U.S. Address Options

Option Name

Description

Enable U.S. address processing

Specifies whether to process U.S. addresses. If you enable U.S. address processing Validate Address will attempt to validate U.S. addresses. If you disable U.S. address processing, U.S. addresses will fail, meaning they are returned with an "F" in the Status output field. The output field Status.Code will say "DisabledCoder." If you are not licensed for U.S. address processing you must disable U.S. address processing in order for your jobs to complete successfully, regardless of whether or not they contain U.S. addresses.

Note: You must have a valid license for U.S. address processing to successfully process U.S. addresses. If you enable U.S. address processing but are not licensed for this feature, or your license has expired, your entire job will fail.

Database

Specifies which database to use for validating U.S. addresses. Only databases that have been defined in the US Database Resources panel in the Management Console are available.

Line of travel

Enhanced Line of Travel (eLOT) processing assigns a Line of Travel sequence code to your addresses. Note that addresses are not sorted into eLOT sequence but they are assigned a Line of Travel sequence code that allows you to sort addresses into eLOT sequence.

To perform eLOT processing you must have the eLOT database installed.

For a listing of the output fields returned by this option, see Enhanced Line of Travel Output.

Residential Delivery Indicator processing

Residential Delivery Indicator (RDI™) processing checks if an address is a residential address (not a business address). To perform RDI™ processing, you must have the RDI™ database installed.

If you enable both DPV® and RDI™ processing, RDI™ information is only returned if the address is a valid delivery point. If DPV® does not validate the address no RDI™ data is returned.

Enhanced street matching

Enhanced Street Matching (ESM) applies additional matching logic to correct misspelled or complex street names and obtain a match. ESM enables more addresses to be validated but it reduces performance. You cannot perform ESM when ASM is enabled.

All street matching

All Street Matching (ASM) applies ESM processing as well as additional matching logic to correct errors in street names and obtain a match. It is effective at matching streets when the first letter of the street is incorrect. ASM provides the best address validation but reduces performance.

Delivery Point Validation & CMRA

Delivery Point Validation (DPV®) validates that a specific address exists, as opposed to validating that a specific address is within a range of valid addresses. CMRA processing checks if an address is for a mailbox rented from a private company, referred to as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agent (CMRA).

To perform DPV and CMRA processing, you must have the DPV database installed. The DPV database contains both DPV and CMRA data.

For a listing of the output fields returned by this option, see DPV and CMRA Output.

Early Warning System

The Early Warning System (EWS) uses the USPS® EWS File to validate addresses that are not in the ZIP + 4® database.

To perform EWS processing, you must have the EWS database installed.

If an input address matches an address in the EWS file, the following record-level result indicators are returned:

  • Status="F"
  • Status.Code="EWSFailure"
  • Status.Description="Address found in EWS table"

Firm name extraction

Specifies whether to extract the firm name from AddressLine1 through AddressLine4 and place it in the FirmName output field. This option works in cases where the input record's FirmName field is blank and there is more than one address line.

To identify firm names in address lines, the address lines are scanned for keywords and patterns that identify which fields are address lines and which are FirmName lines. Since this is done based on patterns, fields may be misidentified. The following tips can help ensure optimal firm extraction:

  • If possible, place the primary address elements in AddressLine1, the secondary elements in AddressLine2, Urbanization in AddressLine3, and firm in AddressLine4. If the address has no urbanization code, then place the firm name in AddressLine3 and leave AddressLine4 blank. For example,

    AddressLine1: 4200 Parliament Place
    AddressLine2: Suite 600
    AddressLine3: Pitney Bowes
    AddressLine4: <blank>

  • When you define just two address lines, AddressLine2 is assigned to the secondary address most of the time. If you want to increase the chance that AddressLine2 will be treated as a firm name, put the firm name in AddressLine3 and leave AddressLine2 blank.
  • Numbers in a firm name (such as the "1" in "1 Stop Software") will increase the likelihood that the field will be treated as an address line.

Here are some examples of firm name extraction:

  • In this example, AddressLine2 would get extracted into the FirmName output field

    FirmName: <blank>
    AddressLine1: 4200 Parliament Place Suite 600
    AddressLine2: International Goose Feathers inc.

  • In this example, AddressLine3 would get extracted into the FirmName output field.

    FirmName: <blank>
    AddressLine1: 4200 Parliament Place
    AddressLine2: Suite 600
    AddressLine3: Pitney Bowes

  • In this example, AddressLine3 would be placed in the AdditionalInputData output field. The firm name would not be extracted because the FirmName input field is not blank.

    FirmName: International Goose Feathers Inc.
    AddressLine1: 4200 Parliament Place
    AddressLine2: Suite 600
    AddressLine3: Pitney Bowes

  • In this example, no firm name would be extracted because there is only one non-blank address line, which is always treated as the primary address element.

    FirmName: <blank>
    AddressLine1: 4200 Parliament Place Suite 600

  • In this example, AddressLine2 would be treated as a secondary address element because the numeral "1" causes that field to be treated as a secondary address element.

    FirmName: <blank>
    AddressLine1: 4200 Parliament Place Suite 600
    AddressLine2: 1 Stop Software

U.S. urbanization name extraction

Specifies whether to extract the urbanization name from AddressLine1 through AddressLine4 and place it in the USUrbanName output field. This option works in cases where the input record's USUrbanName field is blank and there is more than one address line.

To identify urbanization names, the address lines are scanned for keywords and patterns that identify which fields are address lines and which are urbanization name lines. Since this is done based on patterns, it is possible for fields to be incorrectly identified. To help ensure optimal urbanization extraction, place the primary address elements in AddressLine1, the secondary elements in AddressLine2, Urbanization in AddressLine3, and firm in AddressLine4, if possible. For example,

AddressLine1: A1 Calle A
AddressLine2:
AddressLine3: URB Alamar
AddressLine4: Pitney Bowes

Suite/Link support

Specifies whether to perform SuiteLink™ processing.

SuiteLink corrects secondary address information for U.S. business addresses whose secondary address information could not be validated. If SuiteLink processing is enabled, the firm name is matched to a database of known firm names and their secondary address information.

For example,

Firm Name: Pitney Bowes
Address Line 1: 4200 Parliament Place
Address Line 2: STE 1
Postal Code: 20706

In this case, SuiteLink processing would change the suite number to the correct suite number:

Firm Name: Pitney Bowes
Address Line 1: 4200 Parliament Place
Address Line 2: STE 600
Postal Code: 20706-1844

To perform SuiteLink™ processing, you must have the SuiteLink™ database installed.

For a listing of fields returned by this option, see SuiteLink Output.

Preferred alias street name processing

Specifies whether to use a street's preferred alias in the output.

Street name aliases in the United States are alternative names given to sections of a street. There are four types of street name aliases:

  • Preferred—A preferred alias is the street name preferred locally. It typically applies only to a specific range of addresses on the street.
  • Abbreviated—An abbreviated alias is a variation of the street name that can be used in cases where the length of AddressLine1 is longer than 31 characters. For example, the street name 1234 BERKSHIRE VALLEY RD APT 312A could be abbreviated to 1234 BERKSHIRE VLLY RD APT 312A.
  • Changed—There has been an official street name change and the alias reflects the new name. For example if SHINGLE BROOK RD is changed to CANNING DR, then CANNING DR would be a changed alias type.
  • Other—The street alias is made up of other names for the street or common abbreviations of the street.

The non-alias version of the street name is called the base street name.

If the preferred alias is used in the input then the preferred alias will be the street name in the output regardless of whether you enable this option.

This is one of three options that control how Validate Address handles street name aliases. The other two are Return street name alias and Abbreviated street name alias processing.

In most cases, if you select both Preferred street name alias processing and Abbreviated street name alias processing, and Validate Address finds both a preferred and an abbreviated alias in the postal database, the abbreviated alias will be used in the output. The exception to this rule is if the input street name is a preferred alias. In this case, the preferred alias will be used in the output.

Note: If the input address contains a street name alias of type "changed" the output address will always contain the base street name regardless of the options you specify.

Abbreviated alias street name processing

Specifies whether to use a street's abbreviated alias in the output if the output address line is longer than 31 characters.

This is one of three options that control how Validate Address handles street name aliases. The other two are Return street name alias and Preferred street name alias processing.

Note: If a preferred alias is specified in the input, the output street name will always be the preferred alias, even if you enable abbreviated street name alias processing.
Note: If the input address contains a street name alias of type "changed" the output address will always contain the base street name regardless of the options you specify.

Determine if delivery point is active

Determines the "no stat" status of an address. An address is considered "no stat" if it exists but cannot receive mail, and therefore is not counted as a delivery statistic on a carrier's route (hence the term "no stat"). Examples include buildings under construction or those that the letter carrier has identified as not likely to receive mail.

Note: You must enable DPV processing to use this option.

The result is returned in the DPVNoStat field. For more information see LACSLink Output

Determine if address is vacant

Determines if the location has been unoccupied for at least 90 days.

Note: You must enable DPV processing to use this option.

The result is returned in the DPVVacant field. For more information see LACSLink Output

Return VeriMove detail data

Returns VeriMove detail data in output.

Suppress zip+4 carrier route R777

Specifies whether to supress addresses with Carrier Route R777. These addresses are phantom routes and are not eligible for street delivery. Since these addresses are assigned a ZIP + 4® code by the USPS®, Validate Address marks these addresses as deliverable. Select this option if you do not want addresses with Carrier Route R777 marked as deliverable. This will cause the following actions:
  • No ZIP + 4 code is assigned
  • Address is not counted on the USPS Form 3553 (CASS Summary Report)
  • DPV Footnote of R7 is returned

Street matching

Specifies the algorithm to use when determining if an input address matches an address in the postal database. One of the following:

Exact
The input street name must match the database exactly.
Tight
The matching algorithm is "tight."
Medium
The matching algorithm is "medium" (default).
Loose
The matching algorithm is "loose."

Firm matching

Specifies the algorithm to use when determining if an input address matches an address in the postal database. One of the following:

Exact
The input firm name must match the database exactly.
Tight
The matching algorithm is "tight."
Medium
The matching algorithm is "medium" (default).
Loose
The matching algorithm is "loose."

Directional matching

Specifies the algorithm to use when determining if an input address matches an address in the postal database. One of the following:

Exact
The input directionals, such as the "N" in 123 N Main St., must match the database exactly.
Tight
The matching algorithm is "tight."
Medium
The matching algorithm is "medium". Default.
Loose
The matching algorithm is "loose."

DPV Success Condition

Select the match condition where a DPV result does NOT cause a record to fail.

Note: You must enable DPV processing to use this option.

Fail on CMRA match

Treat Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) matches as failures?

Note: You must enable DPV processing to use this option.

Place PMB elements in

Specifies where Private Mailbox (PMB) information is placed.

No AddressLine
Do not include the PMB information in Standard Address output (default).
AddressLine1
Place the PMB information in AddressLine1.If you choose AddressLine1, you must set the Address Format field to either Combined Unit or Separate Dual Address.
AddressLine2
Place the PMB information in AddressLine2. You may not select this option if Generate 3553 Form is checked.

Preferred City

Specifies whether the preferred last line city name should be stored.

ZIP+4 Last Line
Store the Preferred Last Line City Name from the USPS ZIP+4 File (Override City Name).
Note: If you select this option, Validate Address generates a CASS-certified configuration and the USPS 3553 Report.
USPS City/State
Store the USPS-preferred City Name from USPS City/State File.
Note: If you select this option, Validate Address does not generate a CASS-certified configuration and does not generate the USPS 3553 Report.
Primary
Store the Primary City Name from the USPS City/State File.
Note: If you select this option, Validate Address does not generate a CASS-certified configuration and does not generate the USPS 3553 Report.