Over 40 million Americans change their address annually, which makes maintaining a high-quality mailing list a challenge. The USPS National Change Of Address - NCOA - and the Address Change Service -ACS - programs make change-of-address information available to you.

Using NCOA services you can remove undeliverable addresses and avoid wasting money mailing to out of date addresses. NCOA processing improves mail deliverability by providing you with current, standardized, delivery point coded addresses for individual, family, and business moves.

How We Provide Your National Change of Address Service

First, we standardize all name and address information in your data mailing list so it conforms to USPS requirements, including ZIP +4 codes. Then, we use specialized computer programs to match NCOA data with the names and addresses in your mailing list. The National Change of Address database contains approximately 160 million records. The Address Change Service - ACS - also uses this database.

Each record contains permanent address changes, for a 4 year period of time. Using NCOA data to update your customer information is a very complex process; requiring the sophisticated programs we use to ensure quality updated data in your mailing lists.

We specialize in USPS NCOA processing.
Call 503-684-4593 for immediate service, or
Send an email to Yes, I need help with NCOA.

How National Change of Address Updates Data

Address change information is derived from those little change of address booklets people fill out when they move. The USPS official title for the change of address book is USPS Form 3575, Change-of-Address Order. The US Postal Service will forward mail a new address.

If a match is found with your name and old address information in the NCOA database, NCOA provides your current move information – either a new address or an undeliverable status (AKA: Nixie) code so you can update your mailing list.

NCOA offers you these following benefits . . .

• NCOA reduces your undeliverable mail by providing the most current address available.
• NCOA prevents re-mailings (see Undeliverable Mail Services) after NCOA corrections are made, because your addresses are updated before you mail – saving you the expense of wasted postage.
• In addition to change-of-address information, NCOA also provides Return Codes that explain each address’s match and non-match status. Where NCOA matches have been made, returned records also have either a new address or undeliverable status. When a match could not be made, NCOA includes a code indicating why not.
• NCOA also includes the following important address-defining codes:
• Delivery Point Validation (DPV) enables you to verify that an address actually exists and is currently receiving deliveries.
• Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS) improves your list’s deliverability and enables you to identify more potential duplicate addresses by rewriting rural addresses to USPS approved city-style addresses.
• Commercial Mail Receiving Agent (CMRA) tells you that this address houses private mailboxes at a distribution location, so your mailing piece will end up at a private mail-receiving and/or forwarding facility (e.g. Mail Boxes Etc. or Postal Annex). These addresses usually include a PMB (Personal Mail Box) line in them.
• DMA Suppression is a flag telling you that the recipient at this address has requested to opt out of all advertising mail through the Direct Marketing Association.

Northwest Database Services specializes in Business Management for NCOA accounts. We have over 15 years experience working with the USPS Information Center.
Contact us at 503-684-4593 for immediate service, or
Send an email to Yes, I need some help with NCOA.