Step-by-step guide
EDDM bundling and facing slips, step by step
Your EDDM pieces are printed. Before USPS takes them, they need to be sorted by carrier route, bundled in 50 to 100, topped with a facing slip and dropped at the right Post Office with PS Form 3587. Here is each step, with the USPS source for every rule.
The rules in one list
- One route per bundle. Pieces are separated by carrier route.
- 50 to 100 pieces per bundle, and no taller than 6 inches.
- A facing slip on top of every bundle, under the straps, with that bundle's piece count.
- PS Form 3587 goes with the mailing.
- The Post Office that serves your routes takes the mailing, or you ship it there by Priority Mail.
- 200 pieces minimum per mailing, 5,000 maximum per ZIP code per day.
Sources: usps.com EDDM and USPS Domestic Mail Manual 145. These steps are for EDDM Retail, the version with no permit. Back to the EDDM guide.
How to prepare an EDDM mailing in 9 steps
Have your printed pieces, your route list and a box of straps ready. Each step links the USPS page it comes from.
Step 1: Place your order in the USPS EDDM online tool
Select the same carrier routes you printed for, pick a drop-off date and choose to pay online or at the Post Office. The tool fills in your paperwork and tells you which Post Office takes the mailing.
- Pick the same routes, and the same delivery type (residential only or every address), that your piece count was based on.
- Choose a drop-off date. USPS lets you pick a date up to 30 days ahead.
- Pay online by card, or choose to pay at the Post Office by cash, card or check when you drop off.
Source: usps.com EDDM, USPS EDDM user guide
Step 2: Print your forms
From the order confirmation page, print the Retail Post Office listing, PS Form 3587 and the facing slips. The tool prints one facing slip per route, so make enough copies for every bundle on that route.
- Retail Post Office listing: which Post Office takes which routes, its address and hours, and how many pieces go to each.
- PS Form 3587: the postage statement, with the carrier route details on the back.
- Facing slips: printed one per route. Every bundle needs its own, so copy each route's slip once per bundle.
Source: USPS EDDM user guide, PS Form 3587
Step 3: Separate the pieces by carrier route
Count out the pieces for each route into its own stack. Never mix two routes in one bundle.
- Use the route counts from your order. Each route gets its own stack.
- Keep each route's stack labeled until its facing slips are on.
Source: DMM 145
Step 4: Make bundles of 50 to 100 pieces, no taller than 6 inches
Split each route's stack into bundles of 50 to 100 pieces. No bundle can be taller than 6 inches. Divide evenly so no bundle ends up under 50.
- Example: a route with 640 homes is 5 bundles of 100 plus 2 bundles of 70. Six bundles of 100 would leave a bundle of 40, which is under the minimum.
- Thick pieces can reach 6 inches before 100. If a stack of 100 is too tall, make smaller bundles.
Source: usps.com EDDM, DMM 145
Step 5: Fill in a facing slip for every bundle
Write the number of pieces in that bundle on its facing slip, check the ZIP code and route number, and list any Do Not Deliver addresses.
- The USPS slip has: 5-digit ZIP code and route number (both required), delivery type, date, pieces in this bundle, total bundles, company name and Post Office of mailing.
- If someone on the route asked not to get your mail, write their address in the Do Not Deliver column.
- No USPS order? The blank USPS facing slip PDF has the same fields to fill in by hand.
Source: USPS facing slip, usps.com EDDM
Step 6: Put the slip on top and strap the bundle
Lay the facing slip on top of the bundle and strap it, with the slip under the straps. Strap once around the length and once around the width, tight enough that the bundle holds together.
- USPS rules put the facing slip on top of each bundle, under the straps.
- USPS bundle standards for flats call for straps that cross, around both the length and the width, tight enough to press the edges. Loose straps let a bundle come apart.
Source: DMM 145, DMM 203.4.5
Step 7: Check PS Form 3587
Make sure the postage statement matches the bundles: the same routes and the same piece counts. If you have not paid online, bring payment.
- The carrier route details go on the back of the form.
- Postage is paid per piece at the EDDM Retail rate. See the current rate on our postage page.
Source: PS Form 3587, usps.com EDDM
Step 8: Drop off at the Post Office that serves your routes
Take the bundles and PS Form 3587 to the Post Office that delivers your routes, not just the closest one. If your routes are served by more than one Post Office, each one gets its own drop.
- Your order summary and the Retail Post Office listing name the right Post Office.
- A mailing is at least 200 pieces, and at most 5,000 pieces per 5-digit ZIP code per day.
Source: usps.com EDDM, DMM 145
Step 9: Or ship it by Priority Mail to the Postmaster
If you can't get to that Post Office, pack the bundles in Priority Mail boxes addressed to Postmaster at that office. Box 1 holds an envelope with a sample piece, payment for postage, PS Form 3587 and the Postmaster instruction letter.
- Mark each box "Every Door Direct Mail - Retail" and "Open Immediately", and number them 1 of X, 2 of X and so on.
- If you have not paid online, a check or money order made out to "Postmaster" or "Postal Service" covers EDDM postage only, with your phone number on the front. Priority Mail shipping is paid separately.
- Each box needs its own USPS Tracking label.
Source: DMM 146, Postmaster letter
Mistakes that hold up a mailing
USPS can turn away a mailing that doesn't meet its standards. These are the ones to check before you leave for the Post Office.
| Mistake | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Bundles over 100 or under 50 pieces | Divide each route evenly so every bundle lands between 50 and 100. |
| Two routes in one bundle | One bundle holds one route. Keep the stacks apart from the start. |
| One facing slip per route instead of per bundle | The tool prints one per route. Copy it so every bundle has its own. |
| No piece count on the slip | Write the number of pieces in that bundle, not the route total. |
| Wrong Post Office | Go to the office named on your order, which serves the routes. Your nearest office may not. |
| Counts that don't match | The pieces, the slips and PS Form 3587 should all show the same numbers. |
| Over the daily limit | Retail takes up to 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per day. Split bigger mailings across days. |
Problems often start before bundling, with a piece that isn't a USPS flat or a missing indicia. Check your size against the EDDM size rules and your file with the free EDDM file checker.
Who does the bundling
Full Service
You skip every step on this page. We print, bundle by carrier route, add the facing slips, prepare the USPS paperwork and deliver the mailing to USPS. Postage is in your price as its own line.
EDDM mailing servicesPrint Only
We print and ship the pieces to you. Choose bundling in 50s or 100s when you order and the pieces arrive banded, ready for your facing slips. You do steps 1, 2, 5, 7 and 8 (or 9).
EDDM printingUSPS sources and forms
USPS sets these rules and can change them. Check them here before you mail.
- Every Door Direct Mail on usps.com
The USPS page with the bundling, facing slip, payment and drop-off steps.
- EDDM Retail facing slip (PDF)
The blank USPS facing slip, if you need to fill one in by hand.
- PS Form 3587, EDDM Retail postage statement (PDF)
The form that goes to the Post Office with every Retail mailing.
- DMM 145: EDDM Retail mail preparation
The mailing standard for route separation, bundle size and facing slips.
- DMM 146: entering EDDM Retail by Priority Mail
How to ship a mailing to the Postmaster, and what goes in Box 1.
- DMM 203: bundle standards
How bundles of flats are strapped.
- USPS EDDM online tool user guide (PDF)
Ordering, drop-off dates and printing your forms, with screenshots.
- Postmaster instruction letter (PDF)
Goes in Box 1 when you ship the mailing by Priority Mail.
Rules checked against these USPS pages on October 31, 2026. EDDM2GO is an independent company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Postal Service. Every Door Direct Mail and EDDM are USPS trademarks.
EDDM bundling questions
How many pieces go in an EDDM bundle?
50 to 100 pieces, and no bundle taller than 6 inches. Each bundle holds pieces for one carrier route only. If a route's count doesn't divide into 100s, split it evenly so no bundle is under 50.
What is an EDDM facing slip?
A USPS form that sits on top of each bundle, under the straps. It shows the ZIP code, the carrier route number, the delivery type, the number of pieces in that bundle and any Do Not Deliver addresses. The USPS EDDM online tool prints them with your order, and a blank version is on usps.com.
Do I need a facing slip on every bundle?
Yes. USPS asks for a facing slip on top of every bundle, with that bundle's piece count written on it. The online tool prints one slip per route, so make a copy for each bundle on the route.
Where do I get EDDM facing slips?
If you place your order in the USPS EDDM online tool, print them from the order confirmation page. They come filled in with your ZIP code and route. USPS also publishes a blank EDDM Retail facing slip PDF.
Can I use rubber bands?
The EDDM rules say the facing slip goes under the straps, and USPS bundle standards for flats call for straps that cross around the length and width, pulled tight. Ask the Post Office taking your mailing what it accepts before you band thousands of pieces.
Which Post Office do I drop EDDM at?
The one that delivers your carrier routes. Your USPS order summary names it. If your routes are split across more than one Post Office, each gets its own drop. You can also ship the mailing to that Post Office by Priority Mail, addressed to the Postmaster.
Does EDDM2GO do the bundling for me?
On Full Service, yes. We print, bundle by carrier route, add the facing slips, prepare the USPS paperwork and deliver the mailing to USPS. On Print Only, you can choose bundling in 50s or 100s when you order, and you add the facing slips and take the mailing to the Post Office.
Rather skip the bundling?
Pick your routes on the map. Full Service prints, bundles, adds the facing slips and delivers the mailing to USPS, with postage on its own line.