NCOA Compliance

The U.S. Postal Service requires all businesses to update their bulk mailing lists every 95 days.

National Change of Address (NCOA) compliance, or Move Update compliance, requires all business to update their bulk mailing lists every 95 days. As of 2010, it is estimated this will save the U.S. Postal Service $1 billion per year.

NCOA

Usually, when individuals, families, or companies move, they contact the United States Postal Service (USPS) and fill out a change of address form. This allows the USPS to forward their mail to them until they are able to notify all necessary people and organizations of the new address. This information is stored on a NCOA database.

Compliance

NCOA compliance refers to a standard set by the United States Postal Service which requires all businesses to update their bulk mailing lists every 95 days. This requirement applies to first class and standard mail. This is unlike the old standard, which applied only to first class mail, and required an update every 185 days.

Purpose

The purpose of this requirement is to reduce costs and waste that result from undeliverable mail. By 2010, the USPS hopes to have reduced costs and waste by about 50 percent, thereby saving approximately $1 billion per year.

References

• The Graphic Arts Center: NCOA FAQs
• Direct Marketing News: Move Update goes into effect