What is EDDM?
EDDM delivers a saturation flat to every active address on the carrier routes you select, using a simplified address ("LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER") instead of names, so no mailing list, NCOA, or per-recipient data is needed. It is USPS Marketing Mail priced at simplified saturation rates. Best for local, geographic campaigns where audience targeting is not required.
What size does an EDDM piece have to be?
Each EDDM piece must mail as a flat (see What size is a flat), and the exact test depends on how the mailing is entered. At the Post Office counter (EDDM Retail) the piece must be longer than 10.5 inches, taller than 6.125 inches or thicker than 0.25 inch, and weigh no more than 3.3 ounces. On a permit through a Business Mail Entry Unit, which is how Plavidian mails EDDM, the commercial flat rules apply instead and there is no 3.3-ounce limit.
EDDM Retail, taken to the Post Office counter (DMM 143.2.5):
- Must exceed at least one of: 10.5 inches long, 6.125 inches high, or 0.25 inch thick.
- Maximum: 15 inches long, 12 inches high, 0.75 inch thick.
- Maximum weight: 3.3 ounces.
EDDM on a permit through a Business Mail Entry Unit (DMM 201.4.1, 201.5.2.2 and 243):
- Must exceed at least one of: 11.5 inches long, 6.125 inches high, or 0.25 inch thick. A piece longer than 10.5 inches and at least 3.5 inches high can also mail as an EDDM flat if it carries an "EDDM" marking directly after its "ECRWSS" marking.
- Maximum: 15 inches long, 12 inches high, 0.75 inch thick.
- No 3.3-ounce limit: carrier route flats may weigh up to 24 ounces, and flats over 4 ounces pay a per-pound charge on top of the piece price.
A 5 x 7 does not qualify under either rule; typical EDDM postcards start around 6.25 x 9 or 6.25 x 11 to clear the height minimum. Because postage is the same across the EDDM size range, a larger piece costs the same to mail.
Address and indicia
Each piece carries a printed indicia in the upper-right corner including the ECRWSS marking, and a generic address block reading "LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER" (or similar) rather than a name. See DMM 602.3.
How many EDDM Retail pieces can I mail per day?
- Limit 5,000 pieces per ZIP Code per day; minimum 200 pieces per mailing per ZIP
- No mailing permit required
- Bundled in groups of 50 to 100 with a facing slip on each bundle, presented at the destination Post Office (DDU) with PS Form 3587
Good for smaller local drops. See DMM 243.
EDDM BMEU
- Requires a USPS mailing permit and entry at a Business Mail Entry Unit.
- No daily piece cap; slightly lower per-piece postage than Retail; uses PS Form 3602 and a permit imprint or commercial account.
Better for larger campaigns or multiple ZIPs. Plavidian can mail EDDM BMEU under its permit. See DMM 243.
| EDDM Retail | EDDM BMEU | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is entered | The destination Post Office counter (DDU) | A Business Mail Entry Unit |
| Permit | No mailing permit required | USPS mailing permit; permit imprint or commercial account |
| Postage form | PS Form 3587 | PS Form 3602 |
| Pieces per day | Up to 5,000 per ZIP Code per day; at least 200 per mailing per ZIP | No daily piece cap |
| Flat size: must exceed one of | 10.5 in long, 6.125 in high or 0.25 in thick | 11.5 in long, 6.125 in high or 0.25 in thick (or longer than 10.5 in and at least 3.5 in high with an "EDDM" marking after "ECRWSS") |
| Maximum size | 15 in long, 12 in high, 0.75 in thick | 15 in long, 12 in high, 0.75 in thick |
| Weight | 3.3 ounces maximum | No 3.3-ounce limit; up to 24 ounces, with a per-pound charge over 4 ounces |
| Postage | EDDM Retail price | Slightly lower per piece than Retail |
Should I use EDDM Retail or BMEU?
Under about 5,000 pieces in one ZIP, Retail is simpler. Over 5,000 pieces or across multiple ZIPs, BMEU saves postage and the effort of multiple Post Office drops. Exact EDDM prices come from Notice 123; the Postage Estimator shows them.