Getting
Ready for the New Move Update Standards
Provided by the USPS
On
November 23, 2008, two address quality initiatives will become effective:
(1) increase the minimum frequency of Move Update processing from
185 (calendar) days to 95 days prior to the date of mailing (2)
extend the Move Update standards to include all Standard Mail®
as well as automation-rate and presort-rate First-Class Mail®.
Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q:For Standard Mail mailers,
does updating have to begin on November 23?
A: Mailers do not
begin their updating process(s) on November 23, but rather, on this
date, mailers must begin using addresses that were updated within
the previous 95 days. For example, a mailing entered on November
23, must bear addresses that were updated no earlier than August
20.
Q: My business
does not maintain a mailing list with an address-update cycle. How
does the address-update standard apply when my customer provides
an address?
A: If you send the
mailpiece to the address within 95 days of the date the address
was provided, the address complies with the Move Update requirement.
If you use the address 95 days or more after it was provided, you
must use an on-piece Ancillary service endorsement for address correction
(or another update tool such as FASTforward). In most instances,
if the mailpiece is mailed shortly after the address was provided,
the address will not change, and the mailpiece will be delivered
as addressed.
Q: What documentation
must the list owner furnish to a mailer, in addition to the address
list, for use on a Presorted or automation rate mailing?
A: The list owner
is obligated to prove it is aware of the requirements of Move Update
and that the addresses on the list comply with those requirements.
The list owner should keep the following for 2 years:
• Move Update output reports documenting that the address
list went through the Move Update process within 95 days before
it was submitted to the Postal Service™
• Proof that names on the list added since the last update
came directly from customers.
Q: I am a
mailing agent. If, when I accept mail, my clients cannot prove that
they have updated their addresses within the last 95 days; may I
still include those mailpieces in First-Class Mail or Standard Mail
Presorted or automation rate mailings?
A: No, unless you
are a FASTforward licensed MLOCR user using FASTforward to update
the addresses. Otherwise, those mailpieces must be mailed at the
single-piece rate.
Q: If my mail is processed
for Move Update using FASTforward MLOCR, which mailpiece design
issues, other than general automation compatibility, do I need to
be concerned about?
A: The name and address
must be in the optical character reader (OCR) read area, and all
mailpieces must have a (lower right) barcode clear zone so the MLOCR
can spray the delivery point barcode and the new address in the
barcode clear zone if a move is identified. Mailpieces with exceptional
address formats (e.g., "Or Current Resident”) are not
eligible for FASTforward processing.
Q: If I use an exceptional
address format (e.g., “Jane Doe or Current Occupant”)
on my mailings, must the recipient name have been updated within
the previous 95 days?
A: No. Each mailpiece
will be delivered to the address appearing on the mailpiece whether
or not the named recipient resides at that address. The physical
elements of the addresses however, must have been updated using
an appropriate process for the rates claimed.
Q: I have CASS Certified™
address-matching software that ensures I have good addresses. Does
this meet the standards for new names and addresses?
A: No. Address-matching
software looks up addresses to standardize, correct and validate
the physical address elements and append ZIP+4 codes. It does not
perform a name lookup to determine whether the addressee is still
at that address and, therefore, does not meet the Move Update standard.
Q: How do
I meet Move Update requirements when mailing to an address recently
added to my address list?
A: The Move Update
process is individual name-and-address-based, not "list-based."
When a customer contacts a business and as a result is added to
the list, the newly added address can “ride” with the
list until the next cycle for update. The address can be added to
the list only if the customer has requested services or literature
or has purchased merchandise.
Q: Does a
list or an address have to be updated every 95 days?
A: An address can
be updated anytime, so long as it is within 95 days before the address
is actually used for a mailing. For example, if a mailer mails using
a list once every two years, that list would have to be updated
using one of the authorized Move Update methods no more than 95
days before the mailing.
Q: Must entire
lists be updated every time?
A: Entire lists do
not have to be updated at once. The update requirement applies to
individual addresses, not to entire lists. Only those addresses
that will be used in a mailing need to meet the Move Update standard.
The list could not be used with an ancillary service endorsement
since the addresses would not have been updated within 95 days.
However, the list could be used with NCOALink® or FASTforward
MLOCR prior to mailing.
Q: Will a
mailpiece that bears the ancillary service endorsement "Change
Service Requested," meet the standard?
A: Printing an appropriate
ancillary service endorsement on a mailpiece does not, by itself,
satisfy the standard. A Standard mail piece being mailed on or after
November 23, does not meet the standard if no approved Move Update
process was not used in the prior 95 days.
Q: Is any
Move Update documentation required at the time of mailing?
A: No, the mailer's
signature on the postage statement, or electronic submission (i.e.,
PostalOne!®, Mail.dat) certifies that the mailing complies with
all relevant standards, including Move Update, and that the mailing
qualifies for the rates and fees claimed.
Have
more questions? Contact one of our knowledgeable
staff members with any inquires regarding new Move Update Standards.
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