What does ECRWSS mean on my mail?

ECRWSS stands for 'Enhanced Carrier Route Walking Sequence Saturation.' It means the mail piece is being delivered to every address on a postal carrier's route. This is the technical term for EDDM mail.

Why does my mail say 'Postal Customer' instead of my name?

Mail addressed to 'Postal Customer' or 'Resident' is EDDM saturation mail. Advertisers don't need your name or address—they simply pay to have mail delivered to every home in a zip code or carrier route.

How much does EDDM cost advertisers?

EDDM postage rates are heavily discounted, typically around $0.20-0.23 per piece—far less than regular mail. This low cost incentivizes mass mailings and makes saturation advertising economically attractive.

What is EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)?

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a United States Postal Service program launched in 2011 that allows businesses to send advertising mail to every residential and business address along specific postal carrier routes. The program was designed to make direct mail advertising more accessible and affordable for small businesses.

How Does EDDM Work?

Unlike traditional direct mail, EDDM doesn't require advertisers to purchase mailing lists or know individual recipient names. Instead, businesses simply:

Select zip codes or carrier routes they want to target
Print mail pieces that meet USPS size requirements (typically larger than standard letters)
Bundle the pieces and deliver them to their local post office
Pay discounted postage rates (approximately $0.20-0.23 per piece)

The USPS then delivers one piece to every address on the selected routes—whether the resident wants it or not.

What Does ECRWSS Mean?

ECRWSS stands for Enhanced Carrier Route Walking Sequence Saturation. This postal code indicates that the mail piece is:

Part of a saturation mailing (delivered to every address on a route)
Pre-sorted in the order the carrier walks their route
Eligible for the lowest bulk mail rates

When you see "ECRWSS" or "ECRWSS EDDM" printed on mail, it confirms that the piece was sent through the EDDM program to every address in your area.

Why Does My Mail Say "Postal Customer"?

EDDM mail is typically addressed to generic terms rather than your name:

"Postal Customer"
"Resident"
"Current Resident"
"Local Postal Customer"

This generic addressing is the key reason you cannot refuse or return EDDM mail. Since it's not technically addressed to you as an individual, the USPS considers it "unaddressed mail" and will not accept a refusal.

The Scale of the Problem

The USPS processes approximately ~3 Billion EDDM mail pieces annually. When combined with other bulk mail programs, Americans receive over 80 billion pieces of advertising mail each year—the majority of which goes directly into the recycling bin or trash.

Why Was EDDM Created?

The USPS launched EDDM in 2011 primarily for two reasons:

Revenue generation: As first-class mail volume declined due to digital communication, the USPS needed new revenue streams. Advertising mail now represents a significant portion of postal revenue.
Small business accessibility: Traditional direct mail required purchasing mailing lists and managing complex postal regulations. EDDM simplified this for local businesses like restaurants, dentists, and real estate agents.

The Consumer Perspective

While EDDM may benefit some small businesses, it creates significant problems for consumers:

No consent required: Your address is included automatically; you have no say in whether you receive this mail
No opt-out mechanism: Unlike email or phone marketing, there is no registry or preference service for EDDM
Environmental waste: Most EDDM mail is discarded immediately, contributing to paper waste
Time cost: Sorting through unwanted mail takes time from busy households