How Much Does an EDDM Campaign Cost? Real Numbers for 2,500–25,000 Pieces

If you're budgeting an Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) campaign, this is the page with the actual numbers. We'll cover what 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, and 25,000 pieces typically cost all-in — printing, postage, and the small handling fee for full-service drop-off — plus what changes the total and where you can trim without hurting response.

Quick answer: typical all-in EDDM cost by quantity

For a standard 6.5"×9" or 6.5"×11" postcard mailed through full-service EDDM, expect to spend roughly:

• 2,500 pieces: about $1,442–$1,742 all-in (around 58–70¢ per piece).
• 5,000 pieces: about $2,560–$3,035 all-in (around 51–61¢ per piece).
• 10,000 pieces: about $4,670–$5,395 all-in (around 47–54¢ per piece).
• 25,000 pieces: about $10,575–$11,775 all-in (around 42–47¢ per piece).

Postage alone — at the current USPS EDDM Retail rate of $0.247 per piece — accounts for the largest share. Print drops sharply as quantity goes up, which is why per-piece cost falls from the high 60s to the low 40s as you scale.

Rule of thumb: Budget about 50¢/piece all-in for a typical 5,000-piece EDDM campaign. That's printing, postage, and full-service handling. Bigger runs drop toward 45¢; smaller runs trend toward 65¢.

The three line items: print, postage, mailing service

Every EDDM quote has the same three components. Once you understand them, no quote should feel like a black box.

1. Print. The cost to produce the postcards — paper, ink, cutting, packing. Driven by quantity, size, and paper choice.
2. Postage. USPS charges $0.247 per piece for EDDM Retail flats. This is pass-through. What USPS publishes is what you pay.
3. Mailing service (full-service handling fee). The cost for us to bundle by carrier route, apply facing slips, fill out USPS forms, and drop the mailing at the destination post office.

Keeping these as separate line items on your invoice makes it obvious where the money is going — and where it isn't going.

Print cost ranges by quantity and size

Print is the line item with the most variation. Bigger sizes cost more per piece; bigger quantities cost less per piece. Here's the typical range for full-color, two-sided 14pt postcards on gloss or matte stock.

Quantity	6.5" × 9"	6.5" × 11"	8.5" × 11"	9" × 12"
2,500	$750–$900	$825–$1,000	$950–$1,150	$1,050–$1,275
5,000	$1,200–$1,400	$1,300–$1,550	$1,500–$1,750	$1,700–$1,950
10,000	$2,000–$2,300	$2,200–$2,500	$2,500–$2,900	$2,800–$3,200
25,000	$4,000–$4,500	$4,300–$4,800	$4,800–$5,400	$5,300–$5,950

For the full breakdown of which sizes qualify and how each affects print cost, see EDDM postcard sizes that qualify.

Postage: $0.247 per piece, flat

EDDM Retail postage is $0.247 per piece. That's the published USPS rate for EDDM Retail USPS Marketing Flats. It does not change with size (as long as the piece qualifies as a flat) and it does not change with quantity. Five hundred pieces or fifty thousand pieces — same per-piece postage.

Math is simple: multiply quantity by $0.247. A 5,000-piece campaign is $1,235 in postage. A 10,000-piece campaign is $2,470. We pass this straight through.

EDDM2GO doesn't mark up postage. What USPS charges is what you pay on your invoice. A small handling fee covers the work of bundling and dropping the mail — it's never hidden inside the postage line.

If you want the deeper context on rates and where they came from, see EDDM postage rates explained.

Mailing service / full-service handling fee

The handling fee covers the unglamorous work that USPS requires before they'll accept your mail. For a typical campaign that's $75 to $600 depending on quantity and route count. Specifically, full-service includes:

• Sorting and bundling pieces by carrier route (50–100 pieces per bundle).
• Printing and attaching the USPS facing slip on each bundle.
• Completing the USPS PS Form 3587 (postage statement) for each route.
• Delivering the mailing to the destination post office that serves the selected routes.

You can do this yourself — many small businesses do for their first campaign. After the second one most people decide the handling fee is worth the four to six hours of work saved per drop. Larger campaigns across multiple post offices get more time-consuming quickly.

All-in cost examples: 2,500 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 pieces

Here's the same data combined into one table so you can see where every dollar goes. Ranges reflect different size and paper choices.

Quantity	Typical print	Postage @ $0.247	Mailing service	All-in (approx)	Per piece
2,500	$750–$1,000	$617.50	$75–$125	$1,442–$1,742	$0.58–$0.70
5,000	$1,200–$1,600	$1,235	$125–$200	$2,560–$3,035	$0.51–$0.61
10,000	$2,000–$2,600	$2,470	$200–$325	$4,670–$5,395	$0.47–$0.54
25,000	$4,000–$5,000	$6,175	$400–$600	$10,575–$11,775	$0.42–$0.47

These are illustrative ranges based on standard 14pt full-color postcards. Your configurator total will be exact — paper upgrades, coatings, and turnaround all shift it.

What changes your total cost

Three variables move the needle most. In order of impact:

• Size. A 9"×12" postcard runs 30–40% more in print than a 6.5"×9" at the same quantity. Postage is the same either way, so size only affects the print line — but on smaller quantities that can swing the all-in by 15%.
• Turnaround. Standard print turnaround is 2–4 business days. Rush production (next-day or same-day) typically adds 15–35% to the print cost. If you have a week, you don't need rush.
• Full-service vs. print-only. Skipping full-service saves the $75–$600 handling fee but you take on the bundling, facing slips, USPS paperwork, and drop-off. For a 2,500-piece mailing that's maybe 3 hours of work. For 25,000 across 8 routes, plan on a full day.

Route count matters too — see our EDDM route selection guide for how to scope a campaign without over-mailing.

Hidden costs to watch for

These are the line items that catch people off guard. None of them are scams; they're just easy to miss when you're first budgeting.

• Rush production fees. If you wait until Wednesday to order for a Friday drop, you'll likely pay a rush surcharge. Building in a 7-day buffer eliminates this.
• Design fees. If you don't have print-ready artwork, you'll either pay a designer ($150–$600 for a typical postcard) or use a template. Our team can review templates for free; full design is quoted separately.
• Indicia mistakes that force a reprint. The EDDM Retail indicia is a specific block of text that goes in the upper right of the mailing panel. If it's wrong, USPS rejects the mailing and you reprint. Always have a printer review the indicia before going to press.
• Wrong size selected. Mailing a 6"×9" instead of 6.5"×9" — the 6"×9" doesn't qualify for EDDM. Reprint. See EDDM size guidelines before you finalize artwork.

How to lower cost without lowering response

You can usually trim 10–20% from an EDDM budget without hurting performance. Three levers worth pulling:

• Choose 6.5"×9" instead of 9"×12". The smaller card costs meaningfully less to print and still hits the EDDM size threshold. Response data shows the bigger card lifts 10–20%, so unless your offer needs the real estate, the small card often wins on cost-per-response.
• Pick fewer, better routes. Mailing 5,000 pieces to two well-targeted routes near your business almost always outperforms 5,000 spread across five mediocre ones. Same postage, better response.
• Keep the design simple. One clear offer, one strong image, one call to action. Simple designs print well on standard stock — no need to upgrade to a heavier paper or specialty coating that adds 8–15% to print cost.

Frequently asked questions

Is postage really $0.247 per piece every time?

Yes, for EDDM Retail flats at the current USPS published rate. It's flat regardless of size (as long as the piece qualifies as a flat) and flat regardless of quantity. USPS adjusts published rates annually; the configurator always reflects the live rate.

Can I save money by dropping the mail myself?

Yes — you'll save the $75–$600 handling fee. For a one-route, 2,500-piece campaign that's a fair tradeoff. For anything over 10,000 pieces or more than two routes, the time cost usually outweighs the savings.

What's the cheapest legitimate way to run EDDM?

Mail 2,500 pieces of a 6.5"×9" postcard on standard 14pt stock to one carrier route near your business, and drop it yourself. That's roughly $750–$900 in print plus $617.50 in postage — about $1,367 all-in. It's the lowest realistic price for a real campaign that USPS will accept.

Why does my quote in the configurator look different from these ranges?

The ranges above assume standard 14pt postcards in common sizes. Your quote reflects the exact size, paper, coating, turnaround, and route count you selected. The configurator pulls live print pricing and the current USPS postage rate, so it's always more accurate than a printed range.

Get an exact number for your campaign

The ranges on this page are good for budgeting. For the real number — based on your size, quantity, paper, and routes — run a quote on the EDDM2GO configurator. It takes about two minutes and shows the line items broken out the same way we did here. Or call us at (713) 300-0687 and we'll walk through it with you.