Address Element Correction II (AEC II)

AEC II is an enhancement to the existing AEC service, which identifies and corrects incomplete or inaccurate addresses using computer software. The addresses that cannot be resolved using AEC are submitted, via AEC II, to delivery offices for review and resolution.

Who is AEC II for?

First Class Mail

Parcels

Periodicals

Standard Mail

Correct and Standardize: Address Information System (AIS) Products

Latest Updates

01/19/2024 Address Element Correction (AEC) and AEC II Processing Request Form for Vendors

01/19/2024 Address Element Correction (AEC) & AEC II Processing Request Form

What is AEC II?

AEC II is an enhancement to the existing AEC service, which identifies and corrects "bad" addresses using a complex computer program. "Bad" addresses that cannot be resolved using AEC are submitted, via AEC II, to delivery offices for review and resolution by the same people who deliver the mail for you every day. When USPS delivery personnel are able to identify and correct address errors, or to identify addresses that do not exist, address quality is improved.

How does AEC II work?

AEC II uses an electronic process to correct address records once delivery unit personnel have reviewed the address, which has been submitted by mailers. As addressing errors are identified, they are added to a historical database so the same addressing errors, found on different mailing lists, are not submitted again. As each new incorrect address is submitted, and AEC or the AEC II historical file is unable to make a match against either table, the record is sent to a program called Electronic Uncoded Address Resolution System (eUARS). From there, the records are sent to a post office, which services the suspected address, for possible correction.

Why let a single customer slip through your fingers?

Through AEC II service you can use the delivery knowledge of the Postal Service, nationwide, to correct those "worst of the worst" addresses that plague every mailing list. AEC II uses Delivery Force Knowledge™ methodology to help mailers resolve unrecognizable portions of an address that prevents the address from ZIP + 4 coding, which reduces the possibility of achieving mail automation discounts, through any existing address matching software.

Effects of AEC II on Your Bottom Line?

AEC II process has an average 51% correction rate. It also reduces mail costs, which means less undelivered mail returned to you.

The minimum fee for AEC II is $48 for the first 100 records, and $0.48 for each record indicated as Corrected or Address Does Not Exist (ADNE).

AEC II pricing does not include the required minimum AEC processing fee of $33 and $0.033 for each additional record for AEC.

AEC II also processes other types of records at no additional charge:

Historical File Match – The record submitted has been corrected to a record previously submitted and retained in the historical file.
PO Box Delivery Exclusion – The record submitted was corrected to a valid mailing address (PO Box) and the customer does not receive mail at the address presented.

Featured Resources

Related Products

Address Element Correction (AEC)

When an address is inaccurate or missing an element, there is a chance that USPS’s Certified address-matching software may lack sufficient information to deliver a mailpiece. AEC is a process that turns problematic addresses into accurate addresses or identifies them as potentially undeliverable.

CASS™

The CASS™ certification process is designed in cooperation with the mailing industry to improve the accuracy of postal codes, i.e., Five-Digit ZIP Code^®, ZIP + 4^®, delivery point (DPCs), and carrier route codes that appear on mailpieces.

Contact

For more information about AEC II, contact Addressing and Geospatial Technology at 1-800-238-3150 or email cds.ncsc@usps.gov.

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