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Every
Door Direct Mail (EDDM) for Retail
Richard P.
Weiss, Retail Associate, USPS
Founder, Postal
eCareer Writing Services
www.postalecareer.com
The Postal
Service has recently introduced a new
form of discount rate mailing that may
be entered either at a Retail unit or
through a business mail entry unit
(BMEU). Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)
offers business customers a way to
mail in bulk for only 14 1/2 cents per
piece, without either a permit account
(when mailed at a retail unit) or a
need for address listings. The Postal
Service's online EDDM site offers
mailers an online database that
provides a printout that shows the
total number of delivery points for
each selected carrier route within a
retail acceptance unit.
EDDM
mailers may present a mailing of at
least 200, but no more than 5000
pieces per day per zip code. Mail
pieces for entry as EDDM must fall
within the "Flat" or "Large Envelope"
processing category, except that the
minimum length has been decreased by
an inch from the 11 1/2 inch minimum
that would apply at retail rates. The
minimum height for an EDDM mail piece
is 3 1/2 inches. To qualify as an EDDM
mailing, each mail piece must be over
6 1/8 inches in height, or over 10 1/2
inches in length, or over 1/4 inch in
thickness. Mail pieces must be
bendable (not rigid) and not exceed 12
inches in height, 15 inches in length,
or 3/4 inch in thickness. No piece may
weigh over 3.3 ounces or be thinner
than .007 inches (about three sheets
of paper). Note that weigh limits,
maximum mail volume, forms, and permit
requirements differ for customers
entering their mail at business mail
entry units. The Postal Service
provides more information on mailing
through BMEU units at
www.usps.com/everydoordirectmail.
Once customers choose which
carrier routes to include within their
mailing, as they have selected from
data on the EDDM web site, they
generate several statements and
printouts that they will submit with
their mailing. These documents include
PS Form 3587, a mailing statement that
includes the name of their business
name and phone number, their customer
registration ID (CRID), and
information regarding the number of
pieces and total postage for their
mailing. Page 2 contains a printed
listing of zip code, carrier route,
and number of pieces per route.
Customers will also present a Retail
Post Office Listing Form that provides
the name, address and phone number of
the office of mailing, along with a
breakdown of mail pieces and postage
by carrier route. The Retail associate
must verify that only the carrier
routes appearing on these printouts
appear on facing slips on their
customers' mail bundles. This is the
only way to verify piece counts; a
bundle to carrier routes to those not
listed on these documents constitutes
excess mail not paid for by the
customer.
Customers must bundle
their mail in groups of 50 to 100 with
rubber bands. Each facing slip must
include the piece count per bundle as
well as the associated carrier route,
and other information as listed on the
slip. Retail associates should verify
this preparation as well as the
required markings on each piece. All
EDDM pieces must include the entire
mailing label on the "top" half of the
mail piece. The top of each mail piece
refers to the shorter "width" side
when the piece stands up so its length
is vertical. Orientation of the label
is not important except that when it
is parallel to the top of the piece,
it must not be upside down. In place
of a name and address, the mail should
read, "Local Postal Customer." EDDM
indicia information must include
"PRSRT STD, ECRWSS, US POSTAGE PAID,
EDDM RETAIL." The ECRWSS stands for
"Enhanced Carrier Route Walk Sequence
Saturation." This designation lets
carriers know that the mail for their
routes covers every stop (saturation)
and they can deliver the mail in their
regular line-of-travel (walk
sequence).
For more information
on EDDM, log into
www.usps.com/everydoordirectmail. |
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