Simple Input Requirements for Data Services

The input requirements for our data services are the simplest in the business. Files can be submitted in virtually any data format. The most common input formats are:

  • DBF (a favorite because we are a Visual FoxPro shop)
  • dBASE | XBase
  • CSV
  • Comma Delimited
  • Fixed Length
  • MDB (Microsoft Access)
  • XLS | XLSX | XLSM (Microsoft Excel)
  • WK (Lotus 1-2-3)
  • WQ (Quattro Pro)
  • Etc.

The table below shows the input information required for each service. There are optional helpful fields for some services. It is all right to have extra fields not used in the processing—we can ignore them. A layout of your input file is helpful but not required unless your file is Fixed Length. If possible, please zip up your file before submitting it.

Name: can be in one field or parsed into separate fields. Address: can be in one field or in multiple fields. City, State and ZIP Code: can be in separate fields or combined into one field. ZIP Code: can a five-digit ZIP Code or a ZIP+4 Code. Telephone Number: can be in one field or parsed into separate fields; include the Area Code. Company: helpful for CASS processing but is not required. Telephone Number, SSN, Date-of-Birth and e-Mail Address: any of these are helpful in Merge/Purge matches but are not required.

Service Required Fields Helpful Fileds
NCOALink – National Change of Address Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		Company
XCOA – eXtended Change of Address Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		Company
Address Standardization with CASS certification Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		Company
DSF2 – Delivery Sequence File Second Generation Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		Company
Do-Not-Mail Coding Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Jail/Prison Coding Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
PAVE Processing Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		Company
Residential Telephone Append Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Residential Telephone Verify Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Residential Telephone Append & Verify Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Residential Reverse Telephone Append Telephone Number  
Premium Residential Telephone Append Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Premium Residential Telephone Verify Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Premium Residential Telephone Append & Verify Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Premium Residential Reverse Telephone Append Telephone Number  
Business Telephone Append Company
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Business Telephone Verify Company
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Business Telephone Append & Verify Company
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Business Reverse Telephone Append Telephone Number  
Area Code Update & Correction ZIP Code
Telephone Number 		 
DNC – Do-Not-Call Coding Telephone Number  
Merge/Purge Max™ Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		Telephone Number
SSN
Date-of-Birth
e-Mail Address
Merge/Purge MaxPlus™ Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		Telephone Number
SSN
Date-of-Birth
e-Mail Address
Gender Coding First Name  
Deceased Coding Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Name Parsing Name  
Address Parsing Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Telephone Formatting Telephone Number  
GeoCoding Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Radius Processing Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Census Data Append Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Demographics Append Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Data Mapping Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Lists N/A  
Latino Append Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
Custom Programming N/A  
Database Design N/A  
Data Conversion N/A  
Canadian AVC – Address Validation & Correction Address
City
Province
Postal Code 		 
Canadian Change of Address (CCOA) with AVC Name
Address
City
Province
Postal Code 		 
Canadian Residential Telephone Append Name
Address
City
Province
Postal Code 		 
Data Entry N/A  
Labels File Name
Address
City
State
ZIP Code 		 
List File Custom  
Mail-Merge File Custom  

How to Zip Files

We ask that whenever possible you zip files before submitting them. Zipping a file creates a compressed version of the file that is usually considerably smaller than the original file. The zipped version of the file has a .zip file extension.

The following instructions show how to compress a file under the Windows, Mac and Linux operating environments. Note than under most systems you can select multiple files as well as folders/directories to zip into the same archive.

WINDOWS ME, XP, SERVER 2003, VISTA, SERVER 2008 and 7
  1. Locate the file you want to compress.
  2. Right-click the file; then point to Send to and click Compressed (zipped) folder.

    A new compressed zip file is created in the same location.

Windows 95, 98, 98SE and 2000 do not have built in zip file support, and it is necessary to utilize third-party software to create zip files.

MAC OS X (10–10.4)
  1. Use Finder to locate the file you want to compress.
  2. Control-click or right-click the file icon; then click Compress [. . .]

    A new compressed zip file is created in the same location.
MAC OS X (10.5–SNOW LEOPARD)
  1. Use Finder to locate the file you want to compress.
  2. Control-click or right-click the file icon; then click Create Archive of [. . .]

    A new compressed zip file is created in the same location.
LINUX
  1. Open a shell prompt.
  2. Enter the following: zip -r filename.zip filedir

    A new compressed zip file is created in the selected location.
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