In 2008 USPS announced that First-Class and Standard Mail mailings must be processed using an approved Move Update method. Two of the most popular ways of satisfying the Move Update requirement are Address Change Service (ACS) and NCOALink® . These two processes have quite a few differences, and the benefits of each can be a little confusing. In this post, we’ll cover how each of these processes work and when to use each one, as well as explore the potential benefits of integrating advanced mail distribution platforms to further streamline these processes.
What is NCOALink?
NCOALink is a pre-mailing process you can run on your address list. It satisfies the Move Update requirement for First-Class and Standard mail discounts. To use NCOALink, you send your list to an NCOALink licensee like Satori Software, who then matches the contacts and addresses against the USPS database of moves. This database contains moves submitted by postal customers via mail or online at www.usps.com. Updated addresses, including information about why some moves weren’t returned, are sent back to you.
This data is available at two different levels: Limited Service and Full Service. Limited Service providers maintain a database of the last 18 months of moves, and Full Service providers maintain 48 months of moves. Satori Software is a Full Service NCOALink provider.
NCOALink is the easiest pre-mailing Move Update process recognized by USPS. It’s the only process that returns data from more than 18 months ago, assuming you go through a Full Service provider. It does not return data for temporary moves or NIXIE (non-move related, undeliverable mail) information. NCOALink is ideal to avoid the lengthy USPS forwarding process and also updates your source data automatically.
What is ACS?
ACS is a post-mailing process you can use to update your addresses. It satisfies the Move Update requirement for First-Class and Standard mail discounts, as long as you have updated your address list with previous ACS results or another Move Update process within 95 days of your mailing date. There are many ways to use ACS, but the easiest is to include the Intelligent Mail barcode with the ACS setting on your mail piece. After you have sent your mail, USPS will return the move data to you, mainly in the form of update files that include the old and new address. You must update your mailing list with these moves in order to remain Move Update compliant. Sometimes you will get your physical mail piece back with a yellow sticker including the ACS data even if you chose to get electronic notifications. This introduces a manual process that can take quite a bit of time and yet is still required to maintain Move Update compliance.
ACS is the most common post-mailing Move Update process. Returned information includes temporary moves and NIXIE information. Data is usually limited to the last 18 months, and isn’t as consistent as NCOALink data. ACS is ideal for lists that you use repeatedly and when you want to get more than permanent move data.
Which should you use?
While both NCOALink and ACS make your list Move Update compliant, selecting one can be difficult. The data used and returned for each is different, and in the case of ACS the data is only available after the mailing and through different channels. NCOALink is by far the easiest to use and update, and does not require additional steps once your mailing is out the door. We recommend using NCOALink for all your mailings to reduce the number of returns and keep your list Move Update compliant. If you need NIXIE or temporary move information, use ACS in addition to NCOALink processing. By using NCOALink first, you will limit the number of ACS returns, which can cost up to $0.50 per piece. Reducing your ACS returns will also limit the number of manual steps needed to keep your address list up to date.
