How to use USPS Every Door Direct Mail in 2026
USPS rules and prices checked October 2026.
To use USPS Every Door Direct Mail, you make a free USPS.com account, pick carrier routes in the EDDM Online Tool, print a flat-size mailer with the EDDM Retail indicia, bundle it in stacks of 50 to 100 with a facing slip on each, and drop it at the Post Office that serves those routes. EDDM Retail postage is $0.26 a piece. You can mail 200 to 5,000 pieces per ZIP Code per day. No mailing list and no permit needed.
What you need before you start
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| A USPS.com account | The EDDM Online Tool saves your routes and makes your forms. |
| A flat-size mailer | EDDM only takes flats. A 4 x 6 or 6 x 9 card does not qualify. See our EDDM postcard size guide. |
| At least 200 pieces | That is the Retail minimum. |
| Rubber bands or straps | For bundles of 50 to 100 pieces. |
| A way to pay | A card online, or cash, card, or check at the Post Office. |
Retail or BMEU: which EDDM do you need?
Most small businesses use EDDM Retail. BMEU is for bigger mailings.
| EDDM Retail | EDDM BMEU | |
|---|---|---|
| Postage | $0.26 a piece | As low as $0.259 a piece |
| Volume | 200 minimum, up to 5,000 per day per ZIP Code | No volume limit, many ZIP Codes |
| Permit | Not needed | USPS Marketing Mail permit, yours or your mail provider’s, with an annual fee |
| Where you drop it | The Post Office that serves your routes | A Business Mail Entry Unit |
Step 1: Make a USPS.com account
Sign up for a free account on USPS.com, or sign in with the one you have. The EDDM Online Tool is part of it.
Step 2: Pick your routes in the EDDM Online Tool
Search by a full address, a city and state, or a ZIP Code. Click Show Table to see each carrier route as a row. You can filter by route type, number of homes, age, household size, and income.
Check the routes you want. The Order Summary shows the total pieces and the postage. Tip: you can skip business addresses and mail homes only, or include both. You cannot mail businesses only.
Want to see routes and the full price first, with no account? Use our free route planner.
Step 3: Design and print your mailer
- Size. Check it with the USPS Mailpiece Size Checker in the tool. It must be a flat.
- Address line. Use “Postal Customer” or “Local Postal Customer”. No names or street addresses.
- Indicia. Print the EDDM Retail indicia in the top right corner. It must be larger than 0.5 x 0.5 inches, in all caps, at least 4 point. It goes inside 1.625 inches from the right edge and 1.375 inches from the top, with 1/8 inch of clear space at the top and right.
Not sure your file is right? Our free file check tests the size, bleed, and mailing panel in seconds and adds the indicia for you.
Step 4: Pick a drop-off date and pay
Choose the day you will take the mail in. Then pick how you pay. You can pay online with a card and bring the receipt. Or pay at the Post Office with cash, card, or check. Until you pay, the order shows as unpaid.
Step 5: Print the forms and bundle the mail
Print your forms from the Order Confirmation screen. Then bundle the pieces:
- 50 to 100 pieces per bundle.
- No bundle taller than 6 inches.
- A facing slip on top of each bundle, with the piece count written on it.
Step 6: Drop it at the right Post Office
Take the bundles to the Post Office that serves your routes. Bring PS Form 3587, the postage statement, with the carrier route details filled in on the back. If that Post Office is far away, you can ship the boxes by Priority Mail to its Postmaster. Include a sample piece, PS Form 3587, payment if it is not paid yet, and a short letter to the Postmaster.
Most routes get the mail 3 to 10 business days after the drop. Routes near the Post Office often get it sooner.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Printing a 4 x 6 or 6 x 9 card | It is not a flat, so the Post Office turns it away. | Use 6.25 x 9 or larger. |
| More than 5,000 pieces in one ZIP Code on one day | Retail will not take it. | Split it across days, or use BMEU. |
| Wrong Post Office | They cannot accept mail for routes they do not serve. | Check the Post Office on your order. |
| Art in the indicia area | The indicia is hard to read, and the mail can be refused. | Keep the top right of the address side white. |
| Missing facing slips | The clerk cannot count bundles by route. | One facing slip with the count on every bundle. |
Do it yourself, or have it done for you?
The postage is the same either way. What changes is your time. Doing it yourself makes sense for one small mailing. If you mail often, the hours add up.
- Print only. We print, bundle, and add the facing slips from $0.17 a card. You pay postage and drop it.
- Done for you. We print, pay postage, and drop it, from $0.44 a home at 5,000 homes or more.
See plans and pricing, run your numbers in the EDDM cost calculator, or read how much EDDM costs in 2026.
Quick answers
Do I need a permit for EDDM Retail?
No. Retail needs no permit. BMEU needs a USPS Marketing Mail permit, which can be yours or your mail provider’s, and a permit has an annual fee.
Do I need a mailing list?
No. EDDM goes to every address on the routes you pick.
How much is EDDM postage in 2026?
EDDM Retail is $0.26 a piece. BMEU starts at $0.259.
What is the smallest EDDM mailing?
200 pieces.