CASS Certification

CASS Certification matches your list against the USPS National Database File. The Coding Accuracy Support System or CASS was developed by USPS to streamline mail handling and sorting by providing a strict set of performance standards for address correction and postal coding software. In turn, mailers qualify for substantial postage discounts by using CASS certification.

Address standardization

Address standardization changes data in the "Address" field to meet abbreviation standards set by the USPS (e.g., ST for Street, S for South, etc.) and corrects minor spelling errors. Corrections are made for multiple responses, insufficient of incorrect address, spelling, delivery address change ST, DR, etc. and standardizing the address to match the USPS database.

The following additional fields are added to your list: ZIP+4

Delivery Point Bar Codes (DPBC), and Line of Travel (LOT) codes (street-to-street) and - the most important information of all, Carrier Routes (CART). The Carrier Route (CART) code applies to pieces grouped by individual mail carrier routes.

The Delivery Point

The Delivery Pointcode containes a 3-digit number composed of a "check digit" plus 2 addtional numbers (usually the last 2 digits of the street address). These 3 numbers, added to the 9-digit ZIP+4 code, make up the delivery point barcode. This barcode is necessary for automated postal mailing discounts.

LOT number and LOT order fields are also necessary for presort discounts.

Cass certification is extremely useful for:

• Your own customer list to reveal the specific mail carrier routes your current customers are coming from and then flood those routes with mail!

• A single address within a specific neighborhood, apartment complex, or subdivision to reveal all prospects there and mail them!

• Eliminating "nixies" (undeliverable mail) by repairing incorrect addresses in your list database

• Merges and purges your list by eliminating duplicate addresses in your list database

Customer List Maintenance

Your Customer Lists are everything. They are your #1 tangible or intangible asset. It isn't a risk to make your list accurate. It's a risk not to. There's nothing riskier than poor list keeping. Lists so poorly kept, they simply become useless.

How can I keep my customer lists accurate?

Create a "John Doe" customer in your database which can be alternatively named "Our Best Client", "Good Customer", or "Name of Our Business Customer", etc., with your business address. Use the John Doe account for every one-time, one-week, or out-of-state client, or for any client that will not be considered to be a part of your mail list. This keeps your Customer List from containing addresses that will never be used for mailings. Keep your customer signup/release forms for these customers in a file with the same name, i.e,"John Doe" file for reference. Should a "John Doe" customer decide to move to your area, become a regular customer, etc., you can always take their signup/release form out of this file and then enter them as a regular customer at that time. In this fashion, you do not create hundreds or thousands of meaningless data on customers that can't be mailed or used for any other purpose.

At Grip, we CASS certify, presort and sort, enabling you to take advantage of the maximum postal discounts.