Melissa Data In the News Melissa Data Releases Delivery Indicator Tool for Parcel Shippers By Melissa Campanelli - Feb 8, 2006 "DM News" Melissa Data, a provider of data quality software and services, announced yesterday the release of Residential & Business Delivery Indicator, a tool that lets catalogers and other shippers identify address types prior to shipping parcels. After an address is validated with an accurate ZIP+4 code and delivery point code, the tool flags the address as either residential or business, the company said. This designation helps shippers determine carrier rates, avoid surcharges and provide rate-shopping services to online customers. "Many carriers charge a higher price for residential deliveries. And, with 91 percent of delivery points in the United States classified as residential, it helps to know what the rate will be before shipping. This benefits both the shipper as well as the consumer paying for the shipping," said Ray Melissa, president of Melissa Data, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. RBDI has many potential uses. Online merchants, for example, can build the function into their Web sites to provide rate-shopping services to their customers. Real estate agencies and property managers can use the tool to distinguish property types when no other information is available on an address. Commercial shippers and agents can use this product to plot more efficient delivery routes.