Ancillary Endorsement Address Notice Options

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What are Ancillary Service Endorsements?

Ancillary Service Endorsements allow the sender to obtain the addressee’s new (forwarding) address (provided the appropriate endorsement is used and if the addressee filed a Change-of-Address Order with the Postal Service) or the reason for non-delivery.

Undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail is forwarded, returned to sender, or discarded as authorized for the particular mail class. A mailer endorsement is used to instruct the Postal Service regarding the appropriate disposition upon determining that it is UAA. A return address is required on the face of the mailpiece when using ancillary service endorsements. The following endorsements may be used as an updating method to meet the Move Update standards for First-Class Mail®, USPS Marketing Mail™, and Parcel Select Lightweight® mail.

Change Service Requested

Separate notice of new address or reason for non-delivery provided; in either case, address-correction fee is charged; mailpiece is not forwarded or returned, but discarded by the Postal Service. NOTE: This endorsement is not available for First-Class Mail unless used in conjunction with electronic ACS™.

Important Note: Full-Service and Seamless Acceptance mailers that print “Change Service Requested” must request ACS in the Intelligent Mail® barcode. Separate manual address corrections (PS Form 3547) are not available for full-service mail.

Address Service Requested

Mail is forwarded if possible, or returned if forwarding is not possible. A separate notice with new address information is provided for forwarded pieces and the address-correction fee is charged. First-Class Mail is forwarded or returned at no charge. USPS Marketing Mail is charged the weighted fee for mail that must be returned. The Weighted Fee is equal to the single-piece First-Class price multiplied by 2.472 (a one ounce letter is charged 66¢ x 2.472 = $1.631, rounded-up to $1.64).

Months 1 – 12: the mailpiece is forwarded; no charge; a separate notice of the new address is provided.
Months 13 – 18: the mailpiece is returned with the new address attached.

After month 18 or if undeliverable at any time: the mailpiece is returned with reason for non-delivery attached.
Important Note: Full-Service and Seamless Acceptance mailers that print “Address Service Requested” must request ACS in the Intelligent Mail® barcode. Separate manual address corrections (PS Form 3547) are not available for full-service mail.

Return Service Requested

If UAA, the mailpiece is returned with the new address or reason for non-delivery. First-Class Mail is returned at no charge. USPS Marketing Mail and Parcel Select Lightweight mail is returned at either the single-piece First-Class Mail or Priority Mail price, depending on the weight of the piece.

Temp-Return Service Requested

This endorsement option is available for First-Class Mail only. This endorsement is similar to Return Service Requested, however if the change-of-address is temporary, the piece will be forwarded to the temporary address. The temporary address information is not provided to the mailer. If there is a permanent change-of-address, the mail piece is handled the same as Return Service Requested.

Ancillary Service Endorsement Authorized Locations

Ancillary service endorsements may be placed under the return address, above the delivery address block, to the left of the postage area, or below the postage area (postage stamps, meter stamps, or permit imprints).

Elimination of Manual Address Correction Notices

Effective July 9, 2023, the USPS will eliminate the manual address correction notices (PS 3547). This will require any customer who is currently using an on-piece ancillary endorsement of Address Service Requested, Forwarding Service Requested or Change Service Requested to stop using the endorsement and incorporate their request in their STID using Address Change Service (ACS). ACS is a free service when mailing Full Service.

The customer must register their MID and complete a few forms to initiate the ACS service.

The endorsement Return Service Requested does not have the potential of generating a manual address correction notice, so customers may continue to use it.

When using ACS, the on-piece endorsement is “Electronic Service Requested”. This is the same for all classes of mail regardless of the actual treatment for the handling of the returned mail selected. The printed endorsement is optional for First-Class Mail.

Mailers who wish to use a Change Service must use “Electronic Change Service” and supply their MID (Mailer ID). The mailer will have to pull the address change resports electronically. Other options include using NCOA or using “Or Current Resident or Occupant” on their mailings.

The Postal Service published the Final Federal Register Notice concerning the elimination of hardcopy address correction notice options for Full-Service and Seamless Acceptance mailers on February 7, 2023. As a result, the Service Type ID Table will be updated to eliminate the Full-Service Manual Address Correction STIDs for First-ClassMail®, Periodicals®, Bound Printed Matter, Ballot and USPS Marketing Mail®.

Additionally, Full-Service No Address Correction STIDs will no longer generate a separate PS Form 3547, Notice to Mailer of Correction in Addresswhen a printed endorsement is present.

Click for Federal Register Notice On Address Correction Service