A. Basic premises:

1. Every address being mailed comes from a list of some kind, except when the addressee has initiated contact that results in a mailpiece. Each list may actually have several components or sublists when mailing to customers differs based on the business relationship.
2. Each list is updated on a cycle. The cycle may be as long as 6 months (or 180 days) or as short as 1 day.

B. When a customer initiates a contact that results in an addition to the list,

the newly added address can "ride" with the list until the next cycle for update. This will only occur when the person for whom the mailpiece is prepared has asked to be added to the list by requesting services, literature, merchandise, etc. We anticipate the new names will not exceed 1% of the list total.

C. Addresses derived from any source other than directly from

the individual customer must be:

1. Mailed at single-piece rates;
2. Mailed at single-piece rates until a move update process is used to verify the address; or
3. Accompanied by the necessary documentation from the list source that identifies the method and the timeframe of the move update process to determine the length of the eligibility.

D. If the address list is provided to another party for the purpose

of mailing at discount First-Class Mail rates and that list has a blend of established and newly acquired customers, the list source must furnish documentation or evidence of the move update process used (to determine the length of eligibility) and additional information on the number of new names acquired directly from the customer since the time of the last update. The Post Office anticipates the new names will not exceed 1% of the list total.

E. If the address list is further distributed to additional mailers

(by the second party to others, by a third party to others, etc.), a copy of the original documentation with dates of processing and the number of additions to the list must accompany it.

Does a list or name have to be updated literally every 180 days?

It is not necessary to update a list or name every 180 days or 6 months. An address can be updated anytime, so long as it is updated within 180 days or 6 months before the address is actually used for discount-rate First-Class Mail. If the mailer sends to a list once every 2 years, that list would not need to be run until 180 days (or 6 months) or less before the mailing date.

Must whole lists be updated every time?

Entire lists do NOT have to be updated at once. The standard applies to individual addresses, not to entire list, so only those addresses that will be used on discount-rate First-Class Mail need to meet the update standard. Inactive addresses or those used only on mail of other classes do not have to meet this standard until (if ever) they are used to send discount-rate First-Class Mail.