NCOALink® — The PAF
Before any NCOALink job, the USPS requires a signed PAF.
The Processing Acknowledgement Form takes a few minutes, and we'll walk you through it. Here's what it is, why the USPS requires it, and how to fill it out — and you can download the form itself below.
What the PAF is
The PAF is a short USPS® form that every NCOALink licensee must collect from every customer before running an NCOALink job. On it, you acknowledge that you've received the NCOALink information package and that you understand what the data can — and can't — be used for.
That understanding is the heart of it: NCOALink exists solely to correct mailing lists for the preparation of mailings. It may never be used to build or maintain new "movers" lists. The PAF is your written acknowledgement of that limit.
Why the USPS requires it
The collection of information on the PAF is required by the Privacy Act of 1974. Change-of-address data is sensitive — it describes where real people have moved — so the USPS ties its use to a single purpose (mailing-list correction) and requires a signed acknowledgement from everyone who touches it. The PAF is what keeps the whole NCOALink system trustworthy.
It's also a quiet signal worth reading. Some providers are casual about collecting a signed PAF — but it's a compliance requirement, not a formality, and a provider who shrugs at it is telling you something about how they treat the rest of their obligations, your data included. We collect it every time, no exceptions.
Who signs it
The list owner
RequiredThe business that owns the mailing list. An authorized representative signs on behalf of the company — this section is always completed.
Brokers & list administrators
If involvedAny third party that handles or processes the list on the owner's behalf — an agency, mail house, or service bureau. If someone other than the owner touches the data, they complete and sign their own section. The form has room for two; if more than two are involved, an extra page keeps everyone on record — uncommon, but it happens.
Peachtree Data
We complete thisAs the USPS-licensed NCOALink Service Provider, we fill in the Licensee section ourselves. You don't need to touch it — the form you download already names us.
How to complete it
Your company details
Your legal company name, plus parent-company or marketing/DBA names if they apply. Your phone number and email address round out the contact details; your company website is optional.
A physical address — no PO boxes
The USPS requires a real street address, not a PO box.
Your NAICS code and USPS IDs
Your NAICS industry code is required — there's a free online lookup if you don't know yours. Your USPS Mailer ID and CRID are both optional.
Your signature
An authorized representative signs, with name, title, and date. A signature counts whether it's ink on paper or an electronic equivalent.
Anyone else who handles the list
If a broker, agency, or list administrator processes your data, they fill in and sign their own section. Each party signs for itself — the USPS does not allow one party to sign on another's behalf.
One PAF covers a year
A PAF is valid for one year. The USPS requires us to obtain an updated form from each customer at least once a year, so we'll check in when yours is due — you won't have to track it. It covers all your NCOALink processing with us for that year.
Download the PAF
Here's the current form, already set up with Peachtree Data as your NCOALink Service Provider. Fill in your section, add any brokers or administrators, and send it back with your job. Not sure about a field? That's exactly the kind of thing we'll walk through with you.
Questions about the PAF?
Call us and we'll walk through the form field by field — or just send it back with your job and we'll flag anything that needs a second look.