A postal code is a series of numbers that allow the USPS to find your mail’s destination. It usually represents small localities, neighborhoods, or Post Office areas, helping them sort and deliver your items faster. In the US, postal codes are referred to as ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) Codes.

Businesses of all kinds are familiar with terms like address cleansing and ZIP Codes. They are aware that you need a complete ZIP+4 code to send and receive packages via USPS without any delays and to ensure the mail’s deliverability. Yet, businesses often remain ignorant of what is what and focus solely on their campaigns/efforts and their reach.

Businesses must realize that they need to have a comprehensive idea of what is what if they are to come up with feasible and innovative solutions. You can’t be inspired to come up with a smart solution or alternative with a limited understanding of what you are dealing with. And as far as a company’s direct mail efforts are concerned, the postal code is the perfect place to start.

You need to understand what is postal code is so that you can have a better understanding of how your direct mail efforts work. This article discusses what a postal code is, how the ZIP+4 code fits into pictures, and how it is important for your address verification and validation process.

The postal codes had a massive impact on all the activities related to postal delivery, and this goes for every country in the world. A system that is simple yet effective enough to manage the postal operations of big countries such as the US. As an address verification company that works closely with postcodes, we can’t help but get a little excited when talking about the origin of postal codes.

So the story begins when the cities in the US start to grow bigger and bigger. As the cities kept on growing, the delivery of postal mail also became more and more challenging. Soon there were not enough postmen or post offices to deliver all the letters; keep in mind that this was at a time when letters were the only means of communication for the vast majority of the population.

The most obvious solution at this point was to simply meet the increased demand for postal services was optimizing the logistic capability of the postal body. To optimize the logistical capabilities, more post offices were built and more postmen were hired. But the problems were only beginning because the postal delivery was potentially a management nightmare.

Why? Because despite having new post offices and new postmen to deliver the mail, it still did not rectify the problem of how one would find the different addresses.

There were a lot of questions that were left unanswered, such as which post office would deliver to an address that is exactly halfway between two post offices.

An efficient way had to be developed that is productive in a way that none of the resources go to waste.

A similar situation prevailed in different parts of the world at the time. It was in London that they first started using postal codes in the late 1800s. London was subdivided into ten different districts to meet the postal delivery requirements and is often signified as the first source of postal codes. They called these newly classified districts postal districts or postal zones.

To keep track of them effectively, they were all numbered, and that is how “postal district numbers” or “postal zone numbers” came into being. Although during the First World War, such systems already existed in various European countries, the one from London is often regarded as the origin.

The US began using the postal code system a bit later but not later than the 1920s. Since then, the postal delivery system has gone through numerous changes and optimized for better and faster deliveries. Even with all the progress that we have made since then, the district numbering system is still the foundation on which the modern-day postal codes are built.

Also Read: How to Track Certified Mail

Using Postal Codes Across the Country for Every City and State

The postal code that had its inception in London was merely the tip of the iceberg. The district code created in London was a primitive one because it only ever covered a big city and nothing more. As one would expect from a new system, even though it had some sound logic behind the first postal code was not effectively implemented. The system was perfected over the years and evolved into what we now see around the world.

For starters, the first postal code was created only for big cities like London. It was never equipped to cover larger areas like states or the country. They lacked the systematic superiority to implement them on a larger scale. It was the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic that first implemented a country-wide postal code system back in 1932. However, this did not last as they failed to implement it efficiently, and it was finally discontinued in 1939.

If you are looking for a functioning example of a postal system in history, then you will have to go to Germany in 1941. Even though they were dealing with the war at the time, the Germans still managed to keep effective postal communication throughout the country. Later in 1963, the US also joined the club by implementing the ZIP-code system. In the meantime, it took another decade for the UK, that actually begin the practice of postal code, to implement it nationwide.

But we have not once had to look back ever since the introduction of a nationwide postal code system. The beauty of the system and probably the reason that it has not been replaced by an alternative system is its ability to expand. It allows countries to expand and accommodate new or additional areas simply by adding new digits to the already existing code.

The postal codes are much more than just a means of delivering direct mail today. They help in geocoding, address validation, and more. They can help you with identity verifications and even check for stolen credit cards. At this point, the postal code is not something you can afford to be ignorant about because it has many real-life uses, and you never know when you might need one in your personal or professional life.

 Also Read: What Does FIPS Code Mean

We have already made it clear that countries around the world use a postal code system. However, it is not necessarily called a postal code everywhere around the globe. It’s similar to how in the US we call an elevator an “elevator,” and in the UK, they call it a “lift,” and we haven’t even considered the non-English speaking countries yet.

Every country has a different term, and below we take a look at some of the most popular ones.

• In the US, we call the postal service the ZIP code or “Zone Improvement Plan.” The “Postal Code” is a generic term, and it is universally applicable; it also happens to be the name used by Canada’s postal service
• Many English-speaking nations like the Netherlands use the name Postcode, which, as you can see, is just a slightly different variant of the “postal code”
• In Italy, they call it CAP, which is short for “Codice di Avviamento Postale,” which further translates to Postal Expedition Code
• In Ireland, the postal code goes by the name Eircode, which is their latest delivery code system. Brazil calls it “Código de Endereçamento” (CEP), which in English means Postal Addressing Code
• In India, the postal codes go by the name “Postal Index Number code” or PIN code/Pincode
• The Germans call it “Postleitzahl” or PAZ, which conveniently translates to “postal code.”

United Kingdom 

British postal codes have two alphanumeric codes, one for each post town and one for each address in the post town. The first code, the Outward code, highlights the postcode area and district. The second code, the Incode, always has three characters and starts with a number. It shows the postcode sector and delivery point. Here are some examples of British postal codes: 

United States of America 

The US uses ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) as its postal code system to cover delivery points across the country. Each ZIP code comprises five digits, and the first digit represents a broad area, such as the Northeast. The following two digits specify a central mail processing facility. The fourth and fifth digits point towards a smaller post office or postal zone with a specific area. 

Some places in the country also use ZIP+4 codes, adding a hyphen and four extra numbers to provide more specific location details. For example, you can fetch information on an office, an apartment building, or a span of a few blocks. However, using ZIP+4 codes isn’t mandatory in your address data. Here are some examples of US ZIP codes: 

Canada 

Canada also relies on alphanumeric postal codes, consisting of a sequence of six characters, due to Britain's colonial influence. The country first started using postal codes in 1925 by dividing Toronto into districts. The first three digits of the Canadian postal code represent the Forward Sortation Area. The first alphabet in the code is meant to highlight the postal district, an entire territory or province. 

Then, your second digit indicates whether an area is rural (0) or urban (any other digit). You get a fair idea about the area of being in a small city or a specific area of a larger city. The three characters show the Local Delivery Unit, highlighting a particular address or a range of delivery locations. Here are some examples of Canadian postal codes: 

Germany 

The country has been using postal codes since 1941. After the division of Germany, West Germany, which had a capitalist influence, had its own postal code system. East Germany also implemented its own system shortly after. However, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the country adopted a nationwide postal code system in 1993. 

Unlike the other countries mentioned above, the country uses numeric codes only. It relies on five-digit postal codes; the first two digits indicate the area or city, and the last three digits represent the postal district. Here are some examples of German postal codes: 

India 

The Indian subcontinent has used a six-digit Postal Index Number (PIN) since 1972. A PIN code’s first digit signifies the postal zone in the country. The second digit represents the sub-zone, and the third indicates the sorting district. The last three digits will guide you towards a specific post office within that district. Here are some examples of Indian postal codes: 

ZIP codes and postal codes help individuals and businesses optimize their mail delivery. However, there are some differences between the two that you must understand to provide a better user experience and ensure superior mail deliverability. 

The term “CEDEX” stands for Courrier d'Entreprise à Distribution Exceptionnelle. You will find some mail items with the destination name followed by the term “CEDEX” and a series of numbers. This system was introduced in France to distinguish between priority and non-priority business mail. However, this term is reserved for mail items going to certain companies only. 

A CEDEX number comprises five digits following the word “CEDEX.” Typically, the first two or three digits represent the department where the recipient company is permanently located. The last two or three digits of the CEDEX code indicate the company's subscription ID. 

To use a CEDEX code properly, start by including the usual postal code of the destination town, then mention the word “CEDEX” followed by the appropriate number combination. A CEDEX code is a significant asset for a company. It helps you locate your head office in a major city, making mail delivery faster.

Although there are certain generalities when it comes to postal code format, they still have many variations, and it is essential to understand these different formats.

Beginning with the characters used in the postal codes, you need to keep in mind that the actual composition may vary depending on the country, and hence, all the places may necessarily use all the characters.

You can expect three kinds of symbols in a postal code. The first of these symbols that you will notice are the numbers 0 to 9, or the ten base characters of the Arabic decimal system if you want it in technical terms. As you may have very well guessed, the second of these symbols is the alphabet A to Z, or all 26 letters of the basic Latin alphabet. The third and final one of these symbols is the hyphens and spaces.

The majority of countries use only the numbers in their postal codes. However, it is worth noting that the hyphens and spaces are also used in varying saturation levels. That being said, this is not always the case as some countries out there use a more complex system that throws in alphabets to the mix, making their postal codes alphanumeric.

Canada, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, Swaziland, the Netherlands, and Ireland are some of the more popular countries that employ an alphanumeric postal code.

The Postal Code system is an international system used across countries around the world. Although its name, application, and mode of operation can change from country to country, the basics remain the same. The postal code used in the US is the ZIP code, and it comes with a “block-level” accuracy which is one of the best in the world.

However, the postal code accuracy is not worth much if you do not have a validated set of addresses, and this is especially important for businesses that regularly send out postal mails. You need an advanced address verification tool like PostGrid that can provide you with an accurate ZIP+4 code of the addresses with its Address Verification API, which has Zip Code API and Postal API, so that you can ensure that your marketing efforts are functioning in their optimal condition.