Products, Services and Publications
Copyright © 2006 United States Postal Service
National Customer Support Center

FASTforward^® System

The FASTforward system contains more than 40 million permanent change-of-address records filed with the Postal Service by relocating postal customers who want their mail forwarded to their new address. These change-of-address records reflect a thirteen month period of address changes provided to FASTforward licensees on a weekly basis.

The FASTforward system consists of a licensed computer system containing FASTforward name- and address-matching software and the change-of-address database. The Postal Service is the sole owner and distributor of the FASTforward hardware and software components that comprise the FASTforward system. Specifically, this includes the FASTforward software, the computer system itself, and the small computer systems interface (SCSI) cable that connects the FASTforward system to the licensee-owned or -leased system components. The FASTforward system is the sole property of the United States Postal Service.

The FASTforward application was developed to interface with commercial mail-processing equipment, specifically multi-line optical character readers (MLOCRs). Licensed systems are required to have a FASTforward interface that meets USPS specifications (contact your equipment manufacturer for details and pricing on this modification). In this application, FASTforward licensees redirect previously prepared mailpieces to the intended recipient's new address. The specific information (new address) is obtained through a matching process of the MLOCR optic lift from the mailpiece name and address against the FASTforward database. Therefore, address change information is provided for application to the mailpiece only for those articles that, in fact, have a matching name and old address present. Any new address provided by FASTforward as the result of a match is appended with the ZIP + 4^® / DPC information along with a text representation of the new (forwarded to) address. This information is applied to the mailpiece in real time by the MLOCR system.

When FASTforward is used, mailpieces avoid the delays associated with traditional mail-forwarding activities.

You can obtain FASTforward licensing information at www.ribbs.usps.gov/files/fastforward.

 For more information on FASTforward, contact the National Customer Support Center at 800-589-5766.