volume:
- EDDM Retail is the walk-in option: no postal permit required, and you (or your printer) drop bundles at the post office and pay the flat retail postage rate at the counter. It’s historically been capped around 5,000 pieces per day, which makes it a good fit for smaller, single-location campaigns.
- EDDM Business (BMEU) goes through USPS’s Business Mail Entry Unit and doesn’t have that daily cap, which is the better route for larger or multi-route campaigns. Most direct mail printers handle this under their own mailing permit, so you don’t need to hold a USPS Business permit yourself — they prepare the paperwork, bundle the mail by route, and drop it with USPS for you.
EDDM Size Requirements
USPS sets specific size rules for EDDM pieces, since they’re processed differently than regular addressed mail. In general, a piece needs to be taller than 6.125″ or longer than 11.5″, up to a maximum of 12″ x 15″. Common EDDM template sizes include 6.25″ x 9″, 6″ x 11″, 8″ x 10″, 9″ x 12″, and 12″ x 15″ — postcards, folded self-mailers, and even saddle-stitched booklets can all qualify as EDDM pieces as long as the finished (folded) size and weight fall within those limits and any folded edges are properly tabbed or sealed per postal rules.
How Much Does EDDM Cost?
EDDM’s biggest cost advantage is postage: EDDM Retail runs at a flat rate around $0.26 per piece as of 2026, with no permit or annual mailing fees required for the retail option — and USPS adjusts this rate periodically, so it’s worth confirming the current figure before you budget a campaign. Because there’s no mailing list to buy, your total cost is really just printing plus that flat postage rate, which is a big part of why EDDM tends to be one of the more affordable ways to reach a large number of addresses.
Do You Need a Return Address for EDDM?
A return address isn’t strictly required on an EDDM piece, since it’s addressed to “Postal Customer” rather than a named recipient — but including one is generally a good idea in case a piece needs special handling, and it gives your mail a more polished, less “junk mail” look. EDDM pieces do need specific required markings (like the correct EDDM indicia or permit imprint on the Business/BMEU option), which is another reason it’s worth having a printer familiar with the format check your design before it prints.
How Long Does EDDM Take to Deliver?
Once your mailing is bundled and dropped with USPS, EDDM pieces typically arrive within about a week, since carriers deliver them alongside the regular mail on their existing route rather than running a separate special trip. Production time for printing is separate from that — so total time from order to mailbox is print turnaround plus roughly that week-ish delivery window.
EDDM vs. Bulk Mail
This is a common point of confusion, since both are ways to mail in volume at a discount. Standard/bulk mail (USPS Marketing Mail) requires a mailing permit, a minimum quantity (traditionally 200 pieces or 50 pounds per mailing), and a specific list of names and addresses sorted for the discount. EDDM skips all of that — no list, no permit for the retail option, and no minimum quantity — because you’re mailing to every address on a route rather than to specific individuals. If you already have a strong customer list you want to reach specifically, bulk/targeted mail is usually the better fit; if you’re trying to reach everyone in a geographic area, EDDM is built for exactly that.
Does EDDM Work Outside the US?
EDDM is a USPS program, so it applies to mailings within the United States. If you’re mailing in Canada, Canada Post runs its own comparable saturation-mail program with its own rules, pricing, and route system — worth asking your printer about specifically, since it isn’t the same product as USPS EDDM even though the concept is similar.
Who Can Print and Mail an EDDM Campaign?
A number of local and national print shops offer EDDM printing and mailing, but the services vary — some only print the piece and leave the route selection, bundling, and post office drop-off to you, while others handle the entire process end to end. If you’d rather not manage bundling and paperwork yourself, it’s worth choosing a provider that handles route mapping and BMEU filing as part of the service rather than just the print job.
A Note on Getting It Printed and Mailed
Greenerprinter’s EDDM service handles the whole process: pick your carrier routes on their route map, and they prepare the USPS paperwork, bundle, document, and deliver to USPS on your behalf — no mailing list required either way. Pieces print on recycled stock with vegetable-based inks, and mailing ships carbon-neutral from their Richmond, CA facility. Choose EDDM Retail (bundled in groups of 100 if you’d rather drop them at the post office yourself) or EDDM Business for larger campaigns, in standard sizes from 6.25″ x 9″ up to 12″ x 15″, with wait-and-save, standard, or expedited turnaround depending on your timeline.
Ready to bring your project to life? Greenerprinter offers a full range of sustainable printing options. Explore some of our most popular products:
Calendar Printing
Custom Calendars | Wall Calendars | Saddle-Stitched Calendars
Book & Booklet Printing
Custom Books | Custom Booklets | Saddle-Stitched Booklets | Zines | Catalogs
Brochure Printing
Custom Brochures | Tri-Fold | Bi-Fold | Gate Fold | Z-Fold