Publication 8A - Address Change Service - Traditional > ACS Fulfillment File

ACS Fulfillment File

Fulfillment Record

ACS fulfillment files contain a header record followed by records reflecting three types of notification:

1. Notifications generated from forwardable COA orders. These notifications generate records that contain a space in the Deliverability Code field and provide the mailer with a customer's name, old address, and new address as reflected on the change of address form. If a temporary move has been filed, a "W" will be in the deliverability code field and no new address information will be provided (see page 27, Deliverability Code).

2. Notifications generated from non-forwardable carrier-filed actions, such as "Moved Left No Address" or "PO Box Closed." These notifications generate records that contain a "K" or "G" in the Deliverability Code field.

3. Nixie notifications. These notifications generate records that contain one of 15 traditional nixie codes in the Deliverability Code field, which identify the reason for nondelivery. ACS nixie notifications are only available when using Change Service Requested or First-Class pieces using Address Service Requested option 2 as the endorsement, with the exception of periodicals, where no endorsement is required.

In notification types 1 and 2, the customer name and old address information, which is supplied by the customer or carrier, may not exactly match the corresponding information in the mailer's address file. Because these differences may require complex matching logic to locate a customer within the address file, the ACS keyline can be used to ensure a match. The keyline is generated by the mailer and is composed of information that may be used to identify a specific customer, such as an account number, subscription number, record number, parts of the name, etc.

The keyline printed on an ACS-modified mailpiece is returned as part of an ACS fulfillment record and can therefore be used to find the relocating customer on the mailer's address list.

If an ACS participant has more than one participant code, the notifications are grouped in the fulfillment file by participant code. To interpret an ACS fulfillment record, the Deliverability Code field (position 40) should be read first to determine the notification type.

Exhibit 5

ACS Fulfillment File Header Record Format

Total Record Length: 427 Characters