All WWU mailing lists must go through "move update" process

The U.S. Postal Service is mandating a "move update" procedure to improve the percentage of deliverable mail. The goal of this effort is to improve address quality by removing incorrectly addressed pieces and reducing the number of mail pieces that are forwarded, returned or treated as waste. In a "move update," address records are periodically matched with customer-filed change-of-address orders.

All mailings submitted to the Postal Service for discounted postage will require certification of move updates within a 95-day period. Discounted postage mailings are First Class Presort and Standard Bulk mail. Those who wish to mail from their lists must have them updated for address moves within a 95-day period of the mail date.

Effective Jan. 4, mailings without current move updates (every 95 days) will be fined by USPS $.07 for each error. These fees will be passed on to the department.

The WWU Mail Service has software available to do this move update process. Mailing lists must be submitted for move information prior to addressing if the department is doing the labeling. Mailings addressed by the department will require a National Change of Address report along with the mailing or it will be refused.

Mailing lists that are submitted to Mail Services electronically for machine addressing it will be move updated at that time.

Any moves found will be sent back to departments in an electronic form for correction to departmental lists. Those who wish to mail to the same list within 95 days of the last update do not need to have a new update performed.

All mailing lists are welcome and will be accepted in the Mail Service for move updating information and address cleanup. It is the department’s responsibility to accurately record the changes for the next mailing.

This process should eliminate the undeliverable addresses, thereby reducing postage and waste and ensuring that mail is accurately delivered to its intended recipients. Lists should be submitted electronically to Mail Services as PC-based “text, tab delimited” files. Files must be saved or exported with one of the following extensions: .txt, .asc, .csv or .dbf (dbfIII).xls. Submittal of lists in a different format could result in processing delays.

Check the Mail Services Web site at http://www.wwu.edu.depts/fs/MailServices for more information.

For more information, contact Judi Magnuson at (360) 650-3770.