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contact us: 800.728.6262
E@anchorcomputer.com
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NCOALink™
Get a quote!
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What is
NCOALink™?
NCOALink™
is a secure dataset of approximately 160 million change-of-addresses
going back 48 months that enable mailers to update mailing lists with
new addresses from individuals, families and businesses that have moved.
NCOALink™ provides Return Codes that
offer information about name and address records that do not exactly match the
United States Postal Service® change-of address database.
DPV™ (Verifies Accuracy of Deliverable Addresses) is now
included as part of NCOALink™ and DPV™
footnotes will be a part of Anchor Standard Output. DPV™
allows you to target your mailings more efficiently to reduce list
production and postage costs. DPV™ determines if the address
exists down to an apartment or suite number and can be delivered by the
USPS®. Many companies that are NOT licensees of the
USPS® offer this service, and must outsource their
processing. All of our processing is done in-house, in our
USPS® approved secure facility.
An original or faxed NCOALink™ Processing
Acknowledgment Form must
be received by Anchor prior to
NCOALink™ processing.
*Anchor Computer is a non-exclusive Full Service
Provider Licensee of the United States Postal Service® for
NCOALink™, DSF2™
and LACSLink™. Pricing of these products and services
is neither established, controlled, nor approved by the United States Postal
Service®. The following trademarks are owned by the United States
Postal Service®: ANKLink™,
USPS®, United States Postal Service®, Postal
Service™, Standard Mail®, ZIP™, ZIP Code™, ZIP +
4®, LACSLink™,
NCOALink™, DPV™, DSF2™,
eLOT™, CASS™ and CASS Certified™.
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For more information about the NCOALink™ process,
please click on any of the selections below:
Overview
NCOALink™ Description
Why Mail Is Undeliverable
How NCOALink™ Works
NCOALink™ Return Codes
The Benefits of NCOALink™
and Return Codes
NCOALink™Return Codes and
$$$ Advantages
NCOALink™ - Case Study
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NCOALink™?
How do I prepare for NCOALink™?
How is NCOALink™ different than NCOA?
Why the change to NCOALink™?
What NCOALink™ licenses are available?
Why does the USPS® require a license?
Why use Anchor for NCOALink™ processing?
What benefits will I realize from NCOALink™
processing?
What are the return-on-investment benefits of NCOALink™
processing?
What are NCOALink™ Return Codes and what
benefits do they provide?
Why do I have to sign an NCOALink™ Processing
Acknowledgement Form (PAF)?
How often should I process my database through
NCOALink™?
I have a database with consumers and businesses - will
NCOALink™ help me?
If a person moves several times, will I receive the current address?
What does Address Standardization do?
What's the difference between NCOALink™ and
DSF2™?
What's the difference between NCOALink™ and
LACSLink™?
How long does it take to run NCOALink™ on my file?
How often do I have to CASS™ process my database?
Is my file secure at Anchor?
Will I still have undeliverable mail if I process
NCOALink™ on my file?
Will NCOALink™ validate name information as well
as provide new move information on all the records in my database?
Will NCOALink™ correct spelling errors in my names and
addresses?
Will NCOALink™ tell me if an address is
deliverable?
I processed my file through NCOALink™ and have received
returned mail pieces. Why didn't NCOALink™ catch these undeliverable
addresses?
Is there a difference in the NCOALink™ process provided by
each licensee?
Technical Information
USPS® NCOALink™ User Technical Reference
Table of Contents
Introduction
Administration
Disclaimer
Developer Specification and Requirements
- Computer Hardware Specifications
- Getting Started
- Appropriate Use Of The Drop Flag
- Incorporate The Daily Delete File
- Return Code Descriptions
- Return Code Matrix
- Return Code Examples
- NCOA Footnotes vs. NCOALink™ Return Codes
- Return Code Processing
- Name Sequence Presentation
- Cindy-Mary Table
- NCOALink™ Build Records
- Certification and Audit
- Report/File Calculations
- Customer Service Log
Sample Fixed Field Output Layout
Sample Delimited Output Layout
Sample DBF Output Layout
Sample Output Reports
Glossary of Terms
Forms
NCOALink™ Processing Acknowledgment Form
Non-Electronic Order Form
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contact us: 800.728.6262
E@anchorcomputer.com
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NCOALink™
Get a quote!
NCOALink™ Description
Every year approximately forty-four million Americans move their place of residence and/or
business, but their old addresses often remain in the mailer's computers. As a result,
mailings continue to go to old addresses and not the new ones. USPS®
estimates that at least 8% of all Standard Mail™ is undeliverable because of
incorrect addresses. This means lost opportunities, lost sales, and wasted money.
There is a solution. The NCOALink™
system makes available current change of address information that can help reduce
your undeliverable mail. Addressing errors are identified and corrected before
mail enters the mail-stream. Mailers use NCOALink™
to save thousands of dollars that would have been spent on wasted materials and
postage. In addition, valuable customer names that would have been lost have
been updated to receive current and future mailings.
Why Mail is Undeliverable
The USPS® has identified the following reasons for undeliverable mail:
The first line of the address:
- Addressee unknown to carrier
- Addressee temporarily away
- Addressee's name misspelled
- Addressee's Street Address Errors
- Missing address line or street name
- No such or incorrect street
- No such or incorrect number
- Missing house number/ PO Box
- No such or incorrect apartment, suite, etc.
- Missing or incorrect street directional or suffix
- No such rural route number/rural route box
- Rural route address change to city-type address
The last line of the address:
- Incorrect or missing ZIP Code™
- Incorrect or missing city and/or state
Other reasons for un-deliverability:
- Change of address on file
- Forward order expired
- Moved, left no address/box closed, left no order
- Address vacant
- No label/illegible label
- No mail receptacle
How NCOALink™ Works
Data processed through NCOALink™ is first
standardized to conform to USPS® requirements, including the
ZIP + 4® code. Once the address has been standardized and the
ZIP + 4® code applied, an attempt is made to match the
address against the NCOALink™ file, which
contains approximately 115 million records or 48 months of permanent address
changes. Address change information is derived from the PS Form 3575,
Change-Of-Address Order, filed by relocating postal customers. If an exact
match is made with the old address, the move information (new address) is
provided to the mailer. NCOALink™ helps reduce
undeliverable-as-addressed mail by correcting input addresses prior to
mailing. Since 1986, NCOALink™ and its
predecessors have saved mailers millions of dollars that otherwise would have
been wasted in materials and postage.
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NCOALink™ Match - Corrected Address Is Provided
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MAIL FILE
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NCOALink™ DATABASE
NAME/OLD ADDRESS
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NEW ADDRESS
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Paul Jones
123 Main Street
Anytown CT 06084
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Paul Jones
123 Main Street
Anytown CT 06084
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39 Oak Street
Anytown MA
01245
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William Smith
481 Elm St, Apt 4A
Anytown CA
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Bill Smith
481 Elm St, Apt 4A
Anytown CA 90241
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11 Duck Lane
Anytown IL 61411
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NCOALink™ Return Codes
NCOALink™
Return Codes allow Anchor to assist the mailer in deciding on a set of business
rules that would only drop records for those who moved without providing a new address.
Records that are potential un-deliverables (but were not considered a
NCOALink™ match) are flagged as Return Codes. The
mailer then can decide whether or not to mail to these addresses. However the quantity
of "Return Codes" you will receive under NCOALink™
may be very much reduced as compared to previous NCOALink™
processing.
The Benefits of NCOALink™
and Return Codes
NCOALink™ provides mailers with the capability
to receive a current address before mailings. NCOALink™
provides additional benefits including Address Standardization and ZIP + 4®
appending, ZIP™ Correction, Carrier Route Coding, a CASS™ report and DPV™.
NCOALink™
Return Codes indicate a match was close but not good enough to meet the strict
USPS® matching guidelines. The Return Codes indicate the reason
a match could not be made with the NCOALink™ file,
and a mailer can investigate the address record and provide necessary corrections.
A no-match to the NCOALink™ file does NOT
return the new address - the Return Codes, when
provided, may give an indication why.
NCOALink™
Return Codes and $$$ Advantages
The following example will demonstrate the effect of NCOALink™
Return Codes processing of a 1 million mailing. If,
- NCOALink™ Return Codes match rate of
.15% equals 1,500 mail not posted.
- At $400/M (estimate to mail), the savings equal $600.00.
- If the 1,500 NCOALink™ Return
Codes names are replaced with 1,500 deliverable names and a 2%
response rate result these equal 30 additional orders.
- If the average order is $50, Additional Sales = $1,500.
Processing a one million mailing with Return Codes included in the
NCOALink™ processing can result in additional savings
and sales of $2,100 plus the potential ongoing revenue stream from these new customers.
NCOALink™ Case Study
NCOALink™ and Return Codes
Cleans Your Customer & Prospect Files of Undeliverable Names & Addresses
Here are actual case stories...
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Fundraiser
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Publisher
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Saves
you
Money
Every
Time
You
Mail
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Original File
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808,173
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457,252
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NCOALink™ Corrected
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31,600
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55,387
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3.91%
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12.11%
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Return Codes Hits
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1,810
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2,733
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.224%
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.609%
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Total NCOALink™ &
Return Codes
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33,410
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58,120
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4.13%
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12.71%
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Mailing Cost
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$406/M
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$515/M
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$$ Saved
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$13,564
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$29,932
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The Cost of NCOALink™ & Return Codes Processing is a
Tiny Fraction of the $$'s You Save!!
The powerful NCOALink™ software will make
name & address corrections, correct ZIP™ Codes, standardize your addresses
and add ZIP + 4® and Carrier Route codes to your file.
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Frequently Asked Questions
NCOALink™
- What is NCOALink™?
- How do I prepare for NCOALink™?
- How is NCOALink™ different than NCOA?
- Why the change to NCOALink™?
- What NCOALink™ licenses are available?
- Why does the USPS® require a license?
- Why use Anchor for NCOALink™ processing?
- What benefits will I realize from NCOALink™ processing?
- What are the return-on-investment benefits of NCOALink™ processing?
- What are NCOALink™ Return Codes and what benefits
do they provide?
- Why do I have to sign an NCOALinkTM Processing Acknowledgement Form (PAF)?
- How often should I process my database through NCOALink™?
- I have a database with consumers and businesses – will
NCOALink™ help me?
- If a person moves several times, will I receive the current address?
- What does Address Standardization do?
- What's the difference between NCOALinkTM and DSF2™?
- What's the difference between NCOALink™ and
LACSLink™?
- How long does it take to run NCOALink™ on my file?
- How often do I have to CASS™ Process my database?
- Is my file secure at Anchor?
- Will I still have undeliverable mail if I process NCOALink™
on my file?
- Will NCOALink™ validate name information as well as provide new
move information on all the records in my database?
- Will NCOALink™ correct spelling errors in my names and addresses?
- Will NCOALink™ tell me if an address is deliverable?
- I processed my file through NCOALink™ and have received returned mail
pieces. Why didn't NCOALink™ catch these undeliverable addresses?
- Is there a difference in the NCOALink™ process provided by each licensee?
1. What is NCOALink™ ?
NCOALink™
is a secure dataset of approximately 160 million change-of-addresses going back
48 months that enable mailers to update mailing lists with new addresses from
individuals, families and businesses that have moved.
The USPS® has introduced NCOALink™ to
replace NCOA and FASTforward® Mailing List Correction (MLC)
services. Mailers were required by the USPS® to switch to the new
NCOALink™ technology instead of NCOA
(National Change Of Address) on October 1st, 2004 or replace
FASTforward™ MLC by October 1st, 2005.
2. How do I prepare for NCOALink™?
Read the
Full Service Provider Required Text Document.
Complete and sign an NCOALink™
Processing Acknowledgement Form (PAF) and fax it to Anchor at
631-293-4113.
The USPS® requires a new six digit field that must be entered in the
"List Owner" area called "NAICS". Please refer to the
NAICS document listing the most commonly used SIC Codes or visit www.census.gov/epcd/naics02, or call
Anchor to determine your specific NAICS Code.
Brokers/Agents and List Administrators must check the applicable box and also
complete the bottom portion of the PAF in addition to the list owner completing
and signing their portion of the PAF.
Make sure your layouts accept the NCOALink™ layout.
Sample Fixed Field,
Comma Delimited
and
DBF output layouts and
sample reports are available for your review.
3. How is NCOALink™
different than NCOA?
Nixies (or "Return Codes") that offer information about name and address records
that do not exactly match the USPS® change-of-address database, were
previously only available with NCOA processing. With NCOALink™
these "Return Codes" (no longer called Nixies) have different meanings. Testing indicates
the actual number of input names coded with "Return Codes" as compared to "Nixie Option
Codes" are greatly reduced with NCOALink™ versus NCOA
processing.
DPV™ (Verifies Accuracy of Deliverable Addresses) is now included as part of
NCOALink™ by Full Service Providers and DPV™
footnotes are part of the output.
NCOALink™ will return the move effective date,
the specific name and address utilized in the query that obtained the match, and the
move type. The move type is determined by the interface based on the specific
name inquiry utilized to obtain the match. Please note: The specific name utilized
in the query maybe slightly different from the name supplied, i.e. Robert
versus Bob. Please see the
Full Service Provider Required Text Document for additional output details.
4. Why the change to NCOALink™?
NCOALink™ provides enhanced technology to protect
the privacy and security of name and address information entrusted to the USPS®.
With NCOALink™ the USPS® hopes to
increase the utilization of change-of-address (COA) information and reduce further
the costs associated with handling Undeliverable-As-Addressed (UAA) mail.
5. What NCOALink™ licenses are available?
Three different NCOALink™ licenses are available: Full Service Providers,
Limited Service Providers and End User Mailers. Each requires a distinct certified
software interface available through a USPS® certified
NCOALink™ Interface Software Developer/Distributor
like
Anchor Software LLC, or mailers can build and certify their own
NCOALink™ Software Interface.
NCOALink™ 48 months of COA data replaced
NCOA on October 1st, 2004, but it was available for use under license
as early as March 2004.
6. Why does the USPS® require a license?
The USPS® wants to ensure that the use of their intellectual property
and privacy protected customer information is limited to its intended purpose.
NCOALink™ by its design is secure and cannot be used
to data mine address information. It provides an enforcement mechanism with the flexibility
needed to use NCOALink™
in the marketplace.
7. Why use Anchor for NCOALink™
processing?
Anchor has processed billions of records over the past two decades as an NCOA vendor
and is now a USPS® certified NCOALink™
Full Service Provider, Interface Developer and Interface Distributor. Our
experience and dedicated staff have the programming skills to ensure your
mailing lists are always in compliance with USPS® requirements.
The USPS® awarded Anchor its first NCOALink™
Full Service Provider license. The Full Service Provider database provides mailers
with more change-of-address moves and uses 48 months of up-to-date address information,
versus the "Limited Service Provider" database that provides only 18 months of address
information. We recommend processing through the 48-month option to provide mailers more
change-of-address moves.
We offer additional address hygiene services including:
Licensed by the USPS®:
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LACSLink™
-
DSF2™ (Identifies Deliverable Addresses and Specific Address Attributes)
Anchor Proprietary Processes:
- Apartment+
-
Deceased Processing
-
Direct Marketing Association - Do Not Mail
-
Several Other Services
The Postal Service™ has introduced LACSLink™ for
updating addresses after 911 conversions take place. It features the USPS®-developed
"Link" technology that maintains the privacy and security of data while allowing mailers easy access
to it. The Postal Service™ has required LACSLink™ to be
incorporated into all CASS Certified™ software effective July 31st, 2005.
8. What benefits will I realize by processing my file through
NCOALink™?
Mailers using NCOALink™ will save
thousands of dollars that would have been spent on wasted materials and
postage that results from undelivered as addressed mail. The
NCOALink™ System makes available current
change of address information that will reduce undeliverable mail. Addressing errors
are identified and corrected before the mail enters the USPS®. Mailers will
also receive a quicker response to an offer since it will go directly to the new
address in the case of a move. Cash flow will also improve as a direct result of
reaching a customer who has moved. In addition valuable customer names that
would have been lost will be updated so that communication can continue.
The NCOALink™ process at Anchor:
- Improves address quality through standardization and parsing.
- Speeds delivery of your offer by eliminating forwarding.
- Is less expensive than ACS™ (Address Change Service), and Ancillary
Endorsements on the mail piece.
- Reduces undeliverable mail resulting in postage and material savings.
- Helps maintain accurate customer address files.
- Provides CASS™ processing of your list enabling you to qualify for postal discounts.
- Appends address type to data to input records allowing segmentation.
- Increases the effectiveness of Merge/Purge processing.
- Adds ZIP + 4®, Carrier Route and Delivery Point Barcode. Anchor Computer
brings added value to the basic NCOALink™
Service by offering NCOALink™
Return Codes and the Anchor Change Of Address Index.
9. What is the ROI (Return On Investment) benefit of
NCOALink™?
Use of the USPS® NCOALink™
program reduces costs of labor, postage and materials. Unfortunately, this
is news to some companies and senior managers who have yet to realize
the ROI benefits of this worthy program. Presented herein are two reference
tools you can share with clients and prospects: a Return On Investment
Guide and a Case History.
ROI Guide
The USPS® has stated that the average NCOALink™
match rate is approximately 4.1%. That translates to 41,000 move changes
for a 1,000,000 record file. The match rate not only includes recognized
address changes but also closed PO Boxes, foreign moves and moves
with no forwarding address. When associated postage and material costs
related to these factors are recognized as well as non ZIP + 4®
coded addresses, one begins to conceptualize the value of this service.
Rule of Thumb
Following are average percentages of key
NCOALink™ elements:
| Item |
Percent |
1 mm Record File |
| Move changes |
4.1% |
41,000 records |
| ZIP + 4® improvement |
1.0% |
10,000 records |
| Total affected records |
5.1% |
51,000 records |
The next process applies dollar values to these change dynamics. Two points
regarding the figures used below. First, we have used a typical automated
discount for First-Class Mail® and Standard Mail™ discount letter
rates in the example. (See the Domestic Mail Manual R100 and R600.)
Also, the $0.05 material amount may be conservative for both mail classes.
Cost Savings Benefit #1 - First-Class Mail® Discount Letters
| 8,200 |
Address changes over a year old* |
| x $0.36 |
$0.31 discounted postage rate + $0.05 materials |
| $2,952.00 |
Savings realized from this aspect of service |
Cost Savings Benefit #1 - Standard Mail™ Discount Letters
| 41,000 |
Address changes |
| x $0.26 |
$0.21 discounted postage rate + $0.05 materials |
| $10,660.00 |
Savings realized from this aspect of service |
Cost Savings Benefit #2 - First-Class Mail® &
Standard Mail™ Discount Letters
| 10,000 |
ZIP + 4® improved records |
| x $0.07 |
Postage discount |
| $700.00 |
Savings realized from this aspect of service |
Summary of Examples:
| First-Class Mail® |
Item |
Standard Mail™ |
| $3,652.00 |
Gross savings |
$11,360.00 |
| $1,250.00 |
Less NCOALink™
processing service fee of $1.25/M |
$1,250.00 |
| $2,402.00 |
Net savings |
$10,110.00 |
Cost Saving Benefits:
- Changes of 12+ month old moves that would have otherwise resulted in returned
mail for First-Class Mail®. This example uses study data that
identifies an average of 20% of total moves occur in the 13-36 month period.
- Avoidance of mailing to closed PO boxes, foreign moves and moves with no forwarding addresses.
- Address improvements resulting in ZIP + 4® Codes.
- Address standardization of all records.
- Identification of probable moves and addresses with
errors as noted in the NCOALink™
Return Codes portion of the process. Most databases are relatively
complete with ZIP + 4® Codes, 90% - 95% on
average. However, as the following example illustrates, a database owner
of 1mm records enjoys a further saving of $600 for every one-percent
improvement the NCOALink™ process provides.
Case Study
This study is presented as
an example of the savings potential to small file owners that use Standard Mail™
A class mail, in this case an owner with 82,153 records.
| Item |
% |
Records |
Unit Savings |
| Move address changes |
4.49% |
3,688 |
$0.26 |
| ZIP + 4® improvement |
1.00% |
821 |
$0.07 |
| Client Savings |
| Move address changes and closed boxes, etc. @ $0.26 ea. |
$ 958.88 |
| Postal savings on ZIP + 4® records @ $0.07 ea. |
$ 57.47 |
| Less cost of service |
$ 300.00 |
| Net savings |
$ 716.35 |
10. What are NCOALink™ Return Codes and
what benefits do they provide?
An NCOALink™ Return Code is a record that is close,
but does not meet the USPS® standards for matching to the
NCOALink™ database and does not receive a
forwarding address. It is flagged as a possible move. A new address
cannot be provided, however Return Codes are appended to the record to
allow the mailer to make a mail/ no mail decision. NCOALink™
Return Codes typically identifies 40% to 70% additional names as possible moves over those found
with the more restrictive matching rules required for providing a new
address Option added to NCOALink™
processing can result in additional savings and sales.
11. Why do I have to sign an NCOALink™
PAF (Processing Acknowledgement Form)?
The USPS® requires this acknowledgement form. The form states
"the sole purpose of the NCOALink™ service
is to provide a mailing list correction service for a list that will be used
for the preparation of a mailing". If you do not have a PAF on file with Anchor, please
fax us a signed PAF at the time of placing your order. Per USPS®
regulations, a mailing list owner's PAF will remain in effect for one year from the
date of signing. For each subsequent year a new form must be signed and returned to
us as soon as possible.
We suggest that you download an NCOALink™ PAF
(Processing Acknowledgement Form), print, sign and mail/fax it to us at Anchor
Computer, 1900 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY 11735-1509 USA, or fax it to us at
631-293-4113. You are under no obligation to place an order with us. However, we
will have the form on file in case you decide to place an order and send us your
file for processing.
12. How often should I process my database through
NCOALink™ ?
To qualify for postage discounts of up to six cents for first class mailing, you
are required to update your files every six months or 185 days. In addition, you
also benefit from the improved deliverability that results from
NCOALink™. While it is generally recommended that
you perform NCOALink™
processing prior to each mailing, many companies update their database or mail file
every 3 to 6 months. You should calculate the savings gained each time you mail to
your list. This is done by multiplying the number of addresses that the
NCOALink™ process corrects by the cost of your
mailing piece. Since the cost to process your file through
NCOALink™ is almost always less than the cost incurred
from having undeliverable pieces (and subsequently not reaching your clients or prospects),
it often makes economic sense to process your list through NCOALink™
prior to each mailing.
13. I have a database with consumers and businesses - will
NCOALink™ help me?
Yes, the NCOALink™ file is comprised of
approximately 40% family moves, 54% individual moves and 6% business moves.
It almost always makes sense to process your file through NCOALink™
whether it is comprised of consumer, business, or both types of addresses. In the case
of business moves, the whole company must move, not just an individual.
14. If a person moves several times, will I receive the current
address?
When possible, postal customers who move multiple times within the life of a COA in
NCOALink™ and have notified the USPS®
are linked to ensure the latest address is furnished when an NCOALink™
match is attained.
15. What does Address Standardization do?
- The primary and secondary input addresses are standardized to
USPS® regulations.
- The input city name is standardized to USPS®
City - State and ZIP + 4® files.
- The 5 digit ZIP + 4® is verified or corrected.
- The Carrier Route is appended from the USPS®
ZIP + 4® File.
- Delivery Point Bar Code Data and eLOT™ (Sorts Mail by Approximate Carrier-Casing
Sequence) is appended from the USPS® ZIP + 4® file.
16. What's the difference between
NCOALink™ and DSF2™?
NCOALink™ is a process that matches a file of
names and addresses to the USPS® licensed
NCOALink™ database comprised of 160+ million records
of individual, family and business moves. DSF2™ is a
USPS® licensed database that improves delivery of your mailing by
examining address data and comparing it to the DSF2™ database
that contains each of the 145+ million delivery points. DSF2™
confirms the existence of the address, provides delivery type, business versus residential,
and provides a Pseudo Sequence Number to qualify for walk sequence postal presort discounts.
DSF2™ detects potentially undeliverable addresses for reasons
other than Change Of Address.
17. What's the difference between NCOALink™ and
LACSLink™?
NCOALink™ is a process that matches a file of names
and addresses to the USPS® licensed NCOALink™
database comprised of 160+ million records of individual, family and business moves. The
LACSLink™ Product is a USPS® licensed database.
As of September 22nd, 2004, the LACSLink™ database contains
approximately 5.3 million records that enables you to update your mailing lists when
addresses have been converted by local authorities, i.e. renumbering of houses or addresses
converted from rural style to city style addresses, usually as a result of a 911 conversion.
18. How long does it take to run NCOALink™ on
my file?
You must submit your file for NCOALink™ processing with an
NCOALink™ Processing Acknowledgement Form.
You select from four different
SERVICE LEVELS: Priority Service, Next Business Day A.M. Service,
Next Business Day P.M. Service and 3 Business Day Service. Please contact
us for custom processing for larger volumes or if these service levels do
not meet your needs. The USPS® requires that processing be completed within 7 days
of receipt of your files for processing unless express written consent.
19. How often do I have to CASS™ process
my database?
If you are bar-coding your mail, the requirement is every 3 months, all input addresses
are standardized, CASS Certified™ and ZIP + 4® /DPC processed.
20. Is my file secure at Anchor?
Yes, Anchor Computer has taken every precaution to make sure your file is secure throughout
the NCOALink™ process. Before upload, your file is
encrypted using secure socket layer server software (SSL). Your file is then processed
in our USPS® approved secure facility. Last, before your file is sent back
to you, it is again encrypted using SSL software and zip pass-worded.
Anchor Computer respects your right to privacy and follows the guidelines set forth by
the Direct Marketing Association. Anchor Computer will not sell, rent, exchange or
release any of the information you submit on this web site, without your permission.
21. Will I still have undeliverable mail if I process
NCOALinkTM on my file?
It is estimated that only 66.9% of mail is deliverable as addressed. The remaining
percentage has some form of addressing deficiency, which could affect
deliverability. Endorsed mail and First-Class Mail® can be forwarded
or returned to the mailer, Standard Mail™ A class (Third Class) is normally
discarded. NCOALink™ will reduce the amount of
undeliverable mail by Address Standardization and ZIP™ Correction as well as Move Update,
but will not completely eliminate undeliverable mail. Some examples of returned mail
NCOALink™ not corrected are:
- Someone who moves and does not notify the USPS®
- The match to the COA file is not good enough to meet USPS®
requirements for licensees to provide a forwarding address.
- Someone who has moved and filled out the address change form, but the
information has not yet been added to the NCOALink™ database.
- Someone who has moved and filled out the address change form, but the information
never added to the NCOALink™ (e.g. data quality
issues)
22. Will NCOALink™
validate name information as well as provide new move information on all the records in
my database?
No, NCOALink™ processing does not validate name and
address information on your database. The NCOALink™
database contains Change-Of-Address information only. If a person or company files a change
of address with the USPS® the information is maintained on the
NCOALink™ database for 48 months. If a person or company
does not file a change of address and the carrier does not file a "Moved - Left No Address"
it does not appear on the NCOALink™ database. Additional
reasons a person/company would not be maintained on the
NCOALink™ database are:
- The person/company still lives at the address on your database.
- The person/company may have filed a temporary move (for example a college student
moves home for the summer).
- Person may be deceased.
23. Will NCOALink™ correct Spelling Errors
in my names and addresses?
NCOALink™ will not correct spelling errors in
your names or addresses. Address Standardization will standardize your addresses to
postal regulations and may also correct some street name misspellings. DSF2™
also has the ability to correct misspelled street names.
24. Will NCOALink™ tell me
if an address is deliverable?
NCOALink™ will give you change-of-address information and
usually provides a ZIP + 4®. DSF2™ determines the
deliverability of address records. ZIP + 4® validates addresses based on
valid house number ranges but not the actual number. DSF2™ validates
based on exact house number and apartment number.
25. I processed my file through NCOALink™
and have received returned mail pieces. Why didn't NCOALink™ catch these
undeliverable addresses?
It is estimated that only 66.9% of mail is deliverable as addressed. The
remaining percentage has some form of addressing deficiency, which could affect
deliverability. Endorsed mail and First-Class Mail® can be forwarded
or returned to the mailer. Standard Mail® (Third Class) is discarded.
NCOALink™ will reduce the amount of undeliverable mail
through Address Standardization and ZIP™ correction as well as through running a Move
Update process, but will not eliminate it. Some examples of returned mail
NCOALink™ will not correct are: Forwarding Order Expired,
No Such Number, Address Unknown, Moved - Left No Address. See DSF2™
for additional information on undeliverable mail.
26. Is there a difference in the NCOALink™
process provided by each licensee?
Each licensee is tested and audited and their processing approved by the USPS®
and all licensees must use USPS® CASS Certified™ address matching
software in the process.
Anchor Computer is a non-exclusive Full Service Provider Licensee of the United States
Postal Service® for NCOALink™,
DSF2™ and LACSLink™.
Pricing of these products and services is neither established, controlled, nor approved
by the United States Postal Service®. The following trademarks are owned
by the United States Postal Service®: ANKLink™,
USPS®, United States Postal Service®, Postal Service™,
Standard Mail®, ZIP™, ZIP Code™, ZIP + 4®,
LACSLink™, NCOALink™, DPV™,
DSF2™, eLOT™, CASS™ and CASS Certified™.
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