How to Prepare a Mailing List for Sale

Updated 03/24/05

ITA's Mailing List User Fee Policy is established as an alternative means of distributing mailing lists. ITA offices may assess charges for furnishing a mailing list to a requester for only the actual cost of making the list available to the requester.

Establishing Mailing List Fees

To determine the actual cost, please use the "fee calculation sheet" *. Actual cost may include the following expenses:

• Total cost of the time of employees to prepare the mailing list for dissemination (e.g., a computer programmer's time to excise all personal and business confidential information);
• Total cost of materials associated with dissemination (e.g., the cost of duplication or the cost of a diskette);
• Shipping expenses, including postage; and
• Other costs directly associated with preparing the mailing list for release to the individual requester.

Establishing an Account for Collection

List holders must establish a deposit fund account prior to collecting fees for the mailing list. To establish an account:

• The list holder must prepare a memorandum for the signature of the office director addressed to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) through the unit Resource Management Coordinator (RMC), requesting the establishment of a fee account *; and
• Upon approving the request, the RMC must forward the memo to OFM to obtain a project number for the fee account.

Depositing Collected Fees

Upon receiving a check, list holders have twenty four hours to deposit the check with OFM/Accounting and Financial Systems Division (AFSD), Room 4113. To deposit a check:

• List holders must prepare a memorandum (original and 2 copies) addressed to the Director, AFSD*;
• The AFSD maintains the original memo and signs for the receipt of the other two copies on the signature block located on the lower portion of the memo. One copy of the signed memo is provided to the unit budget analyst in the OFM/Budget Division and the other copy is retained by the list holder.

Standardizing Mailing Lists

Mailing lists must conform to the standardized U.S. Postal Service (USPS) format for addresses:

• Mailing lists that are not currently in USPS format must be converted; and
• Mailing lists can be distributed either in hardcopy or electronic format.

Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements

Each list holder must maintain:

• The mailing list fee calculation sheet;
• A log of the mailing lists that are being sold under each mailing list user fee; and
• A record of fees collected from each mailing list charge.

List holders will be required to furnish a record of mailing lists that are sold and a record of mailing list fees collected to OFM/Budget on an annual basis for reporting to OMB.

Maintaining and Upgrading Databases

Offices should maintain the integrity of their mailing lists through continuous efforts to "evergreen" addresses for accuracy of information:

• Update the mailing list on a frequent basis;
• Funds obtained from mailing list user fees can be applied to maintaining lists;

*Calculation sheet, sample memos, and guidelines of USPS standards may be obtained from the Office of Organization and Management Support in room 4001.

For additional information contact: Charles Jefferson at 202-482-6 078or by e-mail at charles_jefferson@ita.doc.gov.

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