The Postal Service has designed the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) certification process in cooperation with the mailing industry to improve the quality of postal codes — i.e., 5-digit ZIP, ZIP+4, delivery point, and carrier route codes that appear on mailpieces.
The CASS software certification program provides hardware and software developers, service bureaus, and commercial mailers a common measure by which to test the quality of address-matching software. The U.S. Postal Service National Customer Support Center (NCSC) grades software tests for CASS certification, and it returns the results to the developer to provide useful diagnostics for correcting software deficiencies. However, CASS processing does not measure the accuracy of postal codes in a mailer’s address file.
CASS certification is valid until the end of the current period. For software to remain CASS Certified for each period, developers must reapply for certification and meet the minimum accuracy requirements during Stage II testing.
Another certification program offered by the CASS Department is the Multiline Accuracy Support System (MASS). MASS provides certification for multiline optical character readers (MLOCRs), remote video encoding (RVE) systems, local video encoding (LVE) systems, and encoding stations to process address information and apply an accurate delivery point barcode.
The NCSC issues MASS certification once the mailer achieves the required level of accuracy. MASS certification is a biennial requirement and is valid from the certification date until the end of any current biennial period. The Postal Service requires MASS certification for all mailers using MLOCRs, RVE systems, LVE or encoding stations when printing delivery point barcodes on mailpieces submitted for mailing at automation prices.
