Save Postage on Returned and Recycled Mail: Learn What to Suppress from Your Mailing List
When mailing in bulk for yourself or for your clients, whether it's First Class or Marketing Mail, postage rates increase annually under the 10-year plan by the USPS. The best way to offset the increased costs of postage is to put more emphasis on analyzing your CASS Certified address validation results, and keep addresses out of your mailing that will not receive mail.
The USPS provides Delivery Point Validation (DPV) codes that offer insight into potential problems with addresses in your mailing list. NCOALink move update processing takes this a step further by updating the addresses of those who moved and filed a Change of Address with the USPS. The updated addresses, in these cases, might be a variation of a "Moved, No Forwarding" or the addresses could be updated to new addresses.
But beyond simply mailing to the new addresses of those who moved and mailing to only the addresses flagged as "Valid" by CASS Address validation standards, there are more addresses you can safely eliminate, and not doing so is leaving meat on the bone.
Below is a table that includes the different types of mail that should be suppressed.
| DPV Code* | DPV Description | Meaning | DQ Mailable** | DQ Recommended Suppression Flag*** | AccuZIP DQ Guidance / Operational Next Steps |
| A1 | Input address not matched to the ZIP + 4 product | ZIP+4 not matched | REVIEW | 0 | Most likely not deliverable. AccuZIP typically allows mailing but flags as undeliverable. Consider customer confirmation for high-value mail. |
| C1 | Input address primary number matched, secondary number not matched; secondary number required | Secondary required, not matched | NO | 1 | Hard suppress. USPS requires unit. AccuZIP DQ flags as undeliverable. Request Apt/Suite/Unit from customer. |
| G1 | Input address matched to a general delivery address | General Delivery | REVIEW | 0 | Mailable but discouraged for marketing mail. AccuZIP leaves unsuppressed but flagged. |
| IA | Informed address identified | Informed Address | REVIEW | 1 | Informed Address not fully supported by USPS. |
| N1 | Input address primary number matched to DPV but address missing required secondary number | Missing required secondary | NO | 1 | Hard suppress. Same treatment as C1. Unit required for delivery. |
| M1 | Input address primary number missing | Primary number missing | NO | 1 | Hard suppress. Not a valid delivery point. |
| M3 | Input address primary number invalid | Primary number invalid | NO | 1 | Hard suppress. Fails DPV logic. |
| PB | Identified PO Box Street Address | PO Box Street Address | REVIEW | 0 | Mailable depending on class and USPS rules. AccuZIP does not auto-suppress. |
| P1 | Input address PO, RR, or HC box number missing | PO/RR/HC box missing | NO | 1 | Hard suppress. Incomplete address. |
| P3 | Input address PO, RR, or HC box number invalid | PO/RR/HC box invalid | NO | 1 | Hard suppress. Invalid delivery point. |
| RR | Input address matched to CMRA but PMB designator present (PMB 123 or # 123) | CMRA with PMB present | REVIEW | 0 | USPS-compliant if PMB present. AccuZIP allows mailing but flags CMRA. Some customers suppress by policy. |
| R1 | Input address matched to CMRA but PMB designator not present (PMB 123 or # 123) | CMRA missing PMB | NO | 1 | Hard suppress. USPS requires PMB for CMRA delivery. |
| R7 | Addresses that are assigned to a phantom route of R777 or R779 | Phantom route (R777/R779) | NO | 1 | Always suppress. Not a real delivery route. |
| TA | Input address primary number matched by dropping trailing alpha | Trailing alpha dropped | REVIEW | 0 | Address corrected by normalization. AccuZIP allows mailing but flags for review. |
| 01 | IDA (Internal Drop Address) - Addresses that do not receive mail directly from the USPS but are delivered to a drop address that services them. | IDA (Internal Drop Address) | REVIEW | 0 | Deliverable via drop point. AccuZIP allows mail but flags as indirect delivery. |
| 02 | CDS No-Stat - Addresses that have not yet become deliverable. For example, a new subdivision where lots and primary numbers have been determined, but no structure exists yet for occupancy. | CDS No-Stat (Not yet deliverable) | NO | 1 | Suppress. Address not active yet. Recheck in future USPS updates. |
| 03 | Collision - Addresses that do not actually DPV confirm. | Collision (No true DPV) | NO | 1 | Suppress. Conflicting records. High UAA risk. |
| 04 | CMZ (College, Military and Other Types) - ZIP + 4 records USPS has incorporated into the data. | CMZ (College/Military/Other) | REVIEW | 0 | Mailable depending on institution rules and mail class. AccuZIP leaves unsuppressed. |
| 05 | Regular No-Stat - Indicates addresses not receiving delivery and the addresses are not counted as possible deliveries. | Regular No-Stat (Not receiving delivery) | NO | 1 | Suppress. USPS indicates no delivery. |
| 06 | Secondary Required - The address requires secondary information. | Secondary Required | NO | 1 | Suppress. Same logic as C1/N1. Unit required. |
*Always Suppressed (DQ_Suppress_Flag = 1)
- DPV: C1, N1, M1, M3, P1, P3, R1, R7
- No-Stat: 02, 03, 05, 06
- These should not be mailed under any standard AccuZIP DQ configuration
*Allowed but Flagged for Review
- DPV: A1, G1, IA, PB, RR, TA
- No-Stat: 01, 04
- Typically mailed only if the customer explicitly allows or if mail class / business rules permit.
*Always Safe to Mail
- DPV: AA, BB, CC, F1, U1
**DQ Mailable
- YES = safe for production mail
- NO = suppress from production
- REVIEW = depends on customer policy / mail class
***DQ Suppress Flag
- 1 = Suppress
- 0 = Do not suppress
If you're an AccuZIP6 desktop software customer, you can add suppression flagging that will indicate what should be mailable and what shouldn't automatically following address validation and duplicate removal using the unique AccuZIP6 command feature, and the command below.
https://www.accuzip.com/support/commands/?id=109
Consider the extra value you're providing for your customers by giving them a list of addresses that you recommend they remove from their mailing, and why. Now you're not just mailing for them and effectively acting as a printer and messenger service, but you're showing your expertise in data analysis. Doesn't this make you more valuable and trusted than a random mail service provider that will mail to every address in their list, even those without street numbers, because you make more money the more you print?
Won't customers who trust you tend to stay with you, even if competition can out-bid you?
The advice in this article will reduce postage by reducing returned mail and eliminating waste. It will improve open rates and response rates by eliminating addresses that would never get your mail, and therefore never reply to it. The chances of running this direct mail campaign again increase when you increase open rates while reducing postage. Isn't this why you recommend yourself to your clients?
