The postage: fixed and simple
EDDM Retail postage is 26¢ per piece as of July 12, 2026. It was 24.7¢ earlier in the year. USPS adjusts rates each January and July. That rate is the same whether you mail 200 pieces or 5,000. Here are the rules that come with it.
| Rule | Number |
|---|---|
| Postage per piece | $0.26 |
| Minimum per ZIP code | 200 pieces |
| Maximum per ZIP per day | 5,000 pieces |
| Permit required | None (retail) |
| Piece size | "Flat." A 6.25×9 or 6.5×9 postcard qualifies |
The printing: where the range comes from
Printing is the variable. Small runs at a local shop cost more per piece. Big online runs cost less. Real 2026 ranges: 15 to 25¢ a piece for runs under 2,000, down to 8 to 15¢ at 5,000+. Card stock, size, and turnaround time move the number inside those ranges.
Three worked examples
| Mailing | Postage | Print (typical) | All-in DIY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 pieces (one neighborhood) | $260 | $150 to $250 | ~$410 to $510 |
| 5,000 pieces (a few ZIPs) | $1,300 | $400 to $750 | ~$1,700 to $2,050 |
| 20,000 pieces (a whole town) | $5,200 | $1,600 to $3,000 | ~$6,800 to $8,200 |
DIY means you pick routes, do the paperwork, bundle, and drop off. Larger mailings also bump into the 5,000-per-ZIP-per-day cap. A 20,000-piece campaign means multiple ZIPs, multiple days, or a mail-house permit.
DIY vs. all-inclusive services
All-inclusive vendors (they print, do the paperwork, and hand everything to USPS) usually charge 34 to 69¢ per piece total. On a 1,000-piece mailing that's $690 at the top of the range, versus roughly $460 doing it yourself. About $230 saved. What the $230 buys back from you: an afternoon on the USPS map picking routes, filling out the mailing statement, hand-writing a face slip for every bundle of 100, then the drive to the right post office.
That's the honest trade. If you mail once a year, a service is fine. Mail every month and the markup adds up. The DIY math starts winning, because the paperwork is the only real barrier.
The cost nobody itemizes: your hours
A 5,000-piece DIY mailing means roughly 100 bundles, each needing its own face slip. Figure 5 to 7 hours if you're writing slips by hand. Price your own hour and add it to the table above. RouteDrop takes the map, the mailing statement, and every face slip. Counting, rubber bands, and the drive are still yours. Postage and print stay at cost. We make money on the software, not your postcards.
Start free. The face slip generator fills out slips for one route right now, no signup. For the whole job (every route, every form, every slip), get early access.