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How much does EDDM cost? A full breakdown
Postage, printing, design and prep: what goes into the cost of an Every Door Direct Mail campaign, how to estimate your total in a minute, and how to work out how many jobs you need to break even.
Estimate the cost for your routesThe four parts of EDDM cost
| Cost | Who sets it | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Postage | USPS | Retail or BMEU, piece weight, the current USPS price list |
| Printing | Your printer | Size, paper, one or two sided, quantity, turnaround |
| Design | You or a designer | DIY template, freelancer or agency |
| Prep and drop off | You or the print shop | Bundling, facing slips, paperwork, trips to the Post Office |
Postage
USPS sets EDDM postage per piece, and it changes with USPS price updates, usually once or twice a year. EDDM Retail (drop off at your local Post Office) and EDDM BMEU (with a permit, for larger mailers) are priced differently. Always check the current rate on usps.com before you budget.
Two things keep postage predictable: EDDM pieces are not addressed, and every piece on a route costs the same, so total postage is simply the rate times the number of addresses you selected.
Printing
Printing is the part you can shop around. What moves the price:
- Size: EDDM pieces must be flats, so they are bigger than a standard postcard. 6.25 x 11 inches is the most common and usually the cheapest EDDM size; 8.5 x 11 and larger cost more.
- Quantity: the price per piece falls sharply as quantity grows. A run of 500 can cost several times more per piece than a run of 10,000.
- Paper and finish: heavier card stock and gloss or UV coating add cost. Matte finishes also make QR codes easier to scan.
- Versions: printing a different QR code per route is usually possible in the same run, sometimes for a small setup fee.
Many EDDM printers sell print and postage together, which is simpler but makes it harder to compare. Ask for the printing price and the postage separately.
Design and prep
A template you edit yourself costs nothing but time. A freelancer typically charges a one time fee per design, which you can reuse across many mailings. Prep (bundling into stacks, facing slips, the postage statement and the drop off) is free if you do it, or included by many EDDM print shops.
Estimate your cost in one minute
- Open the EDDM route map and enter your ZIP codes.
- Select the routes you want. The map adds up the addresses.
- Enter the current postage rate and your printing quote per piece.
- Read the total, then add design if you are paying for it.
Worked example
A pest control company selects 4 routes with 5,200 homes. It uses an example cost of $0.25 postage and $0.12 printing per piece, plus a $150 design fee:
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Postage | 5,200 × $0.25 | $1,300 |
| Printing | 5,200 × $0.12 | $624 |
| Design | one time | $150 |
| Total | $2,074 | |
| Cost per home | $2,074 ÷ 5,200 | about $0.40 |
Example numbers only. Use the current USPS rate and your own print quote.
How many jobs do you need to break even?
Divide the campaign cost by what one job is worth to you:
| Campaign cost | Average job value | Jobs to break even |
|---|---|---|
| $2,074 | $150 | 14 |
| $2,074 | $350 | 6 |
| $2,074 | $1,000 | 3 |
| $2,074 | $8,000 | 1 |
If a customer usually comes back or signs a service plan, use the value of the first year, not the first visit. That is why EDDM works well for recurring services like pest control and lawn care.
How to lower your EDDM cost per customer
- Cut weak routes, not frequency. Mailing your best routes three times usually beats mailing every route once. You need per route results to know which ones are best; see how to track EDDM by route.
- Choose residential only unless you sell to businesses.
- Order larger runs less often to get a better print price, and split them across mail dates.
- Use the standard 6.25 x 11 size unless you have a reason not to.
- Make the offer and the QR code impossible to miss. A better response rate is the cheapest cost cut of all.
Frequently asked questions
How much does EDDM postage cost per piece?
USPS sets the rate and updates it periodically, and Retail and BMEU rates differ. Check the current EDDM price on usps.com before you budget.
Is EDDM cheaper than regular direct mail?
Usually yes, because there is no mailing list to buy and no addresses to print. The trade off is that you mail whole routes instead of choosing individual households.
What is the cheapest EDDM postcard size?
6.25 x 11 inches is the most common EDDM size and is usually the cheapest to print that still qualifies as a flat.
Is there a minimum quantity for EDDM?
You mail whole carrier routes, so the minimum is effectively the size of the smallest route you pick. Many print shops also have their own minimum order.
How do I calculate my EDDM budget?
Add up the addresses on your selected routes, multiply by postage plus printing per piece, and add design. The EDDM route map does the math as you select routes.
Last updated October 27, 2026.
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