What does a AVC code of Z00-Z00-Z0-000” and “Z” mean?

Question

We recently enabled CASS in the production tenant for the Loqate API, which uses and gets standardized addresses and saves them into the Snowflake Table.

POST {{api_uri}}/{{tenant}}/entities/batchcleanse?returnUserData=true&options=ovOnly

Before implementing CASS, we used the AVC (Address Verification Code) field to check the quality of the address and, based on that, performed a few other processes.

After checking the CASS document in https://support.loqate.com/cass2-output-field-descriptions/

A subset of Verify fields, with the following exception:

• For on-premises CASS, the AVC and AQI fields will be populated by a default value “Z00-Z00-Z0-000” and “Z” respectively. Customers should use the CASS output fields DPVConfirmedIndicator, DPVFootnotes, and ResultsString to determine the quality and accuracy of the processed record. Loqate Cloud CASS customers will see the AVC populated.

We are not seeing AVC code with Z00- or Z even after enabling CASS, getting values as expected.

Answer

The default values "Z00-Z00-Z0-000" and "Z" in the implementation of the on-premises CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) are placeholders used when the system cannot determine valid data for specific address components during the cleansing process. These placeholders indicate that the address information provided could not be matched or verified against the reference data. To address this issue, ensure the input addresses are complete and correctly formatted.

You can use the AVC (Address Verification Code) to check the accuracy of a standardized address using CASS.

• CASS-certified software (such as USPS-approved address validation tools) standardizes and validates addresses.
• The AVC code, returned after address validation, indicates the level of verification performed on an address.
• USPS defines AVC codes to show how well an address matches official records.

Understanding AVC Codes

• AVC = Y → Address is fully validated and deliverable.
• AVC = N → Address is invalid or undeliverable.
• AVC = S → Address is standardized but may require further validation.

Using AVC in Reltio

• If you’re integrating Reltio’s Address Verification with a CASS-certified provider, you can check the AVC field in the response.
• If the AVC is "Y", the address is accurately standardized and verified.
• If the AVC is "N", you may need to correct or enrich the address.