How to split an EDDM postcard with another business, with free templates
Prices checked October 2026.
Two businesses that serve the same streets can share one EDDM postcard and each pay about half. Each gets half of the front and half of the back, and the mailing panel stays clear for the post office. Pick a partner who does not compete with you, agree on the split in writing, and give each business its own phone number, offer code, and QR code so each can count its own calls. The free blank templates below have the layout ready.
What splitting saves
The price a home goes down as the mailing gets bigger. So two businesses that join forces can reach more homes each, for less than either would pay alone.
| Mailing | Total | Each business pays |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 homes alone, at $0.47 | $1,175 | $1,175 |
| 2,500 homes, split | $1,175 | $587.50 |
| 5,000 homes, split, at $0.44 | $2,200 | $1,100 |
Look at the last row. Each business reaches twice the homes for less than one business pays to mail 2,500 alone. Prices are our full service rates on a 6.25 x 9 card, with printing and postage included. See your own numbers.
Who makes a good partner
The best partner sells to the same homeowners but never takes your customer. A few pairs that work:
- Realtor and mortgage lender. Same homeowner, same moment.
- Lawn care and pest control. Same yards, same season.
- HVAC and plumber. Both get the call when the house has a problem.
- Dentist and orthodontist. Same families, different visit.
- Pizza place and ice cream shop. Friday night, start to finish.
- Gym and smoothie bar, or church and a preschool. Same neighborhood, same people.
Avoid splitting with a business that sells what you sell. The homeowner should never have to choose between the two halves of the card.
How to lay out a shared card
Our templates give each business the same amount of room:
- Front: split down the middle. Business A on the left, Business B on the right.
- Back: the mailing panel sits in the top right and must stay clear. The strip to its left is a shared header, like “Two local businesses, one deal for your street.” Below that, the back splits in half again.
- Each half gets one offer, one phone number, and one QR code. Two offers per business is too many on half a card.
- Pick a bigger card if you can. On 8.5 x 11, each business gets a half that is about as big as a whole small postcard.
Free blank templates
Each PDF has two pages, front and back, with the bleed, trim, and safe zone marked. Open it in Canva, Illustrator, Affinity, or InDesign, put each business’s art in its half, then hide the guides before you export.
| Size | Preview | Template | Each business gets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.25 x 9 in | Front · Back | Download PDF | 4.5 x 6.25 in front, 4.5 x 3.5 in back |
| 8.5 x 11 in | Front · Back | Download PDF | 5.5 x 8.5 in front, 5.5 x 5.75 in back |
| 9 x 12 in | Front · Back | Download PDF | 6 x 9 in front, 6 x 6.25 in back |
Not a designer? Pick a ready-made template for each half and we put them together for you.
Is it allowed?
Yes. The USPS rules for EDDM Retail cover the mailpiece: its size and weight, a mailing of at least 200 pieces, every piece the same, and the postage marking. We found nothing in those rules that limits a card to one advertiser. Shared mailers have gone to every door for years. (USPS Domestic Mail Manual, EDDM Retail)
What matters for a split card:
- Every home gets the same card. You cannot send Business A’s version to some homes and Business B’s to others in one mailing.
- One business places the order. That business pays, and the two of you settle the other half between you.
- Leave the mailing panel clear. We add the postage marking and the “Local Postal Customer” line when we check your file.
Agree on these before you design
- Which routes, how many homes, and which week the cards should land
- Which card size, and who gets the left side
- How you split the cost, and when the other half is paid
- That both businesses approve the proof before it prints
- Offer end dates that give people at least 30 days
- Whether you mail together again, and how often
Put it in a short email both of you reply “agreed” to. It saves a friendship later.
How each business tracks its own calls
Give each half its own phone number, its own offer code, and its own QR code. Then each business can count its own replies without asking the other. If both businesses have a DoorHi account, each can point its QR code at its own lead tracker form link, so every reply lands in the right business’s list.
Questions
Can three or four businesses share one card?
Yes, on a bigger card. A 9 x 12 card fits four quarters on the front. Ask us for a four-way layout. Two businesses is still the sweet spot: each gets enough room for an offer people can read from the mailbox.
Does half a card work as well as a whole card?
Each business gets less room, so the offer has to be clear and strong. In return, each business can afford to mail twice as often or to twice as many homes, and repeat mailings are what build calls.
Who gets the front?
Both. The templates split the front and the back evenly, so nobody gets the “lesser” side.
Can we split the bill with DoorHi?
Right now one business places and pays for the order. Settle the other half between you before the proof is approved.