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[[File:Farrer post code.jpg|thumb|300px|Post office sign in [[Farrer, Australian Capital Territory]], showing [[Postcodes in Australia|postcode]] 2607]]
A '''postal code''' (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a '''postcode''', '''post code''', '''PIN''' or '''ZIP Code''') is a series of letters or [[numerical digit|digits]] or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a [[
{{As of|2021|8|post=,|url=https://www.upu.int/en/Postal-Solutions/Programmes-Services/Addressing-Solutions?csid=20&cid=315}} the [[Universal Postal Union]] lists 160 countries which require the use of a postal code.<ref>{{citation|title=General Addressing Issues|date=3 August 2021|access-date=1 June 2022|url=https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/documents/PostCode/General-Addressing-Issues.pdf|publisher=[[Universal Postal Union]]|article=Addressing knowledge centre|article-url=https://www.upu.int/en/Postal-Solutions/Programmes-Services/Addressing-Solutions?csid=20&cid=315}}</ref>
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* '''[[Código de Endereçamento Postal|CEP]]''': The standard term in Brazil; CEP is an acronym for {{lang|pt|código de endereçamento postal}} ('postal addressing code').
* '''[[Eircode]]''': The standard term in Ireland.
* '''[[Postal codes in Switzerland and Liechtenstein|NPA]]''' in [[
* '''[[Postal Index Number|PIN]]''': The standard term in India; PIN is an acronym for Postal Index Number. Sometimes called a PIN code.
* '''PLZ''': The standard term in Germany, Austria, [[German-speaking Switzerland]] and [[Liechtenstein]]; PLZ is an abbreviation of {{lang|de|Postleit‌zahl}} ('postal routing number').
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== History ==
[[File:Stamp Soviet Union 1977 CPA 4775.jpg|thumb|1977 Soviet stamp promoting the use of postal codes]]
The development of postal codes happened first in large cities. Postal codes began with postal district numbers (or postal zone numbers) within large cities. [[London]] was first subdivided into 10 districts in 1857 (EC (East Central), WC (West Central), N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, and NW), four were created to cover [[Liverpool]] in 1864; and [[Manchester]]/[[Salford]] was split into eight numbered districts in 1867/68. By [[World War I]], such postal district or zone numbers also existed in various large European cities. They existed in the United States at least as early as the 1920s, possibly implemented at the local post office level only (for example, instances of "Boston 9, Mass" in 1920 are attested<ref name="
By 1930 or earlier, the idea of extending the postal district or zone numbering plans beyond large cities to cover even small towns and rural locales had started. These developed into postal codes as they are defined today. The name of US postal codes, "ZIP Codes", reflects this evolutionary growth from a zone plan to a zone improvement plan, "ZIP". Modern postal codes were first introduced in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]] in December 1932,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.upns.org/article/85-first-postal-zip-code |title=The First Postal (ZIP) Code in the World |publisher=Ukrainian Philatelic and Numismatic Society |date=20 April 2009 |access-date=4 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423155849/http://www.upns.org/article/85-first-postal-zip-code |archive-date=23 April 2010 }}</ref> but the system was abandoned in 1939. The next country to introduce postal codes was Germany in 1941,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deutschepost.de/dpag?tab=1&skin=hi&check=no&lang=de_EN&xmlFile=link1017517_1004711 |work=Deutsche Post|title=The history of the postcode |access-date=10 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716191434/http://www.deutschepost.de/dpag?tab=1&skin=hi&check=no&lang=de_EN&xmlFile=link1017517_1004711 |archive-date=16 July 2011 }}</ref> followed by Singapore in 1950,<ref name="Singapore NLB">{{cite web |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1006_2010-05-27.html |title=Six-digit postal code system |last=Chia |first=Joshua |date=13 July 2016 |website=Singapore Infopedia |publisher=National Library Board |access-date=3 October 2018 }}</ref> Argentina in 1958, the United States in 1963<ref>{{cite web |url=http://glossary.ippaper.com/default.asp?req=glossary/term/2592&catitemid= |title=ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) Code |publisher=International Paper Company |access-date=10 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119144342/http://glossary.ippaper.com/default.asp?req=glossary%2Fterm%2F2592&catitemid= |archive-date=19 November 2009 }}</ref> and Switzerland in 1964.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/SCHWEIZERISCHE-POST-TELEFON-UND-TELEGRAFENBETRIEBE-Company-History.html |title=Company History: Schweizerische Post-Telefon-und-Telegrafen-Betriebe |publisher=Funding Universe |access-date=10 October 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909092830/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/SCHWEIZERISCHE-POST-TELEFON-UND-TELEGRAFENBETRIEBE-Company-History.html |archive-date=9 September 2011 }}</ref> The United Kingdom began introducing its current system in [[Norwich]] in 1959, but it was not used nationwide until 1974.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/money/mortgages/a-short-history-of-the-postcode-751884.html |title=A short history of the postcode |newspaper=The Independent |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225013444/http://www.independent.co.uk/money/mortgages/a-short-history-of-the-postcode-751884.html |archive-date=25 February 2011 |url-status= dead |access-date=25 June 2014 }}</ref>
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=== Character sets ===
The characters used in postal codes are:
* The [[
* Letters of the [[ISO basic Latin alphabet]]
* Spaces, hyphens
==== Reserved and Excluded characters ====
[[Postal codes in the Netherlands]] originally did not use the letters 'F', 'I', 'O', 'Q', 'U' and 'Y' for technical reasons. But as almost all existing combinations are now used, these letters were allowed for new locations starting 2005. The letter combinations "SS" ({{lang|de|[[Schutzstaffel]]}}), "SD" ({{lang|de|[[Sicherheitsdienst]]}}), and "SA" ({{lang|de|[[Sturmabteilung]]}}) are not used, due to links with the [[Netherlands in World War II|Nazi occupation in World War II]].
[[Postal codes in Canada]] do not include the letters D, F, I, O, Q, or U, as the [[optical character recognition]] (OCR) equipment used in automated sorting could easily confuse them with other letters and digits. The letters W and Z are used, but are not currently used as the first letter. The Canadian Postal Codes use alternate letters and numbers (with a space after the third character),
In Ireland, the [[eircode]] system uses the following letters only: A, C, D, E, F, H, K, N, P, R, T, V, W, X, Y. This serves to avoid confusion in OCR, and to avoid accidental double-entendres by avoiding the creation of word lookalikes, as Eircode's last four characters are random.
==== Alphanumeric postal codes ====
Most of the postal code systems are numeric; only a few are alphanumeric (i.e., use both letters and digits). Alphanumeric systems can, given the same number of characters, encode many more locations. For example, while a two digit numeric code can represent 100 locations, a two character alphanumeric code using ten
The independent nations using alphanumeric postal code systems are:
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Postal services have their own formats and placement rules for postal codes. In most English-speaking countries, the postal code forms the last item of the address, following the city or town name, whereas in most continental European countries it precedes the name of the city or town. When it follows the city, it may be on the same line or on a new line.
== Geographic coverage ==
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Format of six digit numeric (eight digit alphanumeric) [[postal codes in Ecuador]], introduced in December 2007: ECAABBCC
: EC – [[ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]] country code
: AA – one of the 24 [[provinces of Ecuador]]
: BB – one of the 226 [[cantons of Ecuador]]
: CC – one of the [[parishes of Ecuador]].
Format of five digit numeric [[Postal codes in Costa Rica]], introduced in 2007: ABBCC
: A – one of the seven [[provinces of Costa Rica]]
: BB – one of the 81 [[cantons of Costa Rica]]
: CC – one of the [[districts of Costa Rica]].
In Costa Rica these codes were originally used as district identifiers by the [[National Institute of Statistics and Census of Costa Rica]] and the [[Administrative divisions of Costa Rica|Administrative Territorial Division]], and continue to be equivalent.<ref name="divadm">{{cite web |language=es |title=Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP |url=http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=88416&nValor3=115607¶m2=1&strTipM=TC&lResultado=1&strSim=simp |website=Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica |access-date=26 September 2020 |date=19 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="dta2017">{{cite book |language=es |title=División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica|date=8 March 2017|publisher=Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional|isbn=978-9977-58-477-5|url=https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/editorialdigital/libros/historiaygeografia/division_17.pdf}}</ref>
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=== Precision ===
==== Czechoslovakia ====
Czechoslovakia introduced Postal Routing Numbers (PSČ – poštovní směrovací čísla) in 1973. The code consists of 5 digits formatted into two groups: NNN NN. Originally, the first group marked a district transport centre, the second group represented the order of post offices on the collection route. In the first group, the first digit corresponds partly with the region, the second digit meant a collection transport node (sběrný přepravní uzel, SPU) and the third digit a "district transport node" (okresní přepravní uzel). However, processing was later centralized and mechanized while codes remained the same. After separation, Slovakia and the Czech Republic kept the system. Codes with an initial digit of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 are used in the Czech Republic, while codes with an initial digit of 8, 9, or 0 are used in Slovakia.
A code corresponds to a local postal office. However, some larger companies or organizations have their own post codes. In 2004–2006, there were some efforts in Slovakia to reform the system, to get separate post codes for every district of single postmen, but the change was not realized.
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{{Further|Postal Index Number}}
[[File:Example of Indian Postal Index Number.svg|thumb|An example of a Postal Index Number from [[
Postal codes are known as [[Postal Index Number]]s (PINs; sometimes as PIN codes) in India. The PIN system was introduced on 15 August 1972 by India Post. India uses a unique six-digit code as a geographical number to identify locations in India. The format of the PIN is ZSDPPP defined as follows:
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{{further|Postal codes in the Netherlands}}
[[Postal codes in the Netherlands]], known as postcodes, are alphanumeric, consisting of four digits followed by a space and two letters (NNNN AA). Adding the house number to the postcode will identify the address, making the street name and town name redundant. For example: 2597 GV 75 will direct a postal delivery to Theo Mann-Bouwmeesterlaan 75, [[
==== Singapore ====
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==== United Kingdom ====
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2025}}
{{Further|Postcodes in the United Kingdom}}
For domestic properties, an individual postcode may cover up to 100 properties in contiguous proximity (e.g. a short section of a populous road, or a group of less populous neighbouring roads). The postcode together with the number or name of a property is not always unique, particularly in rural areas. For example, GL20 8NX/1 might refer to either 1 Frampton Cottages or 1 Frampton Farm Cottages, roughly a quarter of a mile (400 metres) apart.
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The structure is alphanumeric, with the following six valid formats, as defined by [[British Standards|BS]] 7666:<ref>{{cite web |title=BS7666 Address |work=Data Standards Catalogue |publisher=UK National Archives |date=2 October 2009 |url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/govtalk/schemasstandards/e-gif/datastandards/address/postcode.aspx |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130128101412/http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/govtalk/schemasstandards/e-gif/datastandards/address/postcode.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 January 2013 |access-date=15 August 2015 }}</ref>
There are always two halves: the separation between outward and inward postcodes is indicated by one space.
The outward postcode covers a unique area and has two parts which may in total be two, three or four characters in length. A postcode area of one or two letters, followed by one or two
The outward postcode and the leading numeric of the inward postcode in combination forms a postal sector, and this usually corresponds to a couple of thousand properties.
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Larger businesses and isolated properties such as farms may have a unique postcode. Extremely large organisations such as larger government offices or bank headquarters may have multiple postcodes for different departments.
There are
==== United States ====
{{further|ZIP Code}}
In the United States, the basic [[ZIP Code]] is composed of five
There is an extended format of the ZIP Code known as the [[ZIP+4]], which contains the basic five-digit ZIP Code, followed by a hyphen and four additional digits. These digits identify a specific delivery route, such as one side of a building, a group of apartments, or several floors of a large office building. Although using the ZIP+4 offers higher accuracy, addressing redundancy, and sorting efficiency within the [[USPS]], it is optional and not widely used by the general public. It is primarily only used by business mailers.
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[[San Marino]] and the [[Vatican City]] are part of the [[Italy|Italian]] postcode system, while [[Liechtenstein]] similarly uses the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] system, as do the Italian exclave of [[Campione d'Italia]] and the German exclave of [[Büsingen am Hochrhein]], although they also form part of their respective countries' postal code systems.
The [[Czech Republic]] and [[Slovakia]] still use the codes of the former [[Czechoslovakia]], their ranges not overlapping. In 2004–2006, Slovakia prepared a reform of the system but the plan was postponed and
== Non-geographic codes ==
In the United Kingdom, the non-conforming postal code GIR 0AA was used for the [[
:HM Revenue and Customs – VAT Controller
:VAT Central Unit
:BX5 5AT<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/vat-insolvency|title=VAT: insolvency|website=gov.uk|access-date=2 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106095712/https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/vat-insolvency|archive-date=6 January 2018}}</ref>
The XX postcode is used for parcel returns. The BF postcode is used for British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses.
A fictional address is also used by Royal Mail for letters to Santa Claus, more commonly known as Santa or Father Christmas:
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{{Expand section|date=December 2009}}
While postal codes were introduced to expedite the delivery of mail, they can be used for:
* Finding the nearest branch of an organisation to a given address. A computer program uses the postal codes of the target address and the branches to list the closest branches in order of distance. This can be used by companies to inform potential customers where to go, by [[Public employment service|job centre]]s to find jobs for job-seekers, to alert people of [[town planning]] applications in their area, and for other applications.<ref name=planning>{{cite news |author=Charles Arthur |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/oct/07/newly-asked-question-royal-mail-postzon |title=Guardian newspaper article on postcodes |work=The Guardian|___location=London |access-date=26 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043135/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/oct/07/newly-asked-question-royal-mail-postzon |archive-date=1 December 2017 }}</ref>
* Fine-grained postal codes can be used with [[satellite navigation]] systems to navigate to an address by street number and postcode.
* Geographical sales territories for representatives in the pharmaceutical industry are allocated based on a workload index that is based upon postcode.
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* [[List of postal codes]]
* [[:Category:Lists of postal codes]]
* [[Address
* [[Postcode Address File]]
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