Ancillary Service Endorsements
Sometimes, no matter how good your address is, the post office can not deliver the mail. For instance, your recipient may have moved or the building may be vacant. By using special addressing services called “ancillary service endorsements,” you can give the Postal Service specific instructions for how to handle your mail if it is undeliverable as addressed. Depending on the purpose of your mailing, you may want those pieces forwarded to customers who have moved, or you may want a corrected address returned to you. These allow the mailer to obtain, on request, the recipient's new (forwarding) address (if said recipient has filed a change of address (COA) order with the Postal Service or the reason for nondelivery. Ancillary service endorsements include four basic phrases that are printed on the address side of your mailpiece that meet Move Update standards:
Return Service Requested - First-Class & Standard mail
Change Service Requested - First-Class & Standard mail
Address Service Requested - First-Class & Standard mail
Temp–Return Service Requested - First-Class mail only
Undeliverable mail is handled differently depending on the class of mail, the endorsement you use, and how recently your customer has moved. Some of these actions have fees associated with them.
Endorsement | Priority and First Class Mail | Standard Mail |
Return Service Requested - No forwarding, only return. New address notification provided.
| Mailpiece returned with new address or reason for nondelivery. | No charge | Appropriate single-piece First-Class or Priority Mail price charged |
Change Service Requested - No forwarding or return. New address notification provided.
| Separate notice of new address or reason for nondelivery provided: mailpiece disposed of by USPS. | Manual notice: NA E-notice: .08¢ Automated letters: • 1st two notices .00¢ ea. • additional .06¢ ea. | Manual notice: 50¢ ea. E-notice: 25¢ ea. Automated letters: • 1st two notices .03¢ ea. • additional .18¢ ea |
Endorsement | Priority and First Class Mail | Standard Mail |
Address Service Requested - Forwarding and return. New separate address notification provided.
months 1-12: forwarded; separate notice of new address provided, address correction fee charged. | Forward at no charge | Forward at no charge |
| months 13-18: returned with new address attached. | Returned at no charge | weighted fee charged |
| after 18 months or if undeliverable at any time; returned with reason for nondelivery attached. | Returned at no charge | weighted fee charged |
Temp–Return Service Requested
| Mailpiece returned with new address or reason for nondelivery. If temporary change of address, piece forwarded; no separate notice of temporary change of address provided | No charge | N/A |
Proper placement of the endorsement is required. If the endorsement cannot be seen or understood, you might not receive the service requested.
The endorsement must be placed in one of these four positions:
- Directly below the return address.
- Directly above the delivery address area (which includes the delivery address block and any related nonaddress elements such as a barcode, keyline, or optional endorsement line).
- Directly to the left of the postage area and below or to the left of any price marking.
- Directly below the postage area and below any price marking.
