What You Need to Know About CASS Cycle O - Part 2: Features and Functionalities
CASS Cycle O is the most recent update from USPS to the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS). In the previous blog post, we explored the high-level summary of the key features and benefits of the USPS updating their CASS cycle from “N” to “O”.
For Part 2 of the series, we will delve deeper into the technical aspects of CASS Cycle O, exploring its features and functionalities. Below is a summary of the latest changes that frequent mailers can expect.
1. Advanced Address Matching Algorithms
CASS Cycle O incorporates advanced address matching algorithms that significantly improve the accuracy of address validation. These algorithms analyze and compare address elements such as street names, ZIP codes, and apartment numbers to ensure precise matching. By leveraging these algorithms, businesses can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their address validation processes. It will identify any address that meet DMM requirements for discounted postage, and gives a count of the number of addresses that qualify in summary reporting.
2. Delivery Point Validation (DPV)
One of the notable features of CASS Cycle O is enhanced Delivery Point Validation (DPV). DPV verifies that a specific address is associated with an active delivery point, ensuring the address is deliverable. This feature eliminates the risk of mailing to invalid or non-existent addresses, reducing undeliverable mail and packages, thereby optimizing the delivery process overall. The Cycle O version of DPV now includes information that was previously optional, such as Door Not Accessible (DNA), No Secure Location (NSL), and Non-Delivery Days (NDD).
Cycle O DPV also has enhanced DPV codes available. These codes are optional, but give enhanced information about the delivery status of the address. This includes situations such as an address that is physically available but not eligible for USPS delivery, or a street style address that is actually a PO Box.
3. Geocoding and Geolocation
CASS Cycle O includes geocoding and geolocation functionalities that provide businesses with enhanced address intelligence. Geocoding assigns latitude and longitude coordinates to addresses, enabling businesses to identify precise locations. By using geolocation businesses can better understand the geographic context of their customers, supporting targeted marketing campaigns and location-based services.
4. SuiteLink
Another valuable feature of CASS Cycle O is SuiteLink. The SuiteLink Product will enable customers to provide improved business addressing information by adding known secondary (suite) information to business addresses, which allows USPS delivery sequencing where it would not otherwise be possible. Records that have been processed through CASS Certified™ ZIP + 4® address matching software and identified as high-rise defaults are potential candidates for SuiteLink processing.
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5. PO Box Only Zones
CASS Cycle O identifies cities that have PO Box Only zones. These zones have no form of mail delivery available other than PO Boxes. Cycle O identifies which streets are PO Box only, and alerts the mailer to this information. When an address is entered that occurs in a PO Box Only zone, CASS will prompt for a PO Box style mailing address and will not return a ZIP + 4 for that address.
5. Other Enhancements
There are several other enhancements included in Cycle O. This includes new requirements for Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) and Private Mail Box (PMB) to more accurately identify the recipient and reduce confusion when including secondary information. It also includes enhanced military addressing at the request of the Department of Defense, and updates to comply with the “One State, One Address” Act which deals with addresses that are served by a Post Office in a different state.
In Part 3 of this blog series, we will explore the practical implications of CASS Cycle O and discuss how businesses can implement and benefit from this powerful USPS update.
If you are looking for mailing or direct mail marketing software to optimize your deliveries while remaining compatible with CASS Cycle O, reach out to Anchor Software today!
