Sebis Direct, Inc. is a non-exclusive Licensee of the USPS^® (United States Postal Service^®) to provide Limited Service NCOA^LinkTM processing.

It is important to note that not all Service Providers can offer the same level of service. Data quantity differs based on license level. Full Service Providers receive the full 48 month data set while Limited Service Providers receive an 18 month data set. All data fulfillments to Service Providers are provided weekly under direct license from the USPS.

The full NCOA^Link file is a consolidated file of move information that on average contains approximately 160 million permanent change-of-address (COAs) filed with the United States Postal Service (USPS). These COAs are retained on file for a four-year period from the move-effective date and the file is updated weekly. The data set provided to Limited Service Providers contains approximately 60 million COAs covering the most recent 18 months.

Before being added to the NCOA^Link file, the Old address supplied by the Postal customer must be ZIP + 4^® coded. The New address must be ZIP + 4 coded and validated using the USPS' proprietary database of actual delivery points. (NOTE: The delivery point database does not include NAMES or COA information.) Each delivery point confirmed New address is included in the NCOA^Link file. If unable to validate the New address, the NCOA^Link process will indicate that a move exists but will not provide the undeliverable New address.

New address information is provided only when a match is made to the input name and address is attained. The typical profile of the New address information contained in the NCOA^Link file is as follows:

• 80.92% - Forwardable moves containing delivery point confirmed New addresses -
  New address provided.
• 1.18% - Moves containing unconfirmed New addresses – New address not provided.
• 13.80% - Moved, left no address.
• 3.92% - PO Box closed.
• 0.18% - Foreign moves.

When possible, postal customers who move multiple times within the NCOA^Link time period are “linked” or “chained” to ensure that the latest address is furnished when an NCOA^Link match is attained. This is not always possible if subsequent COAs are not filed in exactly the same manner as a COA filed previously (e.g., name spelling differences or conflicting secondary information).

The provision of address change information is controlled by strict name and address matching logic. NCOA^Link processing will only provide new address information when queried with a specific algorithm of the name and input address from a mailers address list which matches the information on the NCOA^Link Product. Data contained in and information returned by NCOA^Link is determined by the name and move type (Business, Individual or Family) indicated on a Postal customer's Change of Address form.

The data contained within the NCOA^Link Product is comprised of approximately 40% family moves, 54% individual moves and 6% business moves.

All matches made to the NCOA^Link file require a ZIP + 4 coded, parsed input address.

The five types of processing modes are Standard (S); Business and Individual (C); Individual (I); Business (B); and Residential (R).

Standard Processing Mode (S)

• Standard Processing Mode requires inquiries in the following order:
  • Business - Match on business name.
  • Individual - Match on first name, middle name, surname and title required. Gender is checked and nickname possibilities are considered.
  • Family - Match on surname only.
• Under no circumstances shall there be a “Family” match only option.

Business and Individual Processing Mode (C)

• The NCOA^Link customer may choose to omit all “Family” match inquiries and allow only "Individual" and "Business" matches to be acceptable. This matching process is also known as C Processing Mode.

Individual Processing Mode (I)

• The NCOA^Link customer may also choose to omit “Business” match inquiries when processing individual names for mailing lists that contain no business addresses.

Business Processing Mode (B)

• The NCOA^Link customer may choose to process for only “Business” matches when processing a “Business-to-Business” mailing list which contains no residential (Individual or Family) addresses.

Residential Processing Mode (R)

• The NCOA^Link customer may choose to omit “Business” match inquiries and allow only “Individual” and “Family” matches to be acceptable under Residential Processing Mode. This matching process is also known as R Processing Mode.

The USPS has opted to remove soundex from the matching logic process. Consequently, the USPS has established a process called the “Rules Table.” This process will produce matches that otherwise would not be possible, i.e. JOHNY and JOHNNY, without the risks associated with soundex.

All nickname possibilities are derived from a standard USPS nickname list. In considering alternate presentations of an input name, only reasonable derivatives of the original input name are acceptable. If an input name and address do not match to NCOA^Link and alternative queries are attempted, any variations which obtain NCOA^Link matches will be provided to the NCOA^Link customer for analysis.

When a match or a near match of an input name and address to NCOA^Link is identified, a standard NCOA^Link return code is provided indicating the type of match made or reason that a match could not be made.

The standard output of a USPS NCOA^Link process is:

1. Each original unaltered input name and address as it was presented.
2. The standardized input address appended with the correct ZIP + 4/DPC, other postal values and any other intelligence flags or footnotes that result from the CASS^™ processing segment.
3. For each mailing address for which there is a match to the NCOA^Link Product, a standardized new address with 11-digit Delivery Point Bar Code (DPBC) and standard return codes.
4. When a match is made, the following elements must be returned: the move effective date, the specific name and address utilized in the query that obtained the match, and the move type. The move type is determined by the Interface based on the specific name inquiry utilized to obtain the match.
5. For each mailing address for which there is not a match to the NCOA^Link Product, the Interface shall return all elements as appropriate under items a and b as well as any standard return codes as may be appropriate.
6. The urbanization name information, when applicable.
7. The carrier route information for new (updated) addresses.

8. Processing Summary Report containing information to identify the specific list and the statistics resulting from the NCOA^Link process performed on the list.

Although every record must be returned, the format of the records returned by a Service Provider to their clients is determined by a separate agreement between the processor and the customer.

NCOA^Link processing has the potential to reduce returned mail, yet the USPS does not make any guarantees, express or implied, on the reduction of such mail. Thus any costs associated with returned mail are the Licensees' and/or their customers' sole responsibility.

An NCOA^Link customer with questions about the specific results returned from an NCOA^Link process must first contact the processor for explanation and resolution.

Prior to the processing of NCOA^Link data, every customer must have completed and returned to their NCOA^Link Licensee the “NCOA^Link PROCESSING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM” provided to them by their Licensee or Agent. It is inappropriate to misrepresent any of the information on the form. Punitive action will be taken by the USPS if the customer, agent or licensee is found to have knowingly supplied false information. Depending on the severity of the offense, actions may include litigious or even criminal charges being brought against the offender.

The following trademarks are owned by the United States Postal Service^®: CASS, NCOA^Link , United States Postal Service, USPS and
ZIP + 4.