How to set up the indicia and mailing panel for EDDM
EDDM Retail uses an indicia in place of a stamp and 'Local Postal Customer' instead of a person's address. Here is exactly how the panel should be laid out.
This page is for anyone designing an EDDM Retail piece who is not sure how the back of the card should be laid out. By the end you will know what an EDDM indicia is, where it goes, what text replaces the recipient address, and the details that cause a post office clerk to hand the bundle back.
The short answer: indicia, not stamp. "Local Postal Customer", not a person's name
EDDM Retail mailpieces do not use a stamp and they do not carry an individual recipient address. The upper right of the mailing panel carries a block of printed text called an indicia (the postal markings that tell USPS the postage has been paid). In place of "John Smith, 123 Main St", the recipient line reads "Local Postal Customer" or "Residential Customer".
That is the entire difference between an EDDM panel and a regular postcard.
If your design has a stamp box or an address line for a real person, it is not set up for EDDM. The mailing panel must say "Local Postal Customer" or "Residential Customer" and use the EDDM Retail indicia in the upper right.
What the EDDM Retail indicia looks like
The EDDM Retail indicia is a small block of text — usually five lines — printed in black ink on the mailing panel. It is not a graphic or a barcode. The standard wording is:
PRSRT STD
ECRWSS
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
EDDM RETAIL
EDDM2GO supplies the correct indicia on every piece we print, so you do not need to design one yourself. If you are sending us a print-ready file, leave a clear area in the upper right corner of the mailing panel for the indicia to sit.
One note on the abbreviations: PRSRT STD means "Presorted Standard" (the USPS mail class EDDM rides on) and ECRWSS means "Enhanced Carrier Route Walk Sequence Saturation" — saturation mail going to every door on a carrier route (the USPS delivery path one mail carrier walks). You do not need to memorize either; you just need them on the panel.
Where the indicia goes on the mailpiece
The indicia sits in the upper right corner of the mailing panel side — the same place a stamp would go on a regular postcard. The mailing panel is whichever side USPS reads to deliver the piece; on a typical postcard it is the back, opposite the marketing artwork. Keep at least 0.125" of clear space around the indicia. Do not place artwork or text under or beside it, and print it in solid black on a white or very light background.
The mailing panel: dimensions and required elements
The mailing panel is the half (or third) of the back of the piece USPS uses to handle it. It needs three things and nothing else: the indicia, the "Local Postal Customer" recipient line, and the return address. Marketing copy belongs on the other side or in the non-panel half of the back.
| Zone | What goes here | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Upper right | EDDM Retail indicia (5-line text block) | Yes |
| Center / left | "Local Postal Customer" recipient block | Yes |
| Upper left | Return address (your business name and address) | Yes |
| Lower portion | Clear space — USPS may apply markings here | Leave open |
Plan the mailing panel to take up roughly the right half of the back of the piece on a 6.5" × 9" or 6.5" × 11" postcard, or roughly the right third on larger formats like 8.5" × 11" or 9" × 12". See the EDDM size guidelines for which sizes USPS will accept in the first place.
The "Local Postal Customer" line
The recipient area carries one short block of text — not a name, not a street address. The most common wording is "Local Postal Customer". "Residential Customer" is also accepted, and some mailers use "Postal Customer" alone. All three are fine; pick one and keep it consistent across the run. Set the type in a clean sans-serif at 10–14 pt, left-aligned, with enough white space that a clerk can read it from arm's length.
Do not add a city, state, or ZIP under the recipient line. EDDM is delivered route-by-route, not address-by-address, so a ZIP there is unnecessary and can confuse handling.
Return address placement and rules
Put the return address in the upper left of the mailing panel. Include your business name and a real, deliverable address — USPS uses this to return any pieces that cannot be delivered. Keep the type smaller than the recipient line, usually 8–10 pt. A P.O. box is fine if you accept that returns will go there; pair it with a street address if you want returns physically back. Logos in the return area are fine as long as they do not crowd the indicia.
What you do NOT need on EDDM
Three things customers often try to add that are wrong for EDDM Retail:
- A stamp or stamp box. The indicia replaces the stamp. There is no postage affixed.
- An individual recipient address. No name, no street, no ZIP under "Local Postal Customer".
- An IMb barcode. The Intelligent Mail barcode is for automated bulk mail (BMEU and First-Class presort). EDDM Retail does not use it. For more on the EDDM Retail vs. BMEU split, see our EDDM quote page.
Leaving these off is not an oversight — they are actively wrong on an EDDM Retail piece.
Mistakes that get pieces rejected at the post office
A handful of recurring errors cause a clerk to refuse the bundle:
- Wrong indicia text. Using "First-Class" or "Standard Mail" wording instead of the EDDM Retail block. The line "EDDM RETAIL" is what tells the clerk how to process the mailing.
- Indicia in the wrong corner. Anywhere other than upper right reads as a regular postcard.
- Artwork bleeding into the indicia. Photos, color blocks, or QR codes touching the indicia make it unreadable.
- A real address on the recipient line. If even one piece has a person's name and address, the clerk may pull the bundle to check.
- Piece does not qualify as a flat. If the dimensions are wrong the mailing fails before the panel is even checked. See the EDDM design guidelines for the dimensional checklist.
- Wrong bundling. The post office processes EDDM by bundle, not by piece — review the bundling and facing slips guide before drop-off.
Most panel-side errors trace back to using a template built for regular postcards. If your designer is starting from one, walk through this page with them before they send a proof.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put my logo or branding on the mailing panel side?
Yes, as long as it does not crowd the three required zones. Many EDDM pieces carry the business name and logo on the mailing panel side alongside the indicia and return address. Keep the bulk of the marketing copy on the other side.
Do I need to print the indicia myself if I am designing the file?
No. EDDM2GO adds the correct indicia at print time on every EDDM Retail order we fulfill. Leave a clear space roughly 1.5" wide by 1" tall in the upper right of the mailing panel and we will drop it in. If you do include the indicia in your file, send a proof for review first.
Can I use "Postal Patron" instead of "Local Postal Customer"?
"Postal Patron" is older wording and is technically still accepted, but most current EDDM mailings use "Local Postal Customer" or "Residential Customer". We recommend one of the latter two for consistency with how USPS publishes EDDM templates today.
What if my piece is folded?
Folded pieces still need one designated mailing panel — the panel that will be face-up when the piece is bundled. Confirm with your designer which panel that is before sending the file, and verify the folded dimensions still qualify per the EDDM size guidelines.
Ready to print an EDDM piece with the panel done right
The fastest way to skip indicia confusion is to let us handle the back of the piece. When you order EDDM Retail through EDDM2GO, we apply the correct indicia, verify the recipient line, and confirm the return address before the file goes to press. Get a quote on the EDDM order page, or call us at (713) 300-0687 and we will walk through your artwork with you.