Start a direct mail campaign

Should I use EDDM or my own mailing list?

Use EDDM when you want everyone in an area and do not have — or need — names. Use addressed mail when you already know who you want to reach, and you have their addresses. EDDM is cheaper per piece and needs no list; addressed mail costs more per piece and goes only to the people you name.

The practical difference

EDDM reaches every address in the neighborhoods you select — USPS calls them carrier routes. You choose places, not people.
Addressed mail reaches exactly the recipients on the list you upload, wherever they are.
EDDM postage is lower per piece. Addressed mail carries the cost of the list and the addressing.
EDDM cannot be personalised to a named recipient. USPS requires simplified addressing on these mailings.

USPS requirement

EDDM uses simplified addressing — "Postal Customer" rather than a name. Personal information may not be included on an EDDM Retail mailpiece, so a named, one-to-one piece has to be addressed mail.

You can do both

Businesses often run EDDM to build recognition across an area, and addressed mail to talk to existing customers differently. They are separate orders with separate artwork, and there is no rule against running them at the same time.