How long EDDM takes depends on three things: the production speed you choose when you order, how fast your artwork and proof are approved, and the carrier route's USPS delivery schedule. USPS does not guarantee EDDM delivery dates. So the reliable way to plan an EDDM delivery timeline is backwards from your event, with a buffer at every step.
Why There Is No Fixed EDDM Delivery Time
An EDDM mailing goes through two sets of hands. We control printing and preparation, and you pick how fast that runs when you order: each product page shows the production speeds available for your size and quantity. USPS controls the last part. Once the bundles are accepted at the Post Office that serves your routes, carriers deliver them on the route's normal schedule, and USPS does not promise a specific day.
That split is why you will not see a day count here. Anyone who quotes a fixed "order to mailbox" number is guessing about the USPS half. What you can do is plan so that the uncertain part has room.
Plan Backwards From Your Event, Step by Step
Start with the date that matters and walk back through each step. Write a target date next to each one.
- Your event or offer date. The grand opening, the sale weekend, the open house. This is the date the piece has to be in homes before, not on.
- The in-home window. Decide how early you want people to have the piece. For an event, most mailers want it in homes with time to plan around it, not the day before. Leave extra room, because the exact delivery day is set by the route's USPS schedule.
- The Post Office drop. Full Service mail is delivered to the Post Office that serves each route. The drop has to happen before your in-home window opens, with a margin for the USPS side.
- Production. Printing and bundling run on the production speed you choose at checkout. Faster options exist for most sizes; the product page shows them with their prices.
- Proof approval. Nothing prints until you approve your proof. A proof that sits unapproved stops the whole schedule.
- Artwork ready. Your print-ready file, or the brief for our design service ($125 flat), is the real starting line.
Rule of thumb: put your biggest buffer between the Post Office drop and your event. It is the one step nobody can speed up for you.
What Speeds an EDDM Campaign Up
Most delays happen before anything prints. These are the parts you control:
- Send a print-ready file. Right size, 0.125 inch bleed, text inside the safe area, 300 DPI images. Run it through the free EDDM file checker first so problems surface before you order.
- Approve the proof quickly. You approve a proof before anything prints, and a person reviews every order. Check the proof the day it arrives.
- Settle your routes early. Pick routes on the route map before artwork is final, so the quantity is known and the order is not waiting on a routing decision.
- Choose the production speed that fits your date. If your date is tight, compare the faster options on the product page rather than hoping standard production is quick enough.
Print Only Adds Shipping and Your Own Prep Time
With Print Only, we print and ship the pieces to you. Then you bundle them by carrier route in stacks of 50 to 100, attach a facing slip to each bundle, fill in PS Form 3587 and take everything to the Post Office that serves your routes (USPS EDDM requirements). That adds two steps to the timeline: transit time to your door, and the hours you spend preparing the mail. If your event date is close, those two steps are the reason to choose Full Service, where we deliver the bundled mail to the Post Office ourselves.
A Planning Checklist
- Event date written down, and the in-home window you want before it.
- Routes chosen and quantity known.
- Artwork print-ready and checked, or design brief sent.
- Production speed chosen at checkout to fit the drop date you need.
- Someone available to approve the proof as soon as it arrives.
- Your offer valid long enough to cover a late delivery day. An expiry date right after the event leaves no room for the USPS schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does EDDM take to deliver?
It depends on the production speed you choose and on the USPS schedule for your routes. USPS does not guarantee EDDM delivery dates, so plan with a buffer rather than an exact day.
Can I pick the exact day my postcards arrive?
No. You control when the mail reaches the Post Office; USPS carriers deliver it on their route schedule after that. Build your offer so a day or two either way does not matter.
Can I track EDDM pieces?
No. EDDM pieces are addressed to "Postal Customer" and carry no individual tracking. The practical way to see results is a tracking tool on the piece itself: a dedicated phone number, a QR code or an offer code.
Is faster production available?
For most sizes, yes. The production speeds and their prices are shown on each product page when you order. Faster production shortens our part only; it does not change the USPS delivery schedule.
Ready to plan backwards from your date? See the homes on your routes and the price, free, on the route map, or read what Full Service handles for you. Questions? Call (346) 306-EDDM (3336).
