Penalties for non-compliance begin May 11, 2009
After three months of data review since revisions to the Move Update standards took effect, the Postal Service has established a fair and realistic tolerance threshold for non-compliance with the new requirements.
In November 2008, the revised Move Update requirement increased the minimum frequency of Move Update processing from 185 days to 95 days prior to the date of the mailing. The revised standard also extended Move Update requirements to all Standard Mail for the first time-including letters, flats, parcels and Not-Flat Machinable mailpieces.
Beginning May 11, a mailing with a 30 percent or more error rate for Move Update requirements will no longer qualify for automation discounts. For a First-Class Mail mailing, this means that every piece in the mailing will be charged at the applicable single-piece price. As an example, a 1-ounce letter would be priced at the new single-piece First-Class Mail letter price of 44 cents. A 1-ounce flat would be priced at the new single-piece First-Class Mail flat price of 88 cents. A 1-ounce parcel would be priced at the new single-piece First-Class Mail parcel price of $1.22.
The Move Update calculation will be based on the number of pieces sampled, and from within this sample, the number for which a Change of Address should have been implemented. The error rate will be a comparison of the number of sampled pieces that should have been updated with new addresses versus those that actually were.
The Postal Service is beginning with a generous tolerance level to provide customers the opportunity to improve their Move Update processes. As performance throughout the mailing industry improves, the Postal Service will tighten the tolerance levels with the intent to update parameters every four months.
USPS also is providing customers with substantive feedback on their mailings through new Move Update Reports. These will help customers improve their address lists, which in turn, will help them reach their intended recipients more quickly and more effectively. After all, a promotional piece that gets returned is a lost opportunity, and a statement that's delayed can hurt a company's cash flow. Improved address quality will also help the Postal Service reduce costs.
Move Update Reports are available on PostalOne! for mailers whose mailings are processed on MERLIN (Mail Evaluation Readability Lookup Instrument) at sites that are activated with a new Performance-Based Verification (PBV) process. PBV evaluates mailers' use of Change of Address information by drawing on live samples from their mailings. Mailers should refer to the results of their Move Update Reports and work with local business mail acceptance personnel to improve their address quality.
USPS has posted a Guide to Accessing Move Update Report on ribbs.usps.gov.
After three months of data review since revisions to the Move Update standards took effect, the Postal Service has established a fair and realistic tolerance threshold for non-compliance with the new requirements.
In November 2008, the revised Move Update requirement increased the minimum frequency of Move Update processing from 185 days to 95 days prior to the date of the mailing. The revised standard also extended Move Update requirements to all Standard Mail for the first time-including letters, flats, parcels and Not-Flat Machinable mailpieces.
Beginning May 11, a mailing with a 30 percent or more error rate for Move Update requirements will no longer qualify for automation discounts. For a First-Class Mail mailing, this means that every piece in the mailing will be charged at the applicable single-piece price. As an example, a 1-ounce letter would be priced at the new single-piece First-Class Mail letter price of 44 cents. A 1-ounce flat would be priced at the new single-piece First-Class Mail flat price of 88 cents. A 1-ounce parcel would be priced at the new single-piece First-Class Mail parcel price of $1.22.
The Move Update calculation will be based on the number of pieces sampled, and from within this sample, the number for which a Change of Address should have been implemented. The error rate will be a comparison of the number of sampled pieces that should have been updated with new addresses versus those that actually were.
The Postal Service is beginning with a generous tolerance level to provide customers the opportunity to improve their Move Update processes. As performance throughout the mailing industry improves, the Postal Service will tighten the tolerance levels with the intent to update parameters every four months.
USPS also is providing customers with substantive feedback on their mailings through new Move Update Reports. These will help customers improve their address lists, which in turn, will help them reach their intended recipients more quickly and more effectively. After all, a promotional piece that gets returned is a lost opportunity, and a statement that's delayed can hurt a company's cash flow. Improved address quality will also help the Postal Service reduce costs.
Move Update Reports are available on PostalOne! for mailers whose mailings are processed on MERLIN (Mail Evaluation Readability Lookup Instrument) at sites that are activated with a new Performance-Based Verification (PBV) process. PBV evaluates mailers' use of Change of Address information by drawing on live samples from their mailings. Mailers should refer to the results of their Move Update Reports and work with local business mail acceptance personnel to improve their address quality.
USPS has posted a Guide to Accessing Move Update Report on ribbs.usps.gov.