Postal code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:07, 14 March 2024

Revision as of 20:15, 23 March 2024

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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 reflects the increasing complexity of postal delivery as populations grew and the [[built environment]] became more complex. This 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 late 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="1920_advert_Lynd_Farquhar_Co">{{Cite journal |author=Lynd-Farquhar Co |title=Advertisement for machine tools, 1920 |journal=American Machinist |page=388 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ezRMAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA388|year=1920}}</ref><ref name="1920_advert_Hill_Clarke_Co">{{Cite journal |author1=Hill, Clarke |author2=Co, Inc |name-list-style=amp |title=Advertisement for a drill press, 1920 |journal=American Machinist |page=389 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ezRMAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA389|year=1920}}</ref>) although they were evidently not used throughout all major US cities (implemented [[United States Post Office Department|USPOD]]-wide) until [[World War II]].

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 was in thehad airstarted. 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 |publisher=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 theyit werewas 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>

== Presentation ==

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[[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 this format: A9A 9A9<ref name=GreatData.com>{{cite web|title=GreatData.com (a licensee of Canada Post data)|url=http://greatdata.com|access-date=8 February 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402154507/http://greatdata.com/|archive-date=2 April 2013}}</ref>

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 twoto purposes: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.

* to avoid confusion in OCR, and

* it also helps to avoid accidental double-entendres by avoiding the creation of word look-alikes, 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 numbers and twenty letters can represent 900 locations.

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* [[Malta]] ([[Postal codes in Malta|see table]])

* [[Netherlands]] ([[Postal codes in the Netherlands|see table]])

* [[Peru]] ([[List of postal codes in Peru|see table]]), Thethe postal code format in Peru was updated in February 2011 to be of the format of five digits.

* [[Somalia]]

* [[United Kingdom]] ([[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|see table]])

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=== Country code prefixes ===

[[ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]] country codes were recommended by the [[European Committee for Standardization]] as well as the [[Universal Postal Union]] to be used in conjunction with postal codes starting in 1994,<ref name="daCruz_ColumbiaUni">{{cite web| last =da Cruz| first =Frank| title =Frank's Compulsive Guide to Postal Addresses| publisher =Columbia University| date =17 May 2008| url =http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/postal.html#europe| access-date =4 June 2008| url-status =live| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080725104707/http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/postal.html#europe| archive-date =25 July 2008}}</ref> but they have not become widely used. [[Andorra]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Barbados]], [[Ecuador]], [[Latvia]] and [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]] use the [[ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]] as a prefix in their postal codes.

[[Andorra]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Barbados]], [[Ecuador]], [[Latvia]] and [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]] use the [[ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]] as a prefix in their postal codes.

In some countries (such as in [[continental Europe]], where a numeric postcode format of four or five digits is commonly used) the numeric postal code is sometimes prefixed with a [[country code]] when sending international mail to that country.

=== Placement of the code ===

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.

When it follows the city it may be on the same line or on a new line.

In [[Belarus]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Russia,]] and [[Turkmenistan]], it is written at the beginning of an address.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} In [[Japanese addressing system|Japan]], it is written at the start of the address when written in Japanese, but at the end when the address is written in the Latin alphabet.

== 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]] (24 of 100 possible codes used = 24%)

: BB -– one of the 226 [[cantons of Ecuador]] (for AABB 226 of 10000 codes used, i.e. 2.26%. Three cantons are not in any province)

: 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]] (7 of 10 used, i.e. 70%)

: BB -– one of the 81 [[cantons of Costa Rica]] (81 of 100 used, i.e. 81%)

: 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&param2=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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=== Codes defined close to administrative boundaries ===

[[File:MAPA DAS REGIÕES DE CEP.JPG|thumb|right|280px|Map of Brazilian five-digit postalcodes of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo state]]. Each color shows a set of administrative areas, and the hierarchy of codes relating indirectly to them.]]

Each color shows a set of administrative areas, and the hierarchy of codes relating indirectly to them.]]

In France the numeric code for the departments is used as the first two digits of the postal code, except for the two departments in [[Corsica]] that have codes 2A and 2B and use 20 as postal code. Furthermore, the codes are only the codes for the department in charge of delivery of the post, so it can be that a ___location in one department has a postal code starting with the number of a neighbouring department.

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In Brazil the [[:pt:Código de Endereçamento Postal|8-digit postcodes]] are an evolution of the five-digit area postal codes. In the 1990s the Brazilian five-digit postal code (illustrated), <code>DDDDD</code>, received a three-digit suffix <code>DDDDD-SSS</code>, but this suffix is not directly related to the administrative district hierarchy. The suffix was created only for logistic reasons.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="220px" style="text-align:center" caption="Brazilian eight-digit postal codes -– A city block and its faces">

QuadrasExemplo-CEP.png|[[City block]]s surrounded by streets, some streets with a different eight-digit postal code (suffixes 001 to 899)

QuadraExemplo-CEP.png|Faces of a [[city block]] and their extension into its interior. Each color is an eight-digit postal code, usually assigned to a side (odd or even numbered) of a street.

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[[file:QuadraExemplo-CEP-pnt.png|thumb|220px|In the [[Spatialization|code spatialization]] it '''is an error''' to associate the postal code to an individual ''land lot'' area: a lot may have 0, 1, 2 or more delivery points, with different codes.]]

The postal code assignment can be assigned to individual [[land lot]]s in some special cases &mdash; in Brazil, they are named "large receivers" and receive suffixes 900–959. In any other case itIt is an error to associate the postal code with the whole land lot area (illustrated). A postal code is often related to a [[land lot]], but postal codes are usually related to access points on streets. Small or middle-sized houses, in general, only have a single main gate, which is the delivery point. Parks, large businesses such as shopping centers and big houses, may have more than one entrance and more than one delivery point.

A postal code is often related to a [[land lot]], but this is not always the case. Postal codes are usually related to access points on streets. Small or middle-sized houses, in general, only have a single main gate which is the delivery point. Parks, large businesses such as shopping centers, and big houses, may have more than one entrance and more than one delivery point. So the semantic of an address and its postal code can vary, and one [[land lot]] may have more than one postal code.

=== 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.

====India====

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French overseas departments and territories use the five-digit [[French postal code system]], each code starting with the three-digit department identifier. [[Monaco]] is also integrated in the French system and has no system of its own.

The British [[Crown Dependencies]] of [[Guernsey]], [[Jersey]] and the [[Isle of Man]] are part of the UK postcode system. They use the schemes AAN NAA and AANN NAA, in which the first two letters are a unique code (GY, JE and IM respectively). Most of the Overseas Territories have UK-style postcodes, with a single postcode for each territory or dependency, although they are still treated as international destinations by Royal Mail in the UK, and charged at international rather than UK inland rates. The four other Overseas Territories [[Anguilla]], [[Bermuda]], [[British Virgin Islands]] and [[Cayman Islands]] have their own separate systems and formats.

Most of the Overseas Territories have UK-style postcodes, with a single postcode for each territory or dependency, although they are still treated as international destinations by Royal Mail in the UK, and charged at international rather than UK inland rates. The four other Overseas Territories [[Anguilla]], [[Bermuda]], [[British Virgin Islands]] and [[Cayman Islands]] have their own separate systems and formats.

The Pacific island states of [[Palau]], [[Marshall Islands]] and the [[Federated States of Micronesia]] remain part of the US [[ZIP code]] system, despite having become independent states.

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In the United Kingdom, the non-conforming postal code GIR 0AA was used for the [[Girobank|National Girobank]] until its closure in 2003.<ref>[https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/40-facts-postcode-mark-40th-4113087 40 facts about the postcode to mark 40th anniversary as vital part of daily life] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316214017/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/40-facts-postcode-mark-40th-4113087 |date=16 March 2018 }}, Daily Mirror, 26 August 2014</ref> A non-geographic series of postcodes, starting with BX, is used by some banks and government departments.

: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=www.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>

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{{main|List of postal codes}}

== Non-postal uses and economic aspects ==

{{Expand section|date=December 2009}}

While postal codes were introduced to expedite the delivery of mail, they arecan verybe useful toolsused for several other purposes, particularly in countries where codes are very fine-grained and identify just a few addresses. Among uses are:

* 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 [[as the crow flies]] (or, if used in conjunction with street map software, road distance). This can be used by companies to inform potential customers where to go, by [[job centre]]s to find jobs for job-seekers, to alert people of [[town planning]] applications in their area, and a great manyfor 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=Theguardian.com |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.

* Population data can be isolated, grouped and/or organized by postal code for statistical analysis.

=== Availability ===

{{Update|section|date=April 2021|updated=2010}}

The availability of postal code information has significant economic advantages. In some countries, the postal authorities charge for access to the code database. {{As of|2010|1}}, the United Kingdom Government is consulting on whether to [[Postcode Address File#Costs and public availability|waive licensing fees]] for some geographical data sets (to be determined) related to UK postcodes.

== See also ==