Estimate cost for Every Door Direct Mail campaigns by carrier route. Calculate postage, print costs, total spend, and response rate projections.
What is EDDM? This tool estimates EDDM Retail for one mailing day in one 5-digit ZIP Code. Normal minimum: 200 pieces or 50 pounds. Maximum: 5,000 pieces per day per ZIP Code.
Campaign setup
Number of carrier routes
routes
Planning input only — confirm routes in the USPS EDDM tool
Area type
Planning estimate: 400 delivery points/route (300–500); use the USPS count for accuracy
Delivery points per route
Delivery audience
Use “Residential Customer” and every active residential delivery.
Under-200 whole-ZIP exception
Claim only if mailing to every address in an entire 5-digit ZIP with fewer than 200 deliverable addresses.
Mail piece & costs
Mail piece size
EDDM retail postage: $0.260 per piece · effective July 12, 2026
Presets meet the dimensional threshold, but eligibility also depends on weight, thickness, flexibility, rectangular shape, uniform thickness, and the final constructed piece.
Print cost per piece
$
Typical: $0.05–0.15 offset, $0.12–0.25 digital
Design / creative cost
$
One-time cost for this mailing
Campaign estimate
Total pieces mailed
2,000
5 routes × 400 delivery points
Total campaign cost
$880.00
$0.44 per delivery point
Postage only
$520.00
$0.260/piece EDDM Retail
Postage
$520.002,000 × 0.260
Printing
$160.002,000 × $0.08
Design
$200.00one-time estimate
Total
$880.00$0.44/delivery point
Response rate projections
Illustrative response scenarios only — these are not USPS estimates or guaranteed campaign results.
Conservative (0.5%)
10
responses
$88 cost/response
Scenario (1%)
20
responses
$44 cost/response
Strong (2%)
40
responses
$22 cost/response
How EDDM works
EDDM Retail requires complete distribution to the selected route audience, current route counts from the USPS EDDM tool, qualifying flat-size pieces, simplified addressing, approved Retail indicia, route-separated bundles, and USPS entry forms. This calculator assumes one 5-digit ZIP Code and one mailing day.
USPS sources & methodology
Rate: $0.260 per eligible EDDM Retail flat up to 3.3 oz., effective July 12, 2026, from USPS Notice 123. Rules:DMM 143, DMM 145, and DMM 602. Normal Retail quantity: at least 200 pieces or 50 pounds; maximum 5,000 pieces per mailing per day per 5-digit ZIP Code. Mailpiece eligibility depends on the final dimensions, weight, thickness, flexibility, shape, uniformity, content, and preparation; confirm with USPS before printing. Last verified: August 27, 2026.
USPS EDDM: A Complete Guide
This calculator models EDDM Retail only. It estimates pieces from selected routes and applies the current Retail postage rate. It does not query live USPS route data, approve a mailpiece, create USPS forms, or calculate EDDM BMEU commercial postage.
Quantity and saturation. A Retail mailing normally needs at least 200 pieces or 50 pounds and may not exceed 5,000 pieces per mailing per day per 5-digit ZIP Code. A mailing below 200 pieces qualifies for the narrow exception only when it covers every address in an entire 5-digit ZIP Code service area that has fewer than 200 deliverable addresses. Every selected route must receive complete distribution for the chosen audience.
Residential and business deliveries. “Residential Customer” means every active residential delivery on each selected route. “Postal Customer” means every active residential and business delivery. Use the current USPS EDDM online tool for the exact route count; the area-type values here are planning estimates only.
Mailpiece eligibility. An EDDM Retail piece must weigh no more than 3.3 ounces and exceed at least one letter-size maximum: length greater than 10.5 inches, height greater than 6.125 inches, or thickness greater than 0.25 inch. General flat limits are 5 × 3.5 × 0.007 inches minimum and 15 × 12 × 0.75 inches maximum. Flats must also be rectangular, flexible, and uniformly thick. Preset dimensions alone do not guarantee eligibility.
Addressing, indicia, and bundles. Put the approved EDDM Retail indicia on every piece above and to the right of the simplified address. Separate pieces by carrier route, prepare bundles of 50–100, place the USPS facing slip on top under the straps, and write the actual bundle count on the slip. Entry and documentation must follow current USPS instructions.
Retail vs. BMEU. EDDM Retail needs no mailing permit but does require USPS registration and Retail preparation, payment, entry, and quantity rules. EDDM BMEU is a separate commercial mailing workflow with a permit, commercial documentation and rates, and different preparation options. This tool does not calculate BMEU postage.
Common questions about Every Door Direct Mail, EDDM pricing, mail piece requirements, and who uses it effectively.
EDDM Retail is a USPS Marketing Mail saturation option using simplified addresses and selected carrier routes. Use “Residential Customer” only when mailing to every active residential delivery on each selected route, or “Postal Customer” when mailing to every active residential and business delivery. Route counts must come from the current USPS EDDM online tool.