By now you may have heard about the new USPS Move Update requirements that will take effect on November 23, 2008. The Move Update standards have been expanded to include all First-Class™ and Standard Mail^® and are required for postal discount rates. Additionally, the minimum frequency of change-of-address processing will change to 95 days prior to the date of the mailing (from 185 days) to be eligible for automation and presort discount rates.

This means all mailings on November 23, 2008, must have been processed using an address updating solution, such as the NCOALink^® service, no earlier than August 20, 2008, to meet the Move Update requirement.

What does this mean for MDR customers?

We are sending you this message to make sure that you are aware of this coming change and to help you plan and adjust your MDR list orders and mail plans for leased MDR data. Because this change impacts both First-Class and Standard Mail, this could have a broader impact on your mail campaigns.

Your mail house may ask you to complete a USPS certification of compliance. You will need to respond to these requests from your mail house or the post office directly.

MDR has several ways to help your mailing lists stay in compliance to maximize your mail discount opportunities:

• Documentation that confirms MDR data is Move Update compliant is available in the Support section of our Web site on the List Documentation page.
• All MDR products will be compliant with the USPS Move Update standards starting November 10, 2008.
  • This means MDR files will be run through the NCOA process every three months, so the entire database will be refreshed within the 95-day window for eligibility.
  • When ordering lists, consult with your MDR Representative about the window of time in which you will be mailing. You may choose to pull your list closer to the time of drop to ensure you meet the discount eligibility.
• Data lease customers can request additional services from MDR for monthly or quarterly updates.
• You may want to update your house files to be compliant with the Move Update standards and take advantage of the postal discount rates. MDR's Database Marketing Solutions can help you maintain the most deliverable house file possible. Services include NCOA processing, Educator Scrub Merge/Purge, CASS certification, append services, and more to help you get the most ROI from your mailings.

If you have any questions on how these changes will affect your mail plans, contact your MDR Representative today at 800-333-8802. We are always here to help!