DPV product includes information on vacant or non-delivery addresses
The Postal Service is helping mailers identify when they are sending mail to vacant or non-delivery addresses. New "no-stat" and "vacant" tables now are available as part of the Delivery Point Validation (DPV) product. The tables are simple to use and can help mailers save on production and postage costs by reducing undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail.
About 6 percent of UAA mail volume is due to the address being vacant or because the Postal Service does not make delivery to the address. The new DPV tables will assist mailers in identifying these types of delivery points and prevent mail from being returned or treated as waste.
The no-stat table identifies addresses USPS knows exist but aren't counted as a possible delivery statistic on a carrier's route, hence the term "no-stat." An example would be a new address established for a house still under construction.
The vacant table identifies delivery points currently not receiving delivery. Based on analysis of customer change-of-address data, the average time an address remains vacant following a customer's move is 74 days. After 90 days the delivery unit sets the vacant flag for the address to indicate mail is not currently being delivered there.
Using the no-stat and vacant tables will allow mailers to make an informed decision about mailing to these addresses. As the vacant address is reoccupied, or once mail delivery has been established for the address, the vacant and no-stat flags are removed. These tables are updated monthly so mailers have access to the latest information about an address.
To find out more, contact your DPV product vendor to learn whether they have incorporated these new tables in their product. If you're using a service bureau to process your address lists, ask your provider to use these tables during processing. The release of the no-stat and vacant tables is another example of the Postal Service's ongoing commitment to address quality to help the mailing industry make effective and efficient use of the mail.