Disclosure: this post contains an affiliate link to Local Template Store Fortune. If you buy through it, OfferNova may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Product details come from the vendor's public sales page. Size and weight limits come from published printer guides and can change, so confirm them with USPS before you print.
Picture this: you spend an evening in Canva building a good-looking 4x6 postcard for your business, order 2,000 copies, and take them to the Post Office as an Every Door Direct Mail job. Then you learn the piece does not qualify. Printer guides describe this as one of the most common EDDM mistakes, and it is completely avoidable if you check a few numbers first.
Quick answer: To mail as EDDM, your postcard has to qualify as a USPS "flat," which rules out standard 4x6 and 5x7 cards. Commonly used qualifying sizes run from about 6.25x9 up to the 12x15 maximum. Beyond size, you need the correct indicia and address area, readable design and a way to measure results.
This guide is a pre-print checklist for EDDM postcards. It covers sizes, what to design around, the mistakes that waste money, and a related option for people who want to sell postcard designs to local businesses.
EDDM postcard sizes: what qualifies
EDDM Retail pieces must mail as flats rather than letters. Printer guides summarize the limits as a maximum of 12 inches high by 15 inches long, up to 0.75 inch thick and 3.3 ounces per piece. Below is how common sizes fall in those guides.
| Postcard size (inches) | EDDM status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 x 6 | Does not qualify | Standard postcard size |
| 5 x 7 | Does not qualify | Too small on both sides |
| 6.25 x 9 | Qualifies | Often cited as the smallest common EDDM size and among the cheapest to print |
| 6.5 x 9 or 6.5 x 11 | Qualifies | Popular middle sizes |
| 8.5 x 11 | Qualifies | Letter size, more room for text and photos |
| 9 x 12 | Qualifies | Large format, often used for co-op cards |
| 12 x 15 | Qualifies (maximum) | Anything bigger becomes a much costlier mail class |
Printer sources phrase the exact minimum in slightly different ways, so treat this table as a guide, not a rule. The safest habit is to choose the size inside the USPS EDDM tool and use your printer's own template for that size. Postage is a flat per-piece amount regardless of size (see our breakdown of EDDM postage and total costs), so a larger card mainly changes your printing bill.
Design around the mailing rules first
It is much easier to design inside the rules than to fix a finished file. Printer guides for EDDM commonly ask for the following:
- An EDDM indicia on the address side, printed where the template puts it. Live stamps are not used.
- Generic recipient wording such as "Postal Customer," never individual names.
- A clear address area. Do not run graphics or text through the space reserved for the indicia and barcoding.
- Print-ready files at 300 DPI at final size, with safe margins for trimming.
- Stock thick enough to mail, commonly 14pt or 16pt cardstock.
Placement details differ slightly between printer guides. Follow the template your printer supplies for EDDM rather than copying measurements from a blog post, including this one.
Design the message second, and keep it simple
A household usually glances at a postcard for a few seconds before deciding what to do with it. A card that tries to say everything says nothing memorably.
- One offer. A single, specific reason to act beats three vague ones.
- One call to action. A phone number or a short web address people can read at a glance.
- Legible type. Keep body copy large enough to read at arm's length.
- Something to measure. A dedicated phone number, promo code or landing page tells you which mailing produced which response.
Six mistakes that waste EDDM budgets
- Designing at 4x6. This is the classic error; the card does not qualify.
- Covering the indicia area. A piece missing required markings can be turned away.
- Skipping a printed proof. Screens hide color shifts and cut-off text.
- Cramming in offers. Readers skip cluttered cards.
- Not tracking. Without a code or unique number you will not know what worked.
- Choosing routes by guesswork. Look at household counts and who actually lives there before you commit.
Co-op postcards and the people who design them
One way to lower the cost per business is a co-op (shared) postcard, where several non-competing local businesses each buy a panel on the same card. Someone has to design those panels, and small businesses often prefer to buy a ready design than to make one. That gap is where template sellers operate.
Where Local Template Store Fortune fits
Local Template Store Fortune is a done-for-you WordPress store built to sell editable Canva templates to local businesses. It is not a pack of postcards for your own business. I have not run it, so everything below comes from the vendor's official sales page.
What the vendor says is included
- A WordPress store with WooCommerce, product pages, categories and delivery links already set up, installed from backup files for two common migration plugins.
- 2,500+ editable Canva templates across 30 local niches, including restaurant, dentist, plumber, HVAC, roofing, real estate, auto repair, cleaning service and pest control.
- About 85 templates per niche, covering social images, stories, flyers, coupons, referral cards, loyalty cards, review request cards and co-op postcards.
- 350 seasonal promotion templates as a bonus.
- Step-by-step training, an editable promo video template and social media images.
- A 30-day money-back guarantee.
What to check before you buy
- Postcard dimensions. The page does not state the sizes of the postcard templates. Compare the previews with the size rules above before you print anything.
- Rights. The front-end access is described as creating unlimited websites for your own business. The vendor says commercial rights for selling sites as a service come with an upgrade.
- Costs outside the box. You need your own domain and WordPress hosting, and printing or mailing is separate.
- Optional upsells. The page lists a design-prompt app bump and other one-time offers. None are required to run the store, according to the vendor.
- Results. The vendor's own disclaimer says outcomes vary and nothing is guaranteed. You still have to find buyers.
The listed regular price is $97. The page shows $37 in most places and $27 in one section, and it lists the code LTSFORTUNE for $2 off. Confirm the final amount at checkout.
See What Is Included in Local Template Store Fortune →
Who this is for, and who should skip it
It may suit you if you already work with local businesses, or want to, and prefer to offer ready-made designs rather than custom projects.
Skip it if you only need one postcard for your own company. Use your printer's EDDM template, or Canva with the correct size. Skip it too if you are not ready to set up hosting and a WordPress store, or if you expect sales to arrive without outreach. For a different local-business offer that starts from a demo instead of a template, see our guide on landing restaurant website clients.
Frequently asked questions
What size is an EDDM postcard?
It must qualify as a flat. Printer guides list 6.25x9 as a common smallest size and 12x15 as the maximum, with weight and thickness limits as well. Confirm the current rules with USPS.
Can I use a 4x6 postcard for EDDM?
Printer guides say no. A 4x6 card is a standard postcard and does not qualify for EDDM Retail pricing.
Do I need a permit?
Not for EDDM Retail. Larger mailings through BMEU need a permit and an annual fee, as described in our cost guide.
What paper thickness should I use?
Printers commonly use 14pt or 16pt cardstock for EDDM postcards. Ask your printer which stock they recommend for your size.
How many postcards do I have to send?
Published guides cite a 200-piece minimum per ZIP Code and a cap of 5,000 per ZIP per day for Retail. The USPS tool shows current limits.
Can several businesses share one card?
Yes. Co-op postcards divide one print run among several advertisers. The organizer should confirm mailing dates and refund terms in writing.
Final thoughts
Check the size rule before you open a design tool, use your printer's EDDM template for the indicia, and keep the message to one offer. If designing postcards for other businesses appeals to you, you can View Local Template Store Fortune Details and compare it with building a template library yourself.
Disclosure: OfferNova may earn a commission if you purchase through the links in this article, at no additional cost to you. Product details were taken from the vendor's public sales page and size rules from printer guides at the time of writing, and may change. This article is not legal or financial advice, and no income or results are guaranteed.
