As a non-exclusive NCOALink Software Interface provider, Precisely is required by the USPS to provide the following text to our existing and prospective customers. This text explains the NCOALink process in detail.
Precisely is a non-exclusive Licensee of the United States Postal Service® (USPS®) to provide USPS certified NCOALink® interface software to authorized Full Service Provider, Limited Service Provider, and End User Licensee candidates.
The NCOALink Product is a USPS proprietary system of move information that on average contains approximately 160 million permanent changes-of-address (COAs) filed with the USPS. These COAs are retained on the file for a four-year period from the move-effective date and the file is updated weekly.
It is important to note that not all Service Providers can provide the same level of service. Data quantity differs based on license level. Full Service Providers receive the full 48 month data set on a weekly basis. Limited Service Providers receive an 18 month data set on a weekly basis. End Users receive an 18 month data set on a monthly basis. All data fulfillments are provided under direct license from the USPS.
The sole purpose of NCOALink processing is to provide a mailing list correction tool for lists that will be used for the preparation of mailings for acceptance and delivery by the USPS. The NCOALink Product may not be used to create, generate, or maintain new movers lists or as a source to any other proprietary database for the purpose of redistribution or sale.
An input name and address must match the name and old address on a COA in order to obtain a match. When queried with a matching name and old address as input, the NCOALink process will yield the new address as the result. New address information is provided only when a match to the input name and address is attained.
Before being added to the NCOALink file, the Old address supplied by the Postal customer must be ZIP + 4® coded. The New addresses must be ZIP + 4 coded and validated using the USPS' proprietary database of actual delivery points. (NOTE: The delivery point database does not include NAMES or COA information.) Each delivery point confirmed New address is included on the NCOALink file. If unable to validate the New address, the NCOALink process will indicate that a move exists but will not provide the undeliverable New address.
The typical profile of the New address information contained on the NCOALink file is as follows:
| 80.92% | Forwardable moves containing delivery point confirmed New addresses – New address provided |
| 1.18% | Moves containing unconfirmed New addresses – New address not provided |
| 13.80% | Moved, left no address |
| 3.92% | P. O. Box™ Closed |
| 0.18% | Foreign moves |
When possible, postal customers who move multiple times within the NCOALink® time period are "linked" or "chained" to ensure that the latest address is furnished when an NCOALink match is attained. This is not always possible if subsequent COAs are not filed in exactly the same manner as a COA filed previously (for example, name spelling differences or conflicting secondary information).
The provision of change of address information is controlled by strict name and address matching logic. NCOALink processing will only provide new address information when queried with a specific algorithm of the name and input address from a mailers address list which matches the information on the NCOALink Product. Data contained in and information returned by NCOALink is determined by the move type (Business, Individual, or Family) indicated on a Postal customer's Change of Address form.
The NCOALink Product is comprised of approximately 6% business moves, 54% individual moves, and 40% family moves.
All matches made to the NCOALink file require a ZIP + 4® coded input address.
The five types of processing modes are Standard (S); Business and Individual (C); Individual (I); Business (B); and Residential (R).
Standard Processing Mode (S)
- Standard Processing Mode requires inquiries in the following order:
- Business — Match on business name.
- Individual — Match on first name, middle name, surname and title required. Gender is checked and nickname possibilities are considered.
- Family — Match on surname only.
- Under no circumstances shall there be a "Family" match only option.
Business and Individual Processing Mode (C)
- The NCOALink customer may choose to omit all "Family" match inquiries and allow only "Individual" and "Business" matches to be acceptable. This matching process is also known as C Processing Mode.
Individual Processing Mode (I)
- The NCOALink customer may also choose to omit "Business" match inquiries when processing individual names for mailing lists that contain no business addresses.
Business Processing Mode (B)
- The NCOALink customer may choose to process for only "Business" matches when processing a "Business-to-Business" mailing list which contains no residential (Individual or Family) addresses.
Residential Processing Mode (R)
- The NCOALink customer may choose to omit "Business" match inquiries and allow only "Individual" and "Family" matches to be acceptable under Residential Processing Mode. This matching process is also known as R Processing Mode.
The USPS has opted to remove soundex from the matching logic process. Consequently, the USPS has established a process called the "Rules Table." This process will produce matches that otherwise would not be possible (for example, JOHNY and JOHNNY) without the risks associated with soundex.
All nickname possibilities are derived from a standard USPS® nickname list. In considering alternate presentations of an input name, only reasonable derivatives of the original input name are acceptable. If an input name and address do not match to NCOALink® and alternative queries are attempted, any variations which obtain NCOALink matches will be provided to the NCOALink customer for analysis.
When a match or a near match of an input name and address to NCOALink is identified, a standard NCOALink return code is provided indicating the type of match made or reason that a match could not be made.
The return code provided is the final result of an NCOALink query. At the option of the NCOALink Licensee, additional return code values from intermediate queries may be provided. The query name and/or address which generated the specific return code may not be the exact input or final query name and address provided in the standard output of a USPS NCOALink process.
The standard output of a USPS NCOALink process is:
- Each original unaltered input name and address as it was presented.
- The standardized input address appended with the correct ZIP + 4/DPC, other postal values and any other intelligence flags or footnotes that result from the CASS™ processing segment.
- For each mailing address for which there is a match to the NCOALink hash table(s) as defined in this document, the 11-digit DPBC and a conversion to a standardized address, and standard return codes. Software shall assign all applicable standard return codes.
- When a match is made, the following elements must be returned: the move effective date (CCYYMM), specific name and address utilized in the query that obtained the match, and the move type.
- For each mailing address for which there is not a match to the NCOALink hash table(s), the software shall return all elements as appropriate under a and b as well as any standard return codes as may be appropriate.
- The urbanization name information, when applicable.
- The carrier route information for new (updated) addresses.
- DPV® results, if returned.
- LACSLink® results, if returned.
- SuiteLink™ results, if returned.
- Processing summary report containing information to identify the specific list, the statistics resulting from the NCOALink process, and a notice of any other processed performed on the list.
Although every record must be returned, the format of the records returned by a Service Provider to their clients is determined by a separate agreement between the processor and the customer.
NCOALink processing has the potential to reduce returned mail, yet the USPS does not make any guarantees, express or implied, on the reduction of such mail. Thus any costs associated with returned mail are the Licensees' and/or their customers' sole responsibility.
An NCOALink Licensee with questions about specific processes within an NCOALink software interface and/or results returned from an NCOALink process must first contact the software distributor for explanation and resolution.
The ANKLink™ option is available through Limited Service Provider Licensees and to End User Licensees to enable mailers to make informed choices regarding a specific customer contact. If the data indicates a move, the mailer may choose to suppress the record from their list or attempt to determine the actual new address by engaging the services of an NCOALink Full Service Provider (FSP) Licensee.
Mailers choosing to engage the services of an FSP Licensee may submit only those ANKLink matches for which they need additional processing provided that:
- The mailer informs the FSP Licensee that the list is derived from a prior ANKLink process.
- The list submitted to the FSP for processing meets the mailing list requirement of at least 100 unique names and addresses.
- The final results are incorporated back into the original list.
- The records separated for processing are not used to create a derivative product.
The following trademarks are owned by the United States Postal Service®: NCOALink, ZIP + 4, CASS, ANKLink, DPV, LACSLink, SuiteLink, USPS and United States Postal Service.