Guide
What direct mail costs — and how to calculate ROI.
Direct mail pricing has three components: postage, print, and design (plus list cost if targeted). Knowing each piece lets you size a campaign realistically and calculate the response rate you'd need to break even.
The per-piece breakdown (2026)
Postage. EDDM Retail ~21¢ · EDDM BMEU ~19¢ · First-Class presorted addressed ~56¢ · Marketing Mail (standard class) addressed ~33¢.
Print. 6–15¢ per piece on heavy gloss stock depending on size and quantity. Smaller postcards and higher quantities drive the lowest unit cost.
List (targeted only). 8–20¢ per name from consumer/business list brokers. Your own customer list is free.
Design. One-time cost amortized across the campaign — usually a few hundred dollars for a one-off piece, less per drop if you reuse the design across multiple mailings.
Typical all-in totals
Solo EDDM, 5,000 pieces: $1,400–$2,200 ($0.28–$0.44 per piece).
Shared group EDDM, 5,000 pieces (one of nine businesses): $499 first / $699 standard per business (~$0.10 per household reached for your panel).
Targeted addressed mail, 5,000 pieces: $3,500–$6,000 ($0.70–$1.20 per piece).
Calculating breakeven response
Total cost ÷ (average customer value × close rate) = number of responses you need to break even. For a $499 group mailer with a $200 average new-customer value at 100% close (one visit pays back), breakeven is roughly 2.5 customers — a 0.05% response rate. For a $2,000 solo mailer with the same $200 customer, breakeven is 10 customers (0.2% response). Most well-designed local mailers run 0.5–2% gross response.
Where most campaigns leave money on the table
One drop. Direct mail rewards repetition — a single mailer to a household rarely converts, but four to six mailers to the same household over 6–12 months compound into measurable recall. Budget for the campaign, not the postcard.
Frequently asked questions
How much does direct mail cost per piece?+
EDDM runs roughly 28–45¢ per piece all-in (postage + print + design amortized). First-Class targeted addressed mail runs roughly 70¢–$1.20 per piece all-in. Shared group EDDM mailers can drop the effective cost per business to around 10¢ per household reached.
What's the cheapest way to do direct mail?+
A shared group EDDM mailer where multiple non-competing businesses split the cost of a single piece. The per-business cost lands at around 10¢ per household reached versus 28–45¢ for a solo EDDM mailer.
How do I calculate ROI on a direct mail campaign?+
Track responses with a unique phone number, QR code, promo code, or landing page. Calculate: (revenue from tracked responses − total mailer cost) ÷ total mailer cost. For most local services, breakeven runs at a 0.5–2% response rate depending on average ticket and lifetime value.
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