COA

Change Of Address

The formal notification that an individual, household, or business has moved and wishes to update their mailing address. In the context of direct marketing, data hygiene, and customer database management, COA updates are essential to maintaining accurate and deliverable records.

When a person or business submits a COA request through the United States Postal Service (USPS), the new address is recorded in the National Change of Address (NCOA) database. Marketers and mailers utilize this information to maintain current mailing lists, minimize undeliverable mail, and prevent wasting resources on outdated addresses. Neglecting COA updates can result in increased postage costs, lost communications, and compliance issues with specific data privacy regulations.

Marketers often integrate COA processing tools into customer relationship management (CRM) systems or mailing platforms to automatically detect and update address changes before campaigns go out.