- 1,000 EDDM cards run about $129.76 base, both sides, 6.5×9, roughly $0.13 per card in print only.
- EDDM print price never includes USPS postage; budget carton shipping and postage at drop-off as separate lines.
- 500 cards cost $98.43 while 2,500 cost $235.68, so the per-card price drops from $0.20 to $0.09 as the route count grows.
This guide covers Every Door Direct Mail postcard orders on 55printing.com: size, sides, quantity, and how print cost sits next to USPS postage. Prices below are base print figures for 6.5″ x 9″ cards, full color both sides, standard turnaround, checked July 2026. Carton shipping and USPS EDDM postage are both separate from these numbers.
What EDDM is, and what it is not
EDDM saturates every address on a carrier route without a named mailing list; you pay print, hand cartons to the Post Office, then pay USPS postage separately. 6.5×9 is the common workhorse size at $129.76 base for 1,000 both-sides, holding a real offer and map without letter-size print costs.
EDDM lets you reach every delivery point on a carrier route without buying a named mailing list. You pay for print, hand the cartons to the Post Office, then pay USPS EDDM postage at drop-off. It is not a targeted list of named homeowners. If you need to reach specific patients or customers by name, a regular postcard mailer is the better fit.
6.5″ x 9″ is the common EDDM workhorse size because it holds a real offer, a map, and the required markings without pushing print cost up to letter-size rates. Larger sheets such as 8.5″ x 11″ cost more at the same quantity and rarely add enough response to justify the jump on a route mailer.
Quantity table to check your own quote
| Quantity | 6.5×9, both sides | Approx. per card |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | $98.43 | $0.20 |
| 1,000 | $129.76 | $0.13 |
| 2,500 | $235.68 | $0.09 |
Those figures cover print only. Add carton shipping, then USPS EDDM postage for the routes you select. Postage often matches or exceeds the print cost once more than one route is involved.
Both sides almost always wins for EDDM
A saturation mailer needs a clear front offer and a back with hours, a map, a QR code, or required markings. Front-only saves a small amount and usually wastes the route entirely, since the reader only gets one shot at the message before the card gets set aside. Full color both sides is the default choice for clinics, restaurants, and open houses running this kind of drop.
Scenario: a clinic covering one ZIP route
A walk-in clinic manager wants to reach every household on one carrier route ahead of flu season. The 1,000 tier at $129.76 base covers the route with a small buffer for spoilage and a few office samples. An outreach coordinator handling three routes for a bigger multi-site clinic instead orders the 2,500 tier at $235.68 and splits the cartons by route before the Post Office drop. Both plans pull the delivery-point count from the USPS EDDM tool first, so the print order matches the real route size instead of a rounded guess.
One-route clinic
A walk-in clinic covering one carrier route ahead of flu season orders the 1,000 tier at $129.76 base with a small buffer for spoilage.
Multi-route outreach
A multi-site clinic covering three routes orders the 2,500 tier at $235.68 and splits cartons by route before the Post Office drop.
Route math before you click order
Pull the routes in the USPS EDDM tool before you place a print order. Note the delivery-point count for each route and order a small overage, a few percent, not a second full route just in case. If the offer ties to a fixed date like a flu clinic or open house, work backward from that date through standard production plus ground shipping to your drop Post Office.
A common planning mistake is ordering print quantity to match a rough guess of household count instead of the actual delivery-point number the USPS tool reports. Those two numbers rarely match exactly, and ordering short means a second small print run at a worse per-card price just to finish one route.
Code hotprintsusa-10-off-for-copies is scoped to eligible color copies products on 55printing.com and does not apply to EDDM postcards. Use the deals hub for any EDDM-specific code once we verify one.
Pull the exact delivery-point count from the USPS EDDM tool before you order print. Rounding your print quantity to a guess instead of the tool’s real number is the most common reason people run short at the counter.
Turnaround without paying for panic
Standard production is the money-saving default for EDDM. Rush print only makes sense when the USPS drop appointment is already booked and the calendar is genuinely tight. Buying rush with two weeks of slack left on the calendar is money spent for no real benefit.
Book the USPS drop appointment early, since some post offices only accept EDDM drops on certain days of the week. Once that appointment date is locked, count backward through carton shipping time and standard print production to find the real order deadline, then add one extra day of buffer.
Artwork checklist for a route mailer
- Include a clear offer, who you are, and how to respond in one glance
- Leave room for the required EDDM indicia and address panel
- Keep the phone number or QR code large enough to read at arm’s length
- Export a single print-ready PDF with bleed if color runs to the edge
Pick your route size and quantity, then see the live print total before you check out.
FAQ
Do I need a mailing permit for EDDM?
Many small businesses use EDDM Retail without a full permit, but rules can shift. Confirm the current USPS EDDM retail rules for your specific drop before you print.
Can I address some cards by name and leave the rest blank?
No. EDDM saturation is route-based, not a mixed named list. If part of the plan needs named mail, run that portion as a separate standard postcard order.
What belongs on the front versus the back?
The front carries the offer and who you are. The back holds hours, a map, a QR code, and any required EDDM markings. Crowding every inch with five fonts kills response either way.
Does the color copies coupon work here if I try it?
It should not apply, since the code is restricted to eligible color copies line items in the store rules. Check the receipt closely if a discount shows up anyway.
How do I estimate postage before I commit to a print quantity?
Pull the exact delivery-point count for your chosen routes in the USPS EDDM tool, then check current EDDM Retail postage rates for that count before you finalize the print order.
Where can I see more detailed cost math?
See the companion page EDDM postcard printing cost for a fuller quantity table and per-card breakdown.
