EDDM Mailings: Route Selection and Full-Service Planning helps you decide which USPS carrier routes match your service area and whether to manage mailing steps in-house or use full-service support. Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is designed for geographic reach, so good planning starts with route boundaries, delivery counts, and a clear understanding of who handles each part of the mailing.
Key Takeaways
How EDDM routes work
EDDM uses USPS carrier routes to reach addresses along a carrier’s delivery area. Choose routes based on the audience and geography you want to reach, rather than selecting a ZIP Code and assuming every part of it fits your campaign.
Use route mapping to compare each carrier route’s boundary and delivery count with the area you serve and the number of pieces you can afford to mail. The USPS EDDM Online Tool can help you review route coverage and estimate how many pieces selected routes require.
A residential route and a business route reach different address groups, so match the route type to the offer. For example, a service designed for homeowners may call for residential coverage, while an offer intended for local businesses should be planned around business addresses.
Route counts describe delivery coverage, not a list of named recipients. EDDM is intended for geographic reach across selected routes, so it does not let you choose individual households using personal mailing-list criteria.
The SLM EDDM report is an example of a route-based mailer where customers select USPS carrier routes during ordering. It has a 200-piece minimum, and USPS delivers one piece to every home on the selected route, which suits a campaign focused on broad home coverage.
Match route maps to your real service area
Start with a map of the places you can actually serve, then overlay carrier-route boundaries. Exclude routes that extend beyond your practical travel range, include areas you cannot serve, or fall outside the campaign’s intended geography.
Where route-planning tools offer demographic filters, use them to compare broad areas with your campaign audience. Those figures describe an area as a whole; they do not identify the characteristics of each household on the route.
Check route boundaries and delivery counts together. A route may have a useful number of deliveries but still include neighborhoods that do not match your service area or campaign goal.
Effective EDDM Solutions | Multiple Sizes | iti Direct Mail presents a print-only EDDM option for campaigns where route choices and mailpiece format need to be considered together. It suits readers who are comparing route coverage while planning the printed piece.
If route coverage includes many addresses that are not useful to your campaign, compare it with an addressed mailing that can focus on a defined list. For a postcard option that uses a customer-provided mailing list, see postcard printing and mailing with a mailing list.
Choose an EDDM workflow that fits the campaign
EDDM Retail is a more self-managed workflow for qualifying mailings handled through USPS retail procedures. EDDM BMEU uses a Business Mail Entry Unit and typically involves permit and mail-preparation steps.
Choose between EDDM Retail and BMEU by comparing the applicable USPS entry process, mailing volume, drop-off logistics, and preparation responsibilities. The postage method alone does not tell you how much work your team will need to do.
EDDM suits broad delivery across selected routes. An addressed direct mail campaign is a better fit when your plan depends on named recipients or individual-level list criteria, because its mailing list lets you select specific addresses.
Before artwork and production are finalized, align route selection, mailpiece format, and the intended USPS entry process. A decision about the entry workflow can affect the paperwork, bundling, and handoffs needed later.
Decide how much of the process to manage yourself
With a print-only approach, plan to handle the remaining mailing steps yourself, including route paperwork, bundling, postage, and delivery to USPS. The EDDM Full-service option covers printing the cards, bundling them, completing documentation, and sending them to the Post Office with postage included; the customer provides the artwork. Its listed price is $318.01.
EDDM Print only prints and bundles the cards, then ships them to you so you can complete the remaining mailing steps. For teams with the time and mailing expertise to manage USPS preparation and delivery, this option costs $183.94.
For any full-service proposal, ask who is responsible for each handoff:
- Route selection and delivery-count review
- Artwork and design checks
- Bundling and USPS documentation
- Postage, entry location, and delivery to the Post Office
- Schedule updates and communication about changes
Have the responsibilities and handoffs stated clearly so a printing figure is not mistaken for the complete cost of a mailed campaign. For more details about the full-service mailer process, review the EDDM full-service mailer information.
Choose support according to the time and mailing knowledge available in-house, as well as the operational work the campaign requires. We work to consider each individual request and help you compare practical, cost-effective options.
Compare the complete campaign cost
Compare proposals using the same quantity, routes, mailpiece specifications, and service scope. Separate printing, postage, preparation, documentation, and delivery costs wherever those items apply.
Calculate total campaign cost against the planned route delivery count, not just the printing or postage line. This gives you a consistent way to compare the cost of the full route coverage you intend to purchase.
Consider whether the broader coverage of selected routes fits your campaign better than a smaller addressed mailing focused on a defined audience. For real estate campaigns, compare route boundaries with the neighborhoods an agent or brokerage intends to reach instead of treating all nearby routes as equally useful.
For real estate agents and brokerages, Full-service Real Estate EDDM combines postcard printing, bundling, USPS paperwork, postage, and delivery to the Post Office; customers provide artwork and choose routes. The package costs $318.01.
Prepare, test, and improve the mailing
Confirm that the mailpiece meets the applicable EDDM size, weight, and eligibility rules before approving artwork or production. EDDM designs also need the right mailing indicia and address panel for the selected workflow.
Plan route-specific documentation and carrier-route bundling according to the USPS entry process. These preparation steps differ from ordinary addressed mail, so assign them before the cards are printed.
When practical, begin with a limited set of routes and compare responses by geography before expanding. Use route-specific response information to revise the route choices, offer, or creative.
Set expectations for the full schedule, from route decisions and artwork approval through printing, preparation, and USPS entry. Communicate changes that could affect the schedule, and distinguish the date mail enters USPS from the date it reaches households.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can EDDM include business addresses as well as residential addresses?
Yes. EDDM route choices can be set for residential addresses, business addresses, or both, depending on the mailing configuration. The piece remains unaddressed and is delivered across the selected address group.
What happens if a selected carrier route changes after a campaign has been planned?
Have the route boundaries and delivery count reviewed again before authorizing production. A change can affect the piece quantity and the bundles or paperwork prepared for USPS entry.
How should I compare results from an EDDM test across different routes?
Use a distinct response code, landing page, or phone number for each route so inquiries can be associated with the geography that received the offer. Keep the offer and creative consistent during the route comparison when geography is the factor you want to evaluate.
Can an EDDM mailpiece include a coupon or other response device?
Yes. A postcard can present a coupon, QR code, or another response instruction as part of its design. Make the redemption terms readable and leave the required mailing area clear.
What artwork file should I prepare for an EDDM order?
Prepare artwork according to the requirements for the mailpiece and the selected workflow.
Can I track an EDDM piece to an individual mailbox?
No. EDDM is unaddressed, and individual pieces are not traceable after USPS receives the mailing. Plan measurement around route-level responses rather than recipient-by-recipient delivery tracking.
What are the EDDM mailing restrictions?
EDDM reaches addresses across selected carrier routes rather than named recipients, so you cannot target individual households from a mailing list. Mailpieces must meet USPS size, weight, eligibility, indicia, and address-panel requirements, and they must be prepared according to the chosen entry process.
Conclusion
EDDM Mailings: Route Selection and Full-Service Planning works best when route boundaries, delivery counts, audience, and USPS workflow all support the same campaign goal. Compare full-service and print-only responsibilities alongside the complete cost, prepare the mailpiece for its entry process, and use a manageable test to guide the next route decision.
