Postcards or door hangers: cost per home compared
Two pieces, one job
Both pieces put your offer in front of a household. A postcard arrives in the mailbox through USPS, and a door hanger arrives on the doorknob because someone carried it there.
That difference in delivery is what changes the cost. Printing is close between them, but the way each one reaches the door is not.
Printing prices side by side
Our 6.5″ × 9″ EDDM postcard costs $379 for 2,500 and $889 for 10,000. A 4.25″ × 11″ door hanger costs $409 for 2,500 and $1,089 for 10,000, and the smaller 3.5″ × 8.5″ hanger is $389 for 2,500.
So per piece, a hanger costs a few cents more to print. The die cut and the heavier cover stock it needs to hang in the weather account for most of that gap.
Delivery: postage against legwork
A postcard sent by EDDM carries postage for every home at the current USPS rate. That is often the biggest line in the whole campaign, so check today's rate before you compare.
A door hanger has no postage at all. Instead you pay in time, whether it is your crew walking routes on a slow afternoon or a paid team. Never put hangers or flyers inside a mailbox, because only USPS mail may go there.
When door hangers cost less
Hangers win when the homes are close together and you already have people nearby. A lawn service working a street can hang the whole block in an hour at almost no extra cost.
They also win on attention. A hanger on the door is seen the moment someone gets home, and it has room for a tear-off coupon. See sizes and prices on our door hanger page.
When postcards cost less
Postcards win when the area is too big to walk or your team is busy with paying work. USPS reaches thousands of homes in a day, and rural or gated streets are no harder than any other.
They also scale without hiring. Once you know a route works, mailing it again is one order and one trip to the post office. Compare EDDM sizes on our EDDM page.
Designing each piece
A door hanger has two tall sides and a die-cut hole at the top. Put the offer and phone number on the front, and use the back for services, a map or a tear-off coupon.
A postcard has one side for the message and one for the mailing panel, where USPS needs clear space. Our designers lay out either piece for $89, with a proof before printing.
Timing, weather and routes
Hangers are at the mercy of the weather and the crew's schedule, so plan a dry day and a route someone can finish. Postcards reach the door on the carrier's normal round, rain or shine.
Both pieces work best when they arrive close to the moment people need you. Spring for lawn care, the week after a storm for roofers, and the start of school for tutors are classic examples.
Finding out which one worked
Print a different offer or code on each piece, then ask every caller which one they have. After one round you will know your own cost per new customer for hangers and for postcards.
That figure is worth more than any general rule, because your streets, prices and customers are your own. Write it down after every run so the next decision is quick.
The mix many owners settle on
A common plan is hangers on the streets around a job or the shop, and EDDM postcards to the routes further out. The neighbors you can see get the personal touch, and the wider area still hears from you.
Run the numbers for both with our break-even calculator before you commit a big budget to either.
Get a price for both
Call 512-573-1977 with your area and how many homes it covers. Corey can price both options on the same call, so you can compare the real totals side by side.
Questions
Do door hangers need postage?
No. They are hand delivered, so the only costs are printing, shipping and the time to hang them.
Can I put a door hanger in a mailbox?
No. Only USPS mail may go in a mailbox. Hang it on the door handle instead.
How many door hangers can one person hang?
It depends on how close the houses are and how hilly the streets are. Time your first outing and use that pace to plan the rest of the run.
Which is cheaper per home, a postcard or a door hanger?
Per piece printed, the postcard is slightly cheaper. Per home reached, the hanger often wins on streets you can walk, because it carries no postage.
