Part 1. Price and fees
§ 143.1.1
Price
The price is set in Notice 123. EDDM Retail flats can't be mailed at nonprofit prices.
Note. One price for everyone, $0.260 a piece today. Nonprofits pay the same as businesses here.
§ 143.1.2
Fees and services
There are no annual presort or mailing fees. Ancillary service endorsements aren't allowed.
Note. No yearly fee to use Retail. Don't print "Return Service Requested" or similar lines on the piece.
Part 2. Eligibility
§ 143.2.1
Description of service
EDDM Retail flats are USPS Marketing Mail and follow its standards, except where simplified addressing changes things. Marketing Mail may be deferred, and delivery within a set time isn't guaranteed.
Note. Your mail travels as advertising mail. Don't plan an event that depends on it arriving on a particular day.
§ 143.2.2
Inspection
Pieces aren't sealed against postal inspection. Mailing at EDDM Retail prices is consent to inspection.
Note. USPS can open a piece to check it qualifies.
§ 143.2.3
Forwarding and return
No forwarding or return service.
Note. Undeliverable pieces don't come back. USPS disposes of them.
§ 143.2.4
Extra services
No extra services.
Note. No tracking, certified mail or insurance.
§ 143.2.5
Weight and size
No more than 3.3 ounces, and longer than 10.5 inches, or taller than 6.125 inches, or thicker than 0.25 inch. General flat limits in DMM 101 also apply.
Note. See size rules.
§ 143.2.5
Saturation and addressing
Each mailing is a saturation flats mailing, every piece with a simplified address.
Note. "Postal Customer" or "Residential Customer", to every address on the route.
§ 143.2.5
Volume
At least 200 pieces or 50 pounds, and no more than 5,000 pieces per day per 5-digit ZIP Code. A mailing to every address in a ZIP Code with fewer than 200 deliverable addresses may be smaller.
Note. The small-ZIP exception is narrow: it means the whole ZIP Code, not a few routes.
§ 143.2.5
Entry
All pieces are entered at the designated Post Office serving the routes and PO Box sections.
Note. Take it to the Post Office that delivers those routes, not your nearest one.
§ 143.2.5
Address quality
EDDM Retail isn't subject to ZIP Code accuracy or Move Update standards.
Note. No list, so no list-hygiene rules.
Part 3. Content
§ 143.3.1
General
Contents are mailable matter not required to go First-Class and not authorized as Periodicals.
Note. Advertising, not correspondence.
§ 143.3.2
Personal information
No personal information.
Note. Nothing about a specific person.
§ 143.3.3
Bills
No bills or statements of account.
Note. Invoices must go First-Class.
§ 143.3.4
Handwritten matter
No handwritten or typewritten matter.
Note. No handwritten notes or typed letters. If your design imitates handwriting, ask your Post Office whether it qualifies.
§ 143.3.5
Attachments
No First-Class enclosures or attachments. Labels, stickers, release cards and repositionable notes are allowed under their own rules. Other Marketing Mail attachments need a host piece at least 0.009 inch thick, a secure attachment no larger than the host, and the same attachment in the same place on every piece.
Note. A sticky note or a sticker is fine if you follow the rules. Every piece must match.
Part 4. Preparation (DMM 145)
§ 145.1.1
Presenting the mail
Bundle the pieces and present them directly to the correct delivery Post Office or delivery unit, or mail them there by Priority Mail.
Note. Drop it off, or ship it to the Postmaster.
§ 145.1.2
Quantity
At least 200 pieces (or 50 pounds), and no more than 5,000 per day at any one Post Office. Where one Post Office serves several ZIP Codes, the cap is 5,000 per 5-digit ZIP Code.
Note. Same limits as 143, from the Post Office's side.
§ 145.1.3
Sorting and bundling
Separate pieces by delivery route or PO Box section using the EDDM online tool's delivery statistics. Bundle in 50 to 100 pieces. Put a facing slip on top of each bundle, under the straps, with the piece count written on it.
Note. One route per bundle. Count, strap, slip, write the number.
Questions
Where are the official EDDM rules?
In the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, section 143 (prices, eligibility and content) and section 145 (preparation), with the price in Notice 123.
Can EDDM pieces have a sticker or a sticky note?
Yes, under the attachment rules in 143.3.5. Every piece must carry the same one in the same place.
Does EDDM require a mailing list or address hygiene?
No. EDDM Retail isn't subject to ZIP Code accuracy or Move Update standards.