Why routes
EDDM pieces carry no names or addresses, only "Postal Customer". The carrier puts one in every mailbox on the route. That's why the postage is low: USPS doesn't sort your mail to individual addresses, because it's already in delivery order for that route.
The three route types
The EDDM tool sorts routes into three types:
| Route type | Who delivers it | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| City | A USPS city carrier | Typical in towns and suburbs |
| Rural/Highway | A USPS carrier or a contract carrier | Typical outside town centers, often spread out |
| PO Box | Into Post Office boxes | Personal and business boxes, not doors |
You can include or exclude each type before you choose.
Routes come whole
The Retail tool won't let you add part of a route. If a route has 640 addresses and you only want the 200 nearest your shop, you mail 640 or skip it.
That's the main trade-off of EDDM against an addressed mailing list. A list lets you choose individual homes. EDDM gives you every home on a route, at a much lower postage price.
How big is a route?
It varies a lot. The tool shows each route's residential, business and total counts, so you'll know before you add it. Two things to keep in mind:
- A Retail order tops out at 5,000 pieces, unless one route alone has more than 5,000 delivery points.
- Retail is limited to 5,000 pieces per day per ZIP Code. A big area may need to go over several days.
Residential only
Every route can be mailed to all addresses ("Postal Customer") or to homes only ("Residential Customer"). In the tool, choose Residential only under delivery type and the counts change to homes only. Your printed address line has to match.
What is an EDDM route?
A USPS carrier route, the set of addresses one carrier delivers to. EDDM mails every address on the routes you select.
Can I pick specific streets?
No. Routes come whole in EDDM Retail.
What's the difference between City and Rural/Highway routes?
City routes are delivered by USPS city carriers. Rural and highway routes are delivered by USPS or contract carriers, usually over a wider area.
Should I include PO Box routes?
Only if you want to reach box holders. Those pieces go into Post Office boxes, not to doors.