EDDM® vs. addressed direct mail: which one costs less per customer?
Both put a postcard in the mailbox. EDDM® sends it to every home on the routes you pick. Addressed mail sends it only to the names on a list. The cheaper one per card isn't always the cheaper one per customer, and that is the number that matters.
The short answer
If about 5 in 10 homes or more around you could become customers, EDDM® usually costs less per customer. If your customers are a smaller, specific group, like families with young children, owners of high-value homes or other businesses, mail to a targeted list.
Side by side
| EDDM® | Addressed mail to a list | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets it | Every home (and, if you like, every business) on the carrier routes you pick | Only the names and addresses on your list |
| How you choose | By route, using the homes, income and age on each one | By filters: age, income, children and their ages, home value, new movers, business type and more |
| Cost per card, 5,000 postcards | About $0.54, 8.5 × 11, all-in | Roughly $1, 6 × 11, all-in with the list |
| Postage | About $0.26 a piece, the same for every eligible size | Marketing Mail or First-Class Mail, priced by size and presort |
| Sizes | Large "flats" only, from 6.25 × 9 up (size rules) | Any standard postcard, letter or flat |
| Personal touch | None, addressed to "Postal Customer" | Names, and a different offer for each group if you like |
| Best for | Covering the neighborhoods around your business | Reaching one kind of customer, wherever they live |
Compare the cost per likely customer, not per card
EDDM® costs about half as much per card, but it goes to every home, including the ones that will never buy. A list costs more per card, but every card goes to someone who fits. So the fair comparison is what you pay to reach one home that could actually become a customer.
Move the slider to the share of homes near you that could use what you sell, and see which one comes out ahead:
The two cross at about 5 in 10. Above that, EDDM® wins. Below it, a list usually does. When the numbers are close, EDDM® has a small edge: the homes that don't buy today still see your name, and some of them will tell a neighbor or remember you later.
Which one fits your business
| Business | Who buys | Usually best |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza place or restaurant | Almost every home within a few miles | EDDM® |
| Pest control, landscaping, plumbing | Most houses in the area | EDDM® on routes with mostly houses |
| Dentist, family doctor, gym | Most households nearby, and people who just moved | EDDM®, plus a monthly new movers list |
| Dance, music or tutoring school | Families with children of a certain age | A list filtered by children's ages |
| Custom remodeling, pools, solar | Owners of certain homes, spread across many routes | A list filtered by home value or age of the home |
| Commercial cleaning, accounting, office services | Other businesses | A business list by type and size |
These are starting points, not rules. A remodeler whose ideal homes fill a few whole neighborhoods can use EDDM® on just those routes. Our EDDM® route planner shows the homes, income and age on every route, so you can see how many fit before you decide.
When EDDM® is the better choice
- Your customers live close by and most households could use what you sell.
- You want a big card. EDDM® postage is the same for every eligible size, so the 8.5 × 11 card we recommend costs nothing more to mail. See how much EDDM® costs.
- You want to own a neighborhood. Mailing the same routes again and again makes your name the one people know.
- You don't want to buy or manage a list. No names, no updates, no list cost.
When addressed mail is the better choice
- Your customers are a specific group that a filter can find: an age range, families with children, a home value, a business type.
- Your customers are spread out over a large area, so whole routes would be mostly waste.
- You want new movers. People who just moved are choosing a new dentist, gym or salon, and a monthly new movers list reaches them within weeks of arriving.
- You want names on the card or different offers for different groups, or you are mailing your own customer list.
You can buy a targeted mailing list on our site for $0.15 an address, see the count before you pay, and we print and mail to it for you.
Often the answer is both
The strongest plans we see use EDDM® around the business, mailed every month or two, and add a small addressed mailing for the group EDDM® can't pick out, most often new movers. Whichever you choose, mail the same people more than once. We know from more than 10 years and thousands of mailings that a smaller area mailed several times usually beats a big area mailed once. Our guide on how direct mail works walks through a full campaign.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between EDDM® and direct mail?
EDDM® is a kind of direct mail. With EDDM® the Post Office delivers your card to every home on the carrier routes you pick, with no names or addresses. Addressed direct mail goes only to the names and addresses on a mailing list, such as your own customers or a list you buy.
Is EDDM® cheaper than direct mail?
Per card, yes. An 8.5 × 11 EDDM® postcard costs about $0.54 with printing and postage, while an addressed postcard with a purchased list costs roughly $1. But EDDM® also reaches homes that will never buy, so compare the cost per likely customer, not per card.
When should I use EDDM® instead of a mailing list?
When about 5 in 10 homes or more near you could become customers, EDDM® usually costs less per likely customer. Restaurants, landscapers, pest control and dentists are typical. When your customers are a smaller, specific group, a targeted list usually wins.
Is EDDM® worth it?
It is when your customers live near you and most households could use what you sell. Mail the same routes several times, make one clear offer, and track the calls. If only a small share of homes fit, a targeted list is usually the better buy.
Can I use both EDDM® and a mailing list?
Yes, and many businesses do. A common mix is EDDM® to the routes around your business plus a small monthly mailing to new movers, who are looking for new services and aren't on any route list yet.