What Does NCOA Mean? How Do I Comply?
NCOA might sound like another vague initialism, but it's an important one. It stands for National Change of Address — a secure database that holds 160 million permanent change-of-address records. NCOA is a product of the United States Postal Service, which is better known by its own initialism, USPS. This huge database includes all the names and addresses of people who have changed their contact details over the last four years. Here's why you could benefit from this service and how to access this database.
Why is NCOA Important?
When people move homes or offices, they must update their details with the USPS. As a business owner, having access to this name and address data is really important. It allows you to send messages to customers and clients at their new home or business.
Many people forget to register their new address details with companies. As a result, your correspondence might end up at a customer's old address. NCOA provides you with a solution.
How Do You Comply with NCOA?
NCOA lets you continue to send correspondence to customers and clients, even if they haven't notified you of a change of address.
To gain access to NCOA, you will need to pass the regulations on USPS's Rapid Information Bulletin Board System (RIBBS):
- You will need to complete several documents. These include a confidentiality statement, self-certification statement and web access request form.
- Then, you will need to pay an annual license fee, which ranges between $1,175 per year and $203,000 per year, depending on the NCOA product you choose.
The application process is complicated, so you can pay someone to do it for you. Alternatively, use MyMailHouse and get it done for free.
NCOA lets you track customers and clients at their new address, making it easy to stay in touch. If you want access to the NCOA database just remember to follow the rules laid down by the USPS. Alternatively, use MyMailHouse to access change-of-address records and stay in touch with customers and clients.
