Finalist allows you to turn USPS CASS-certified processing on and off. This feature does not affect the way that addresses are corrected. It simply gives you the option of avoiding some USPS rules which are designed for high-volume mailers. In order to receive postal discounts for a volume mailing, a mailer is required to bring the USPS Form 3553 (CASS Summary Report) that was generated by CASS-certified software to the post office.
Regulations require that current address validation data be used. If CASS-certified processing is turned on, the database files received with Finalist will expire four months after the month listed.
For example, the February database files will expire on June 1. The system will issue an error message when you attempt to initialize Finalist (via calling PBFNInit) if the database has expired.
If you are not processing to achieve postal discounts and do not need the USPS Form 3553 (CASS Summary Report) to submit with your mailing (required in order to receive a postal discount), then you have the option of running in a non-CASS mode and turning off the LACSLink, SuiteLink, and DPV options. Your addresses will still be processed using CASS regulations, but Finalist will not generate the USPS Form 3553 (CASS Summary Report). Running in non-CASS mode prevents your application from receiving the error message from PBFNInit indicating the database has expired.