With direct mail's impact on ROI and marketing campaigns, it is no surprise that companies take advantage of Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) to target specific geographic locations.

While EDDM was initially developed for small businesses as an affordable way to increase brand exposure in their local area, the effectiveness EDDM has, on top of how cheap it is, has been a game changer for all industries and company sizes.

However, there are two types of EDDM: EDDM Retail and EDDM BMEU.

It can be confusing when it comes to the differences between EDDM Retail and EDDM BMEU, but we will clarify it all for you below!

EDDM Retail vs BMEU

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a USPS service designed to reach customers by geographic location, with two distinct entry options: EDDM Retail and BMEU (Business Mail Entry Unit). EDDM Retail is ideal for small businesses and local campaigns, allowing mailing up to 5,000 pieces per day per ZIP code. This option doesn't require a postage permit and offers a simplified process. On the other hand, BMEU is suitable for larger volume mailings. It does require a bulk mail postage permit but allows for greater mailing quantities. Mailing through a Business Mail Entry Unit, BMEU offers more control, making it suitable for businesses with larger, more frequent mailings.

There are some key differences between EDDM Retail and BMEU, which we will review in more detail below. However, the similarities between EDDM Retail and EDDM BMEU include the following:

• EDDM Retail postage and BMEU rates are much lower than other direct mail options.
• No mailing list is required.
• ECRWSS must be in the address area or within or below the EDDM permit indicia.
• Mail pieces must be bundled with an EDDM-facing slip.
• You must mail at least 200 mail pieces.
• Both EDDM Retail and BMEU take advantage of the USPS EDDM mapping tool and target specific mailing routes.

EDDM – Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU)

When entered at the Post Office, EDDM BMEU (Business Mail Entry Unit) is called Every Door Direct Mail.

Note: To clear up any confusion, EDDM and BMEU are not mutually exclusive. BMEU is a type of EDDM that differs from the EDDM Retail service, and we will go into the differences and benefits of each.

With Every Door Direct Mail BMEU, you must have a bulk mail postal permit, which means you need to obtain a postage permit specific to your Post Office location or use an Every Door Direct Mail company, like Kingston Printing, who can mail your pieces under their postal permit.

Some key differences EDDM BMEU has when compared to EDDM Retail include:

Weight Limit - The weight per mail piece for BMEU can't exceed 15.994 ounces. However, this can vary based on the class of mail/processing category.

Mail Classes Accepted - Marketing Mail Flats, Letters, folded EDDM mailers, and bound printed matter flats like catalogs or magazines.

Maximum Piece Count - There is no limit to how many pieces of mail you can send, making EDDM BMEU ideal for larger companies.

Entry Office/Location - You or your EDDM provider submits your mail at the business mail entry unit where the permit is held.

Permits and Fees –For BMEU, you must have an active USPS mail permit unless you go through an EDDM company who allows you to use theirs.

Ideal For – EDDM BMEU is ideal for larger businesses, any business that mails frequently, or businesses looking to mail to a large area, including multiple ZIP Codes.

EDDM BMEU Indicia Requirements – The EDDM indicia must include your bulk mail permit.

The main benefit of using EDDM BMEU primarily comes down to the size of your project. If you are mailing to many routes with multiple post offices, EDDM Retail would require you to drop your mail pieces for each route at each post office that serves each route, which can be very time-consuming.

EDDM Retail

For EDDM Retail, a postage permit is not required. However, the USPS guidelines limit you from sending out 5,000 mailers per ZIP code per day while requiring you to bundle all EDDM mailers into stacks of 100 with your EDDM retail facing slip, or mailing slip, on top when dropping them off at each Post Office.

Some key differences EDDM Retail has when compared to EDDM BMEU include:

Weight Limit - The weight per mail piece for EDDM Retail cannot exceed 3.3 ounces and must be at least .0007" thick.

Mail Classes Accepted - Marketing Mail flats only.

Maximum Piece Count - For EDDM Retail, the maximum number of mail pieces you can send daily is 5,000 per ZIP code.

Entry Office/Location - You submit your mail at the local post office or offices that serve the neighborhoods you are mailing to.

Permits and Fees – For EDDM Retail, no postage permit or mailing fees are required.

Ideal For – EDDM Retail is ideal for small businesses.

EDDM Retail Indicia Requirements – For EDDM Retail, each mail piece must have an Every Door Direct Mail Retail indicia which is labeled "EDDM Retail."

Ultimately, the main benefit of EDDM Retail is that no permit or mailing fees are required, so it's ideal for small businesses that don't mail frequently since there is a limit to how many mail pieces you can send. On the other hand, with EDDM BMEU, you can go through an EDDM company that allows you to use their mailing permit, so in the end, it's all about the EDDM size, mailer type, and how many addresses or ZIP codes you'd like to reach within one day that will determine whether you should use EDDM Retail or BMEU.

So, What Exactly is EDDM and What are The Benefits of EDDM?

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a direct mail advertising service that can be significantly cheaper than traditional bulk mailing methods. You can use an EDDM mapping tool like the USPS EDDM mapping tool to select certain mailing routes and target specific audiences based on household size, age, income, and ZIP code.

Using the EDDM tool, you can select carrier routes that will best target your customers and prospects. While there are USPS regulations on the EDDM sizes, weight, and design of EDDM mail pieces—including the EDDM indicia size and EDDM dimensions for mailing information—most EDDM companies will provide you with a list of EDDM eligible sizes, dimensions, and mailer types as well as will ensure you choose the right paper and will be able to advise you every step of the way. For more details, check out the USPS EDDM quick reference guide to ensure your EDDM printing specs meet the requirements. You can also use ask your printer for an EDDM design template to ensure your EDDM mailers meet USPS regulations.

Benefits of EDDM, including Retail and BMEU, include the ability to distribute mail pieces to a large audience without needing a mailing list and for a fraction of the cost of other bulk mailing options like Standard and First-Class postage. The Post Office provides these discounts for Every Door Direct Mail because mail pieces are grouped by mail routes (instead of direct specific addresses) and don't have to be sorted and handled individually. Plus, you or your EDDM provider handles the sorting and grouping, so there is even less work for the Post Office.

How Businesses Use EDDM

While any company that does widespread mailings in specific areas can benefit from the discounted postage rates of Every Door Direct Mail, some types of businesses can get a better return on investment from EDDM. Some companies that can benefit from EDDM mailing are:

Small Local Businesses

Small businesses that cater to a specific local geographic area can easily market themselves to all their current and potential customers at a significantly cheaper rate when using EDDM.

Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofits not only see extra savings with the EDDM nonprofit rate but also see an increase in donations and gain more supporters when taking advantage of Every Door Direct Mail.

Retail Stores

Retail companies can blanket their customer base and increase brand awareness with coupons and offers that allow them to easily track results using barcodes, coupon codes, QR codes, etc., that can be integrated into the EDDM mail piece.

Restaurants

EDDM mailings are an affordable and successful restaurant marketing strategy that can be used to send coupons and special information offered at both franchise and chain restaurants as well as local eateries.

Car Dealerships and Other Automotive Companies

Car dealerships, repair shops, and car washes effectively use EDDM mailing to target local ZIP codes to promote their car inventory, specials, service deals, and coupons.

Political Campaigns

One of the best ways to blanket your voting base with your campaign message is through EDDM. You will not only get more for your budget, but you will also be able to target everyone in specific voting areas.

Realtors

Within real estate marketing, geo farming with EDDM is a popular and affordable way to reach a larger audience of potential home buyers or sellers while saturating an area with your real estate brand.

Why Businesses Choose EDDM

Whether you're looking to effectively spread your message and save money with the EDDM BMEU rates or the EDDM Retail price, EDDM is less expensive and an easy way to market to a large audience consisting of your current and future customers.

While the low price, increase in brand visibility, and ease are all attractive factors of EDDM, businesses also use EDDM because when they find the right EDDM company, no special permit is required, no extra fees to pay, and no mailing list is needed. They can print and mail through their EDDM printer without visiting their local Post Office.

EDDM Companies

There are many EDDM companies to choose from that you can go through, including the USPS, which offers its easy-to-use USPS EDDM tool. However, when looking for an EDDM company, if you don't have a permit and want to save time and money by not having to drive to the Post Office, it can be beneficial to go through a print and direct mail provider who offers EDDM services, can print in house, and mail directly from their facility.

When you work with a full-service mail house/EDDM company like Kingston, you don't need to worry about deciding to use EDDM Retail or BMEU. We'll automatically determine the best way to route your EDDM mailers and handle all the mailing paperwork, EDDM printing, and EDDM mailing for you for the quickest and cheapest Every Door Direct Mail campaign.

EDDM Can boost Your Business Marketing Strategy

Whether your mailing goes through EDDM Retail or BMEU, Every Door Direct Mail marketing is an effective and affordable way to increase sales and make customers and prospects aware of your brand.

See the benefits of EDDM for yourself and get started on your Every Door Direct Mail campaign today. From helping you decide the best mailing routes and audience to target to printing and mailing your mail pieces for you, we have everything you need to launch an effective EDDM campaign.