The USPS® offers an 18-month and 48-month option for NCOA processing and knowing which version your provider runs can have a large impact on your marketing success.
NCOA's Impact on Your Marketing ROI
Each year, 25-30 million Americans relocate, leaving marketing databases filled with outdated addresses. This creates a significant challenge for marketing managers: approximately 5% of all direct mail fails to reach its intended recipients due to incorrect addresses. The result? Diminished campaign performance, reduced response rates, and wasted marketing budgets.
The solution lies in NCOALink®, USPS®’s secure database containing 160 million change-of-address records from individuals, families, and businesses. This service identifies and corrects address errors before your campaigns launch, ensuring your marketing messages reach your target audience.
Understanding NCOALink® Full Service 48 Month vs. Limited Service 18 Month
USPS® awarded Anchor its first NCOALink® Full-Service Provider license over three decades ago. Today, there are only 15 Full-Service Providers in the US. This distinction matters significantly for your campaign outcomes. Full-Service Providers access 48 months of current address data, while Limited-Service Providers work with only 18 months of information.
The extended period delivers measurably better results. In fact, 43% of address changes occur between months 19-48 — data that Limited-Service providers miss entirely!
Our client, a marketing agency with over 35 years of experience, has worked with print vendors without questioning their NCOA service. After learning that the 48-month versus 18-month service can capture 43% more of new movers, they now specifically request Full-Service NCOA for all campaigns.
Our experience has shown that Full Service 48-Month processing identifies significant moves beyond the 18-Month Limited license.
When utilizing 18-Month limited licenses, moves from 19 months and older are left as addressed, resulting in significant missed opportunity to reach the intended audience and wasted marketing dollars.
Why Marketing Managers Choose Anchor NCOALink® Full-Service
Many companies offering NCOA services lack direct USPS® licensing and must outsource their processing. At Anchor, we manage all processing internally within our USPS®-approved secure facility.
Enhanced Campaign Delivery
- Access to 160 million permanent address change records maintained by USPS®
- Address updates for individuals, families, and businesses who moved within the past four years
- Typically reduces undeliverable mail and boosts campaign deliverability from 2-8%
Measurable Cost Savings
- Decreased postage waste and material costs
- Improved response rates across campaigns
- Qualify for USPS® automation discounts
- Preserved customer relationships through accurate contact information
Streamlined, Secure and Always On
- Convenient 24/7 online processing through fully automated systems
- Processing completed in USPS-approved, SOC 2 Type 2 secure facility
- Dedicated customer support
- SSL encryption and strict privacy compliance—no data sold or shared
The difference between 18-month and 48-month data access can mean a world of difference. You can’t afford to miss 43% of your audience. Choosing a Full-Service NCOALink® provider isn’t just a technical detail—it’s a campaign-critical decision. With over 50 years of data processing experience and billions of records managed, Anchor helps ensure your message lands where it should.