If you’ve recently been by a Post Office, or watched a USPS commercial, you’ve probably heard about the new bulk mail program called Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM).

New from the USPS, EDDM is a way for a business to send a mailing piece to all mailing addresses in a particular geographic area for a low cost — 14.5 cents each — and without the need for a list of mailing addresses, or expensive permits.

There are some rules of course.  And since the program is young and the rules are subject to revision, you should visit the USPS EDDM  site to review them firsthand.  Essentially, the USPS EDDM requirements involve quantity, size, layout, selecting from a map and forms.

Here are the EDDM rules:

• EDDM quantity:  for the EDDM Retail program, you’ll need at least 200 pieces , but no more than 5000, in a single day’s mailing.  You can deliver this size of mailing to the front counter at the Post Office in the neighborhood you’re trying to reach.  (Larger mailings can be delivered to a USPS Business Mail Entry Unit.)
• EDDM size requirement: your mailing piece must be rectangular and weigh no more than 3.3 oz. It must be larger than 6-1/8″ in height, OR 11-1/2″ in length, OR more than 1/4″ thick.  But it can be no larger than 12″Hx15″L; or more than 3/4″ thick.
• EDDM layout: the address area needs to located on the top half of the mailing piece.  In this area, you’ll need to print an EDDM Retail postage indicia and a mailing label that includes the phrase:  Local Postal Customer.  There is no name or address added.
• EDDM maps: you’ll need to use the USPS EDDM map site to pick the neighborhoods where your mail should go.  You can choose to exclude business and/or PO boxes from your mailing.
• EDDM forms: the same site that helps you map your mail’s route will also provide you the mailing forms you’ll need to take with your mailing to the Post Office.  And you’ll also receive facing slips that you’ll attach to bundles of your mailing pieces.

So there are several benefits of EDDM:

• low-cost postage
• no mailing list to purchase
• no expensive bulk mail permit; and no complicated mail sorting

With EDDM,  local businesses now have a way of sending their messages into their communities in a way that is cheaper and easier than standard bulk mail.

Although the regular postcard magnet mailers we produce at magnetbyMail are too small for the USPS EDDM program, we can customize a mailer that fits your size and budget.  Be sure to use our magnetbyMail contact form to ask for a custom quote for your EDDM project.