Sending mail to the wrong person—or sending it to an undeliverable address—can cost a lot of time and money. You have to resend the mail and pay for new postage.
ZIP Code™ verification helps get rid of costly mistakes by making sure postal addresses are correct before you head to the post office.
What is Zip Code™ validation?
Zip Code™ validation definition:
ZIP Code™ validation is the process of checking a postal address to make sure the ZIP is valid and matches the location in the address. Valid ZIP Codes™ meet three conditions::
- Matches a valid ZIP Code™ in the USPS® postal data file
- The ZIP Code™ in the address accurately refers to the city or town listed in the address.
- The address follows the correct ZIP Code™ format, including the ZIP + 4®
Experience ZIP Code™ Validation first-hand.
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Why is it important to validate ZIP Codes™?
Validating ZIP Codes™ before mailing letters, advertisements, or packages to customers improves deliverability. Valid addresses mean your mail gets delivered on time to the right person. A mailing list with incorrect ZIP Codes leads to returned mail, higher postage costs, and longer shipping times.
The good news is that you don’t have to check all of your addresses by hand. ZIP Code™ verification tools, like the free USPS address lookup tool from Experian, help you verify your address lists quickly.
You save time and money with fewer failed deliveries. You’ll make your customers happy, too, as they get their packages on time.
How do you know if a ZIP Code™ is incorrect?
It can be difficult to tell if a ZIP Code™ is wrong just by looking at an address list. For example, you could have the wrong ZIP Code™ for the city in an address. This means the city or town is one location, but the ZIP Code™ in the address refers to a different location. The mail will likely be returned to you because the Postal Service won’t know which location is the correct one.
Below is an example of an inaccurate ZIP Code™:
18 School Street
Charlestown, MA 02128
The first thing you might notice about this address is that the ZIP + 4® is missing. A ZIP + 4® is a four-digit code at the end of the five-digit ZIP Code™. These extra four digits define the exact delivery location.
The above address also lists Charlestown, MA, as the location. However, the ZIP Code™ used refers to Boston, MA—not Charlestown. This is a common typo, but your mail might not be delivered if you don’t catch it. Validating the ZIP Codes™ in your address list catches and fixes typos and other mistakes that could make your mail undeliverable.
After ZIP Code™ validation, the address looks like this:
18 School St
Charlestown MA 02129-3011
The corrected address uses an accurate ZIP + 4® to clarify the exact delivery location. Having the correct ZIP + 4® can eliminate address correction charges. You might even qualify for special mailing rates when you use the ZIP + 4®. The validation process also replaced the inaccurate Boston ZIP Code™ with the ZIP Code™ for Charlestown, MA.
Sending mail to the verified address instead of the first, unverified one can help your mail get delivered to the right place at the right time.
Are there any real-time ZIP verification tools?
Experience ZIP Code™ Validation first-hand with Experian’s real-time address verification tool. Our tool makes it easy to verify postal addresses—including ZIP Codes™—instantly. Try it for free today!
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Related Links:
Learn more about ZIP + 4® codes.
See what ZIP + 4® verification software is about.
