ACS™ Service

ACS service helps meet the needs of business mailers by providing a cost-effective, efficient means of obtaining accurate change-of-address (COA) information. ACS service saves mailers time and money by:

• Reducing the amount of undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mailpieces
• Reducing the need to manually key address changes
• Eliminating other labor-intensive steps involved in address change operations

ACS service is available to First-Class Mail^®, Periodicals, Standard Mail^®, and Package Services mailers. To participate in ACS, mailers must modify their mailing label format to include a mailer identification (participant) code assigned by the National Customer Support Center (NCSC). A mailer-assigned keyline is also required if the mailer wants to participate in the nixie service (codes for mailpieces that are not deliverable for reasons other than a move).

As ACS-modified mailpieces are processed via the USPS^® nationwide network of Computerized Forwarding System (CFS) sites, electronic COA notifications are generated when possible. However, ACS is an enhancement to the traditional process of manual (hard copy) notifications; it does not completely replace or eliminate hard copy address change notifications.

Mailers participating in ACS receive the following benefits:

• Timely COA information provided electronically on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule
• COA information that relates specifically to their address files
• In many cases, the ability to make changes directly from electronic media rather than the costly manual process, which is prone to transcription error

Address change problems encountered by mailers in the past, such as poor-quality photocopies, postal labels placed over the old address, and crossed-out old addresses, are reduced substantially for ACS participants.

The ACS process involves the daily transmission of COA information from CFS sites to the NCSC, where the changes are consolidated into a file on a mailer-by-mailer basis. These records are organized by mailer ACS Participant codes and distributed to the participant mailer. Under ACS, the USPS provides COA information via a secure website, computer, or CD-ROM. Depending on a mailpiece's class and endorsement, mailers using a keyline may also receive information on addresses that are undeliverable for reasons other than a customer move (i.e., nixie notifications).

The major benefits of ACS service include the additional savings realized by receiving address change information electronically, which reduces costs associated with manual processing, and the opportunity for mailers to maintain up-to-date addresses for customers who have moved.

To learn move about ACS service, call the National Customer Support Center at 1-800-238-3150 or view Publication 8, Address Change Service Technical Guide, and Publication 363, Updating Address Lists Is a Smart Move.