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Move Update
The United States Postal Service is implementing some new rule changes that will affect your future mailings. Here at Digital Quickcolor by Sir Speedy we are prepared to help you meet all of these new USPS requirements. Meeting these new requirements ensures that your mail is in full USPS compliance. This will allow you to continue to claim discounted postage rates. The new change the Post Office is implementing is in the area of Move Update.
Move Update is the term used by the USPS to refer to updating mailing addresses with National Change of Address (NCOA) information. In a nutshell, Move Update is making sure the person your mailing to still resides at the address your mailing to. On November 23, 2008, the Post Office executed a change of rules on the Move Update requirements. The requirements cover more classes of mail, and addresses will have to be Move Updated more often.
The reason the Post Office is making this change is because they are trying to reduce the amount of Undeliverable As Addressed (UAA) mail. In 2006 alone, over 9.7 billion pieces of mail were sent out with addresses that could not be delivered. This cost the USPS almost $1.9 billion to process, forward, return, or destroy.
There are several factors that lead to a mail piece being undeliverable. One of the most common reasons is that the mail piece recipient has moved. Whenever someone fills out a change of address card, or goes to the USPS Change Of Address web page, a record is generated in the NCOA master database. By comparing the addresses in your mailing list against this master database, we can find the new addresses of those who have moved, and thereby update your mailing list with the new information. Electronically updating your mailing list before you mail is the easiest way to conform to these new USPS requirements.
Originally started as an optional service, NCOA Move Update checks are already required for Presorted First Class Mail. As of November 23, 2008 Move Update is also required for Standard Mail. Most people expect it to become a requirement for Periodicals next year. Another change occurring in November is that your mailing list must have been processed through NCOA within 95 days of the date of mailing. Previously, the standard was 185 days.
Here at Digital Quickcolor by Sir Speedy we have the means to electronically Move Update check your mailing lists prior to each mailing in order to make sure it complies with the new USPS Move Update regulations.
Besides the obvious need to stay in line with USPS mailing policies, there are many other compelling business reasons to comply. Mailers failing to comply with the Move Update rules stand to lose their automation discounts. This would apply to all the pieces in a given mailing, not just those pieces that couldn't be delivered. Obviously any violation would also invite increased scrutiny of future mailings by the Postal Service.
Besides the threat of losing automation discounts on your current and future mailings by not Move Updating, there are other reasons to electronically Move Update your mailing lists. By cleaning up your mailing list before each mailing, removing undeliverable addresses, removing duplicates, and removing bad addresses, you will mail fewer pieces. Not only will this allow you to continue to qualify for automation discounts, but you will also be mailing less pieces overall. Why keep paying over and over again to send out mail that is undeliverable? Not only will Move Updating your database save you money on the overall cost of each mailing, but it will also allow your mail to be delivered directly to your target audience more quickly and accurately. This should dramatically improve your response rates. These reasons alone will more than repay your efforts.
It is important that we start preparing to meet these new USPS requirements now. In order to start electronically updating your mailing lists there is a small USPS form that must be filled out and filed. Let's start getting more of your mail in the hands of your customers!.