A lot goes into confirming that an address is valid. For the United States Postal Service® (USPS), there are several pieces of information needed to verify an address. When you use address validation software, it checks the information entered against USPS’s database and requirements.
A couple of terms to know when it comes to address validation are CASS™ and Delivery Point Validation® (DPV).
- The Coding Accuracy Support System, or CASS, is a certification process used by USPS to evaluate the accuracy of address correction and matching software
- Delivery point validation, or DPV, which is one of the USPS-sourced files included in CASS data, is used to check the status of a specific address within the United States.
What is CASS certification?
According to USPS, “The CASS software certification program provides hardware and software developers, service bureaus, and commercial mailers a common measure by which to test the quality of address-matching software.” If the software meets those standards, the vendor may receive certification, which will lower their rates when sending mail because it reduces the burden on USPS for sorting mail.
Using CASS-certified software to evaluate addresses can qualify mailers for discounted rates through the USPS. As a CASS-certified vendor, Experian’s data quality products cleanse, verify, and standardize addresses before matching against CASS data, which helps our customers receive mailing discounts.
CASS upgrades happen in cycles. Cycle O, the newest certification that begins August 1, 2023, is a highly anticipated migration since it’s the first update in a decade.
CASS processing
Each software provider has its own unique processes, but some are standard for all CASS processing.
- First, address standardization is necessary to organize the list of addresses and bring them in compliance with the standards of USPS. The address is put in the correct format with the right abbreviations. The system will correct spelling errors and other mistakes with CASS address correction software.
- The next step is to update any addresses that may have changed. This step is separate from comparing addresses to the NCOA for businesses, which is the national database for forwarding addresses when someone moves. Updating changed addresses with Locatable Address Conversion SystemLINK (LACS) means that any changes to that address format will be recorded, regardless of who lives at that location.
- Address validation is the third step in all CASS processing. This stage determines if the address is real. It not only checks that the address is a real location, but it validates that it is in use.
What are the requirements to be CASS certified?
CASS data is comprised of the following USPS sourced products and files:
- 5-digit ZIP coding
- Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code (length: 5 digits) - Postal code system used by USPS. (Length: 5 digits)
- ZIP + 4
- Extension of a ZIP code which determines a more precise location within the ZIP. (Length: 4 bytes)
- eLOT
- Enhanced line of travel allows mailers to sort their mailings in approximate carrier-casing sequence. Extended LOT allows mailers to sort their mailings in approximate carrier-casing sequence.
Once data has been processed through a CASS-certified product, a CASS Summary Report can be generated. This report contains information about the condition of the original addresses and how the addresses have changed since cleaning. It is required where USPS mailing discounts are sought.
Providers that are CASS-certified must support specific tools:
- Delivery point coding (DPC): Delivery Point Code (length: 2 bytes). This field contains the last two digits of the house/box number, or if the match is made to a high-rise record, the secondary unit number representing the delivery point information to form the 11-digit or delivery point barcode (DPBC). Possible values: “00” through “99” or spaces. (Length: 2 bytes).
- Suite: The Suite dataset returns information about changes made to an address following comparison with the USPS Suite data. A 'Y' indicates a Suite match, where secondary information is automatically appended to the output address. An ‘N’ indicates no match. A blank indicates that no lookup was performed
- Carrier route coding: Code assigned by the USPS to a group of addresses to aid mail delivery within a ZIP code. Consists of a carrier route type and carrier route code (Length: 4 bytes). For example, “C001”.
- LACS: Locatable Address Conversion System is a dataset provided to allow addresses that have been converted due to USPS changes or for 911 emergency systems to be linked with their new address.
What is USPS Delivery Point Validation™ (DPV?)
DPV is another dataset used for address verification. The actual process for DPV uses the ZIP+4 to validate whether the address has verifiable primary and secondary mailing information. This is different from standard address validation because its purpose is to tell the user whether the address exists—not just that it’s in the postal database.
Experian offers a DPV Confirmation Indicator in our address validation services which allows customers to verify that mail has been delivered to the address entered within the last two months. This is important as packages shipped to bad addresses can lead to several losses for the business:
- Returned mail and postage costs
- Time spent contacting the customer to alert them of delays
- Downturns in customer satisfaction
For marketing campaigns, there is not only a loss of postage but also decreased customer retention due to poor communication and brand perception. By validating an address against DPV data, you can avoid the costs associated with shipping to inaccurate addresses.
How do businesses benefit from CASS-certified mail software?
Using CASS-certified software, including DPV Confirmation, offers your business considerable cost savings for mailing and shipping. When you use a CASS-certified address verification software, you not only qualify for mailing discounts through the USPS, but you also significantly reduce costs for returned mail or poor customer experiences by confirming the accuracy of the addresses to which you send.
CASS processes provide numerous benefits to businesses for address verification:
- They ensure more accurate addresses for faster delivery
- CASS processes help keep the database organized and cleaned up
- You avoid returned mail, which costs money and prevents you from reaching your intended recipients
- These processes allow for work sharing or sorting bulk mail yourself to get a discount on the cost of postage
What makes Experian CASS-certified?
CASS certification requirements change as needed, and vendors like Experian must stay up to date with the latest rules. They must use software that meets minimum requirements for accuracy. This may include the following:
- Validation for five-digit ZIP Code
- Matches ZIP+4 to the five-digit codes
- Coding for carrier routes, which group addresses with the same ZIP code to improve efficiency
- LACS matches rural addresses to city addresses for 911 conversions
- RDI to verify if an address is a residence or commercial space
- DPV confirms that the address truly exists, and mail can be delivered
- eLOT, which puts mail in descending or ascending order to follow the order the mail will be delivered
- DPC, which is a unique identifier for each address
How do I know if a vendor is CASS certified?
Experian address verification tools are all CASS certified based on the latest requirements. You will also find tools for international address validation, so you can ship to your global customers.
