CASS & NCOA
Address-List Cleanup
Verification to Increase Deliverability
LetterStream’s Address List Cleanup (CASS) and Deluxe Address List Cleanup (NCOA) services verify, correct, and standardize your mailing addresses using official USPS data—including ZIP+4, delivery point validation, and change-of-address updates for recipients who have moved. By cleaning your list before you mail, we help reduce returned mail, lower postage and processing costs, and improve compliance as your trusted print-to-mail partner.
Address-List Cleanup
As Low as $19.95 Plus $.005 Per Name
- Flagging or removing duplicate records
- Correcting Street and City spelling
- Adding Zip +4 digit zip codes
- Standardizing abbreviations
- Formatting addresses to meet USPS standards
Now you can reduce the cost of your mailing and improve deliverability by requesting that we clean your mailing address list for you.
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Deluxe Address-List Cleanup
As Low as $29.95
Plus $.008 Per Name
For even greater deliverability, ask for Deluxe Address-List Cleanup (National Change of Address — NCOA) information. With this process we can determine if any of the individuals on your mailing list have moved in the last 18 months and provide you with their new address. When someone moves and has a postal address change that information is logged in the US Postal Service change of address system and we can provide you with their new or updated postal address.
Whether you have an active mailing that you are working on or not, you can still benefit from having correct and up-to-date addresses.
Returned Mail is Expensive!
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Reduced Costs for Mailings
Bad addresses can be removed so you won’t pay the cost for pieces that won’t be delivered. -
Reduce Costs for Retun Processing
Chances are someone in your organization has a stack of returned mail that, someday, they will attempt to correct in your software. Using our service will not only reduce the cost of this process, but will assure you that it is taken care of. -
Improve Compliance
If you are required to notify individuals or at least give it a best efforts try, it will be important for you to have your list professionally corrected. -
Be Green
Literally tons of paper and envelopes are produced each year, printed, mailed, flown and driven around the country, returned and then deposited in the trash.
There are many benefits of keeping your mailing list accurate, standardized and up-to-date.
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Getting Started
Many organizations don’t properly clean their address lists because it’s simply too complicated and time-consuming for most people.
We have attempted to take the frustration out of the process by allowing you to send your data to us for quick and timely processing.
Strategies for address clean up may include:
- Clean list before each mailing
- One-time list cleanup if reusing the same list
- Clean up list at regular intervals prior to mailing
Send USPS Mail and FedEx
Fast, Secure Print-to-Mail Service with USPS and FedEx
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Address-List Cleanup at LetterStream?
Address-List Cleanup is a pre-mailing service that verifies and standardizes your address list to USPS requirements. We offer two levels of cleanup: CASS (Simple Address Cleanup) and NCOA (Deluxe Address Cleanup).
What is CASS (Simple Address-List Cleanup)?
CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) verifies and formats the addresses you provide so they meet USPS standards. It can fix formatting issues, correct city spelling, and add ZIP+4 when the address is valid.
What is NCOA (Deluxe Address-List Cleanup)?
NCOA (National Change of Address) includes everything CASS does, plus it updates addresses for recipients who have moved within the last 18 months.
How is CASS different from NCOA?
CASS standardizes and verifies what you already have. NCOA does that and replaces outdated addresses with the most recent USPS change-of-address data (when available).
How much do CASS and NCOA cost?
CASS (Simple) costs $19.95 base
+ $.005 per recipient.
NCOA (Deluxe) costs $29.95 base
+ $.008 per recipient.
What does CASS fix or standardize?
CASS will convert text to uppercase, compress/standardize address lines, correct city spelling, and add ZIP+4 for valid addresses. It won’t add missing recipient names or company fields.
Does either option include Delivery Point Validation (DPV)?
Yes. Both CASS and NCOA include DPV, which checks whether the specific delivery point exists at that address (not just the street).
How do I interpret the DPV result codes in my cleaned file?
Your cleaned CSV includes a DPV column. The first character tells you status: Y = fully confirmed, D = primary confirmed but missing secondary, S = primary confirmed but secondary unconfirmed, N = not confirmed, blank = not processed.
What file do I upload for cleanup, and what must it include?
Upload a properly formatted CSV with recipient name/company already present, plus street address, city, state, and ZIP. Cleanup won’t insert missing names or companies.
How long does address-List cleanup take?
Cleanup typically completes quickly, within 10 minutes.
What do I receive after CASS or NCOA runs?
You get a downloadable CSV showing your updated/standardized addresses and status fields (including DPV), plus a results legend in your account so you understand each outcome.
When should I use CASS vs. NCOA?
Use CASS when your list is relatively fresh but needs USPS formatting and ZIP+4 accuracy. Use NCOA when your list might be stale or you want the highest deliverability by catching recent movers.
Will address-List cleanup guarantee delivery?
It greatly improves accuracy and reduces returns, but delivery still depends on real-world factors (vacant properties, restricted locations, brand-new moves not yet reflected, etc.). NCOA provides the strongest improvement because it also updates recent movers.