The NCOA link file is a file which is consolidated with move information of individuals, companies and families. This file contains more that 160 million permanent address changes which are normally filed with USPS, United States Postal Service.

The National Change of Address files are normally retained for a period of four years since the move date and these are then updated every week. For an address to be added to the link file it must contain a zip code and it should be a validated one by the use of USPS database. This displays the actual points of delivery and each confirmed new address is then included in the NCOA file. When validation of a new address is not done, the link will indicate a move without giving further information on the new address.

The NCOA link has a typical new address profile which is provided only when there is a match between the address and the input name. The file contains new delivery points, moves with no addresses when some validation is not provided, it will also indicate a move even if it is a foreign one. Sometimes it will even tell you that the mail box you are targeting has been closed.

Since there are postal customers who move more frequently, they have to be chained or linked within NCOA link time so that their latest addresses can be furnished as soon as a link match is found. However, this has brought some challenges since the changes are not always done as the previous ones, especially when it comes to spelling of names and other information.

The NCOA change provision is controlled strictly by an address and name which logically match. The link process provides information on a new address when it is queried using an algorithm which specifies the input address and the name got from the mailing address list. The data is mostly on family, business and individual move types which are provided by the USPS.

All matches done on the NCOA link require parsed and zip coded input address. The link file has brought so much relief to most organizations, especially those who do not want to lose track of their customers and also those who want to cut on the number of undelivered mails which can be a costly affair.

Anchor computer software offers clients unmatched usps mail software and other geocoding services solutions like cass and ncoa software for national change of address verification to pave and data quality software.

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