Direct mail glossary: production terms that affect cost and delivery.

This direct mail glossary defines common production and postal terms found on quotes and job plans, including CASS, NCOALink, Intelligent Mail barcode, EDDM, SCF, and Seamless Acceptance. Use it to compare vendors, understand preparation requirements, and ask clearer questions about postage and delivery.

Understanding these terms helps prevent unexpected costs when you review a quote, production plan, or USPS notice.

Updated July 18, 2026 · Reviewed by DIS Direct production team

CASS

Coding Accuracy Support System. USPS certification for software that validates and standardizes addresses before mailing.

NCOALink

National Change of Address Linkage. A licensed dataset used to update addresses after people or businesses file a change of address with USPS.

Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb)

USPS barcode that encodes routing and mailer information used for sorting, tracking, and many commercial mail services.

EDDM

Every Door Direct Mail. A USPS service for saturating selected carrier routes with simplified addressing instead of a named mailing list.

SCF

Sectional Center Facility. A USPS regional processing node. Destination entry at an SCF can affect service and postage strategy.

Seamless Acceptance

A USPS program that streamlines verification for qualifying full-service Intelligent Mail mailings.

Presort

Sorting mail to USPS standards before induction to qualify for lower commercial postage.

VDP

Variable data printing. A process that changes text, images, or codes on each piece from a data file.

Sources

Primary references. Postage and product rules change, so confirm current USPS rates and standards before you mail.

USPS Postal ExplorerAuthoritative mailing standards and price lists.
USPS PostalPro: NCOALink