What happens between the print shop and the post office

EDDM Retail mail has to be sorted by carrier route, bundled in stacks of 50 to 100, and topped with a facing slip. Here is the full prep workflow in plain English.

This page is for anyone with freshly printed EDDM postcards wondering what comes next. By the end you will know how to sort by carrier route, how big each bundle should be, what a facing slip is, which USPS form to fill out, and where to drop it off.

The short answer: how EDDM mail is prepped after print

EDDM Retail mail leaves the print shop ready for the counter: sorted by carrier route (the delivery path one mail carrier walks), bundled in groups of 50 to 100 pieces, with a facing slip rubber-banded on top of each bundle, plus a completed PS Form 3587 for the clerk. Then it gets dropped at the destination post office that serves those routes.

That is the entire workflow. Skip any one step and the clerk will hand it back.

Step-by-step: from printed pieces to USPS counter

Here is the order of operations once your printed pieces arrive.

Confirm the route list with the piece count for each route.
Separate the stack by route. Three routes means three sub-stacks.
Bundle each route in groups of 50 to 100. A 240-piece route becomes three bundles: 100 + 100 + 40.
Rubber-band each bundle with two bands in an X-pattern.
Place a facing slip on top of each bundle.
Fill out PS Form 3587 — one form per mailing, listing total pieces and total postage.
Drive to the destination post office — the office that serves your selected routes, not your nearest one.
Pay at the retail counter. Cash, debit, or business check.

Problems usually happen at step 3 (bundle sizes), step 5 (missing facing slip), or step 7 (wrong post office). The rest is mechanical.

Bundle sizes: 50 to 100 per bundle, and why

USPS requires EDDM Retail bundles to contain between 50 and 100 mailpieces. The reason is physical: 50 is the minimum that holds together with rubber bands, and 100 is the maximum a carrier can comfortably pull from a tray and walk with.

Rule of thumb: Bundles must be 50 to 100 pieces. A 200-piece stack will be rejected at the counter. A 240-piece route is three bundles (100 + 100 + 40), not one big stack.

One short bundle per route is allowed — just note the piece count on its facing slip. Do not pad a short bundle with pieces from another route. Each bundle belongs to one route, period.

Route separation: every route gets its own bundle stack

Each carrier walks one route per day, and each route gets its own bundles. If you selected four routes, your finished mailing has four separate stacks, never mixed.

Two routes with 600 pieces each is twelve bundles total (six per route). One mega-stack of 1,200 pieces, even with identical artwork, is not a valid EDDM mailing. The clerk sorts by route from the facing slips, and if the slips do not match the stacks, the mail goes back in your trunk.

The facing slip: what it is, what goes on it, where to get it

A facing slip is a single printed page that sits on top of each bundle. It tells the clerk and carrier which route the bundle belongs to and how many pieces are inside. USPS provides the official template.

Each facing slip lists:

Mailer name and contact info
Destination ZIP code
Carrier route ID (for example, C001 or R012)
Piece count in that specific bundle
Mailpiece weight class (typically USPS Marketing Mail Flats)
Date line

You can download blank facing slips from USPS or print them from the EDDM tool on usps.com. EDDM2GO generates and prints these for you on full-service orders. For what goes on the printed piece itself before any prep starts, see the EDDM indicia and mailing panel guide.

Drop-off paperwork: PS Form 3587 in plain English

PS Form 3587 is the single payment form for the whole mailing — one form, not one per bundle. It captures total piece count, total postage owed, and your contact info. You fill in:

Your name, business name, address, and phone
Total piece count across all bundles
Per-piece postage rate (currently $0.247 for EDDM Retail Marketing Flats)
Total amount due
Your signature

The clerk verifies, stamps it, and you pay at the counter. Keep your copy as the receipt for the mailing.

Drop-off location: destination post office vs. anywhere

EDDM Retail must be dropped at the destination post office — the specific office that delivers the routes you selected. You cannot drop at the office near your business unless that office happens to serve the routes you bought.

Look up which office serves a route on usps.com, or check your route list. In larger metros, adjacent ZIPs may be served by different offices, which means multiple drop-offs. For high-volume mailings where you want lower postage and a centralized drop, see EDDM Retail vs. BMEU — BMEU drops at a regional facility with different bundling rules.

DIY vs. full-service: a clear comparison

Most people who try DIY EDDM once never do it again. Not because it is impossible — but because the time cost is higher than expected.

Step	DIY EDDM	EDDM2GO Full-Service
Select carrier routes	You, on usps.com	You pick on our map; we confirm
Print the pieces	You or your printer	EDDM2GO (4over fulfillment)
Count and separate by route	You	EDDM2GO
Bundle in 50 to 100 stacks	You	EDDM2GO
Print and attach facing slips	You	EDDM2GO
Fill out PS Form 3587	You	EDDM2GO
Drop at destination post office	You	EDDM2GO
Handle counter rejections	You drive back and refix	EDDM2GO reworks and redrops

When DIY makes sense: one or two routes, the destination post office is on your normal drive, and your time costs less than the service fee. DIY is genuinely cheaper if those three things line up.

When full-service makes sense: three or more routes (multiple drop-offs), no post office on your route, or your time bills higher than what the service fee saves. Most agencies and multi-route campaigns end up here.

Common bundling mistakes that delay the mailing

The clerk has seen all of these. Avoiding them keeps the mailing moving.

Bundles over 100 pieces. Automatic rejection. Re-bundle on the spot or take it home.
Bundles under 50 pieces (other than the short bundle per route). Often rejected.
Mixing routes in one bundle. Even one stray piece invalidates the bundle.
Missing facing slip. The clerk cannot verify route or piece count without it.
Wrong destination post office. They will not accept mail for a route they do not deliver.
Wrong indicia on the piece itself. Check the indicia requirements before you print.
Loose rubber bands. If the bundle falls apart in transport, the route may not deliver.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bundle in groups of 25 to make smaller stacks?

No. The USPS minimum is 50 pieces per bundle, except for one short bundle per route. Smaller bundles will be rejected.

Do I need a facing slip for the short bundle too?

Yes. Every bundle gets its own facing slip, including the short one. Note the actual piece count on that slip.

What if my mailing covers routes from two different post offices?

You make two drop-offs, one at each office, with the bundles for that office only. EDDM2GO handles multi-office drops on full-service orders.

How long does the prep take if I do it myself?

Plan on roughly one hour per 1,000 pieces for sorting, bundling, and facing slips, plus drive time. A 5,000-piece DIY mailing across two routes is usually a half-day project end to end.

Can I drop EDDM mail in a blue collection box?

No. EDDM Retail has to be handed to a clerk at the destination post office retail counter, with PS Form 3587 and payment. Collection boxes are for stamped mail only.

Get the prep handled for you

If the workflow above sounds like one too many steps, that is the case for full-service. EDDM2GO prints, sorts, bundles, slips, and drops your mailing at the right post office — you confirm routes and artwork, and the rest happens for you. Start a quote on the EDDM order page, review the size guidelines pillar if you are still picking a format, or call us at (713) 300-0687 and we will walk through your route count to figure out whether DIY or full-service fits your mailing.