Sheet 02
EDDM cost calculator
Enter how many homes you're mailing and what your printer charges. The calculator adds postage and any fees and shows the total next to the cost per home.
| Sheet | 02 of 08 |
|---|---|
| Checked | 2026-11-07 |
| Basis | USPS Notice 123 · DMM |
What goes into the number
An EDDM mailing has three costs, and only one of them is set by USPS.
- Postage. Retail is $0.260 a piece. At a BMEU it's $0.259 to $0.309 depending on where you enter the mail.
- Printing. This is usually the biggest line, and it varies the most. Get a quote for your exact size, paper and quantity.
- Fees. Retail has none. A BMEU mailer pays a $390 annual USPS Marketing Mail fee and a one-time $390 permit imprint application fee.
Things the calculator leaves out: design, delivery to the Post Office, and any service charge if a company handles the mailing for you.
A worked example
Take 2,500 homes and $0.18 a piece for printing.
| Retail | BMEU, entered at the delivery unit | |
|---|---|---|
| Postage | 2,500 x $0.260 = $650.00 | 2,500 x $0.259 = $647.50 |
| Printing | $450.00 | $450.00 |
| Fees (first year) | $0 | $780.00 |
| Total | $1,100.00 | $1,877.50 |
| Per home | $0.44 | $0.75 |
When BMEU pays off
On postage alone, it almost never does. The cheapest BMEU price is one tenth of a cent below Retail. Covering $780 in first-year fees at a tenth of a cent a piece takes 780,000 pieces.
People use a BMEU for other reasons:
- They need more than 5,000 pieces a day in one ZIP Code.
- They want to mail heavier pieces.
- A printer or mail house already holds the permit and enters the mail for them, so the fees are the vendor's.
How much does EDDM cost per piece?
Postage is $0.260 per piece for EDDM Retail as of October 4, 2026. Printing comes on top and depends on size, paper and quantity.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes. A Retail mailing needs at least 200 pieces, unless you're mailing every address in a ZIP Code that has fewer than 200.
Do I pay anything besides postage?
Not to USPS for Retail. BMEU mailers pay the annual mailing fee and the permit application fee.
Does the calculator include tax or shipping?
No. It covers postage, the fees you enter and the printing price you enter.
References
- USPS Notice 123: Price list (effective October 4, 2026)
- Domestic Mail Manual 143: EDDM Retail prices and eligibility
- USPS: Every Door Direct Mail
Checked November 7, 2026. USPS changes prices and rules. The official sources win if they differ from this page.