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Getting started with bulk mail
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Bulk Mail 101
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Is it a Letter or a Flat?
Bulk Mail Postage Prices
Presorted First Class Prices
New Move Update Requirement

Since November 23, 2008, ALL Standard Class mail and all First Class presorted mail must meet “move update” requirements.

This requirement already applies to first class presorted mail, although it is often not currently enforced. With the requirement being changed to include Standard Class, it will likely get much more attention at the bulk mail entry units.

This requirement does NOT apply to Periodical Class mail. If you are mailing only periodical class mail, you can ignore the rest of this.

“Move update” refers to methods for making sure that the person or business you are mailing to is still at the address you have for them. When a person or business moves to a new address, they typically file a change-of-address notice with USPS. Those notices are compiled into a National Change of Address (NCOA) database. By checking your list against the NCOA database, you can tell if a person or business has moved, and correct their address (or delete the address, if you choose) before you address your mail.

This is not about “standardizing” addresses, nor is it about zip+4 codes. That's what CASS does. Rather it is only about determining whether the person or company you are mailing to is still receiving mail at the address you have for them.

And it does not matter whether you "are sure" that all the addresses are up to date. You still have to comply with the requirements as described below.

First Class presort and Standard Mail in ALL mail categories (letters, flats, automated, nonbarcoded, nonprofit, etc.) must meet move update requirements. There are several ways to do this:

METHOD 1

The easiest and least expensive way is to simply add “OR CURRENT RESIDENT” or “OR CURRENT OCCUPANT” to your addresses. You can do this on the same line as the name, or as a separate line directly under the name. When you do this, USPS will deliver the piece of mail to the address shown, regardless of whether the person or business you’ve addressed it to is still at that address. Since USPS will not pay attention to the name, you are exempt from the move update requirement.

Similarly, mail that is addressed to “OCCUPANT” or something similar and which has no specific name in the address is also exempt from the move update requirement.

If you are using First Class presort, you should be aware that by putting “OR CURRENT RESIDENT” or “OR CURRENT OCCUPANT” on your mail, it will no longer be forwarded or returned to you if the person or business has moved. This is not an issue for Standard Class mailers, since Standard Class is never supposed to be forwarded or returned unless you pay extra for that service.

METHOD 2

If you don’t want to use method 1, then the next least expensive method for small mailers is to track your own move information by requesting USPS address corrections every time you mail (or at least in one mailing every 95 days), and then updating your mailing list every time you receive an address correction.

You will be in compliance for your mailing if you have mailed to the same people before within the previous 95 days, you used one of the USPS address correction options, such as Address Service Requested”, when you mailed, and you updated your list with all the new addresses you received from USPS.

People or companies that you have added to your list within 95 days before a mailing are exempt from this requirement, if you received the address from someone who contacted you to request services or information or to make a purchase. A name that you got from a purchased mailing list or otherwise without an actual contact is NOT exempt from the move update requirement.

Several USPS address correction options can be used to meet the move update requirement. They include “Return Service Requested”, “Change Service Requested”, and “Address Service Requested”. There are different costs and requirements for each option. Some options provide information in printed form while others are electronic. There’s a good summary of these options at http://www.usps.com/mailpro/2008/julyaug/page8.htm.

Remember that for you to use one of these USPS options to meet the move update requirement, you must mail to each address at least once every 95 days, and you absolutely must update your mailing list with any move information that the USPS provides.

If you plan to use this method, you may need to start using a USPS address correction option on your mail now, so that you will have address correction information from a mailing within 95 days prior to any mailing you send on or after Nov. 23.

METHOD 3

For larger mailing lists, and particularly for mailers who are already sending their list to a processing service for CASS certification, the easiest way to comply with the move update requirement is to have a processing service update your list using the NCOA database.

If you’re paying for CASS, the addition of NCOA matching often costs very little more, and will save you the trouble of tracking corrections manually. If you’re not already doing CASS, you might want to consider sending your list to a processing service for NCOA and also getting CASS, usually at little or no extra charge. Once your list is CASS certified, you can barcode for automation postage discounts (assuming your mail is of a normal shape and size). Some list processing services we have used are Qualified Address, Anchor Computer, Lorton Data, and MailNet Services.

Note that each address (except those recently received from customers) must be checked at least every 95 days, which is more often than the 180-day CASS requirement. However, because mailing lists often change, most mailers using CASS re-certify their lists more often than the minimum requirement of once every 180 days anyway, so this may not be an issue.

There are several levels of NCOA checking available, typically at different costs. Your list processing service can review the options with you.

Unlike CASS, you cannot buy software to do your own NCOA checking in-house. The NCOA database is licensed to a limited number of processing services in order to maintain the privacy of those who submit change-of-address forms to USPS. The NCOA database can only be used to correct an existing address on a mailing list.

If you are considering buying CASS software to avoid using a list processing service for CASS, you should think first about what method you will use to meet the move update requirement. If you are going to use a processing service for NCOA, you can probably get CASS certification as part of your NCOA process for little or no extra cost, meaning that you will not save by buying CASS software.