Data Quality Glossary
Definitions of key terms across data quality, geospatial location, address validation, and postal mail - from entity resolution and geocoding to CASS, DPV, and ZIP+4.
109 terms
A
ADC/AADC
Postal & Direct Mail
- These initials stand for Area Distribution Center or Automated Area Distribution Center. These are postal facilities the USPS uses to accept mail destined for a set of ZIP codes the center services. Mail sent to ADC/AADC facilities is sorted and shipped to post offices serving individual ZIP codes.
Address Block
Postal & Direct Mail
- An address block defines the space on a mailpiece where the recipient's name and address will be imaged. The address block may include the postal barcode and/or a keyline. Some mailers include a small 2D barcode that shows through the window of an outbound envelope. The barcode is used for tracking and quality control.
Address Interpolation
Geospatial
- A geocoding method that estimates a latitude-longitude point by placing an address along a street segment based on known address ranges at each end. Interpolated geocodes are generally less precise than parcel-level or rooftop geocodes but are widely used when point-level data is unavailable.
Address IQ®
Products
- Address IQ® is Firstlogic's address validation product, formerly known as Postalsoft ACE®. Capable of high-performance address normalization, address validation using postal authority data, and both street interpolated and parcel-level geocoding.Address IQ®
APO/MPO
Postal & Direct Mail
- These acronyms stand for Army Post Office or Military Post Office for mail sent to military service members. Domestic military bases are APOs and foreign bases are MPOs.
Aspect Ratio
Postal & Direct Mail
- The USPS requires the ratio of length to height to be between 1.3 and 2.5. The aspect ratio is computed by dividing the length by the height. The length of a mailpiece is the edge parallel to the address.
Automation Compatible Mail
Postal & Direct Mail
- Automation compatible mail meets USPS requirements for processing on their automated equipment. Material specifications for automation compatible mail include mailpiece dimensions, address orientation, thickness, shape, and flexibility.
B
Barcode Clear Zone
Postal & Direct Mail
- The USPS designates a rectangular area in the lower right portion of a letter-sized mailpiece. Mailers must not print anything in this area except the postal barcode.
Block Group
Geospatial
- A subdivision of a census tract, consisting of a cluster of census blocks, and representing the smallest geographic unit for aggregated demographic data.
BMEU
Postal & Direct Mail
- Bulk Mail Entry Unit. These USPS facilities accept discounted First Class and Marketing Mail. Mailers typically take their mail to a BMEU to enter the mail into the USPS mailstream.
Bounding Box
Geospatial
- A rectangular geographic area defined by minimum and maximum latitude and longitude values. Bounding boxes are commonly used to filter, index, or display map features within a region.
BPM
Postal & Direct Mail
- Bound Printed Matter. This USPS designation typically applies to books, catalogs, or directories weighing at least one pound. Certain restrictions apply to this mailing class.
BRC or BRE
Postal & Direct Mail
- These abbreviations stand for Business Reply Card or Business Reply Envelope. Postage for these return pieces is paid via the mailer's Business Reply permit account. Mailers only pay postage on BRCs or BREs actually returned.
Bulk Mail
Postal & Direct Mail
- This is an obsolete term but is still sometimes used to describe presorted First Class or Marketing Mail.
C
Carrier Route Presort Mail (CR/CRRT)
Postal & Direct Mail
- Mail the mailer has sorted by carrier route is referred to as carrier route presort. This mail provides mailers the greatest postage discounts as it bypasses primary and secondary sortation by the USPS. Some mailers even sort mail into the walking sequence of the postal carrier as he/she delivers the mail, in return for additional postage discounts.
CASS
Postal & Direct Mail
- CASS stands for Coding Accuracy Support System. CASS improves delivery accuracy by matching mailing list entries to USPS-defined address ranges on a street. The USPS verifies that postal matching software meets the CASS standard. Any mailer claiming discounted automation postage rates must process their addresses through CASS-certified address matching software.
Census Block
Geospatial
- A census block is the smallest geographic unit used by the U.S. Census Bureau for tabulating decennial census data.census block
Census Block Group
Geospatial
- A census block group is a subdivision of a census tract. They typically encompass clusters of contiguous census and contain populations ranging between 600 and 3,000 people.census block group
Census Tract
Geospatial
- A census tract is a small, relatively permanent statistical subdivision of a county or equivalent area, used by the U.S. Census Bureau for tabulating decennial census data. A Census Tract contains one or more sub-units known as Census Block Groups.census tract
Centroid
Geospatial
- The geographic center point of an area such as a ZIP Code, city, county, or census tract. Centroid geocodes are coarser than address-level coordinates and are often used as a fallback when more precise geocoding is not possible.
CMRA
Postal & Direct Mail
- A CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agency) is a private business that accepts mail on behalf of clients. These businesses offer services similar to a PO Box but are managed independently of the USPS. Common examples include private mailbox providers such as The UPS Store, Mail Boxes Etc., and other business centers.CMRA
Co-op mailing
Postal & Direct Mail
- Co-op mailings include two or more offers, usually from different companies, in the same envelope. The marketers share the costs.
Coordinate Reference System/CRS
Geospatial
- A standard that defines how geographic coordinates map to locations on Earth, including the datum, projection, and units used. Matching coordinate reference systems is essential when combining geospatial datasets.
Courtesy Reply Mail/CRM/CRE
Postal & Direct Mail
- Courtesy reply envelopes are often included in bills and invoices. They feature a pre-printed address, or a window designed to allow the delivery address printed on the remittance stub to show through. Unlike Business Reply, customers mailing checks or materials back to the biller must pay the postage for CREs.
D
Data Accessibility
Data Quality
- The ease with which authorized users can locate, retrieve, and use data. High data accessibility means data is stored in well-documented repositories or interfaces, with proper permissions and metadata so users can find and consume information without undue barriers.Learn more
Data Accuracy
Data Quality
- The degree to which data correctly represents the real-world entities, events, or values it is intended to describe. Accurate data is free from material error and can be trusted for operational and analytical decisions.
Data Completeness
Data Quality
- A measure of whether all required data elements are present in a dataset. Completeness checks ensure that no mandatory fields are empty or missing, supporting reliable analysis and decision-making by confirming the dataset fully represents the intended records or transactions.Learn more
Data Consistency
Data Quality
- The extent to which data values agree across systems, records, and over time. Consistent data uses the same formats, codes, and definitions so related records do not conflict when combined or compared.
Data Deduplication
Data Quality
- The process of identifying and resolving duplicate records that refer to the same person, household, business, or other entity. Deduplication typically involves matching, ranking, and consolidating records into a preferred or surviving version.
Data Enrichment
Data Quality
- The practice of appending or enhancing existing records with additional attributes from internal or third-party sources - for example adding geocodes, demographic attributes, firmographics, or contact details - to improve targeting, analysis, and decision-making.
Data Governance
Data Quality
- The framework of policies, roles, standards, and processes that ensure data is managed as a trusted organizational asset. Data governance defines ownership, quality expectations, access controls, and accountability for how data is created, used, and maintained.
Data Hygiene
Data Quality
- Ongoing practices that keep datasets clean and usable, including correcting errors, removing outdated records, standardizing formats, updating moved addresses, and resolving duplicates. Strong data hygiene supports deliverability, matching, and analytics.
Data Integrity
Data Quality
- The reliability and trustworthiness of data across its lifecycle. Data integrity means values remain complete, accurate, and unaltered except through authorized and auditable processes.
Data Lineage
Data Quality
- Data lineage is the record of a data asset's origins, movements, and transformations across systems over time. It documents where data came from, how it was changed, and where it was used - helping teams trace errors, support audits, and understand the impact of upstream changes on downstream consumers.Learn more
Data Normalization
Data Quality
- The process of transforming data into a consistent, standardized format so records can be compared, matched, and processed reliably. In address and name processing, normalization often expands or abbreviates components to a preferred standard (for example converting "Street" and "St." to a common form).
Data Parsing
Data Quality
- Breaking unstructured or loosely structured text into discrete, labeled components. Address parsing, for example, separates an address string into elements such as house number, street name, unit, city, state, and ZIP Code so each field can be validated or standardized independently.
Data Profiling
Data Quality
- The analysis of a dataset to understand its structure, content, and quality. Profiling typically measures completeness, value distributions, patterns, outliers, and anomalies to guide cleansing, matching, and enrichment work.
Data Quality
Data Quality
- Data Quality is the measure of the suitability of a data set for its intended business role. In a business context, data quality is specifically measured for data quality characteristics including accuracy, completeness, and consistency.Learn more
Data Standardization
Data Quality
- Converting data elements to agreed formats, codes, and conventions so records from different sources look and behave the same. Address standardization against postal authority rules is a common example in mailing and location data workflows.
DataRight IQ®
Products
- DataRight IQ® is Firstlogic's batch data parsing and standardization product, formerly known as Postalsoft DataRight. It identifies the meaningful pieces in messy records - names, firms, addresses, phones, emails, dates, and more - then standardizes, enriches, and restructures them for reliable use across systems.DataRight IQ®
Deliverability Rate
Postal & Direct Mail
- The deliverability rate refers to the proportion of names on a mailing list with valid, deliverable mailing addresses.
Delivery Point Validation/DPV
Postal & Direct Mail
- DPV is necessary to confirm that addresses in a mailing list are actually deliverable. CASS processing or assigning a ZIP+4 code only verifies an address falls within a defined range of house numbers for a particular street. DPV is the process that determines whether an address exists and accepts mail.
Delivery Sequence File/DSF
Postal & Direct Mail
- The DSF is a tool used to standardize mailing addresses and contains every valid postal address in the USA.
Destination Entry Discount
Postal & Direct Mail
- The USPS offers destination entry discounts to mailers who transport mail to USPS facilities close to the final destination. This technique is sometimes referred to as drop-shipping.
Domestic Mail Manual/DMM
Postal & Direct Mail
- The DMM contains all US Postal Service mailing standards, rules, and regulations. This large, cross-referenced volume is periodically updated and is only available online.
DPV No-Stats
Postal & Direct Mail
- The USPS designates an address as "No Stats" when the address is a vacant property, it receives mail as part of a drop, or it doesn't have an established delivery yet.
E
Entity Resolution
Data Quality
- The process of determining whether multiple records refer to the same real-world entity, then linking or consolidating them. Entity resolution underpins customer 360 views, householding, and master data management.
Every Door Direct Mail/EDDM
Postal & Direct Mail
- EDDM is a USPS program allowing marketers to blanket a geographic area with non-personalized mailpieces. The mail does not contain individual addresses. Postal carriers simply deliver identical pieces to every residential address on their routes.
F
Facing Identification Mark
Postal & Direct Mail
- Facing identification marks, or FIM's, are a set of five vertical lines found at the top center of reply cards and envelopes. The USPS uses FIMs to orient the mail before scanning the addresses. The presence of a FIM is required for Business Reply mail.
FIPS Code
Geospatial
- A Federal Information Processing Standards code used to uniquely identify geographic entities in the United States, such as states and counties. A five-digit county FIPS code combines a two-digit state code with a three-digit county code.
First-Class Mail/FCM
Postal & Direct Mail
- First Class Mail provides mailers with services such as automatic mail forwarding at no additional charge. Unlike the less expensive Marketing Mail class, the USPS publishes delivery standards for First Class Mail, allowing mailers to better predict in-home dates for their communications.
Firstlogic FirstPrep®
Products
- Firstlogic FirstPrep® is Firstlogic's USPS file preparation utility, formerly known as Postalsoft FirstPrep. It helps mailers prepare address files and mailing documentation to meet USPS requirements for discounted and automation-compatible mailings.
Flats
Postal & Direct Mail
- Flats are large mailpieces, taller than 6 1/8", longer than 11 1/2" or thicker than 1/4". The USPS publishes several guidelines concerning the design and construction of flats to make sure they process through their automated equipment properly. Flats cost more to mail than letters or postcards.
Fuzzy Matching
Data Quality
- A matching technique that finds records that are similar but not identical, accounting for typos, abbreviations, nicknames, transposed characters, and other near-matches. Fuzzy matching is commonly used when exact string equality would miss true duplicates.
G
Geocode Assignment Level
Geospatial
- Also known as Geocode Accuracy Level, or a Geocode Accuracy Type. Geocode Assignment Level specifies the level of precision that was used to calculate a latitude-longitude geocode coordinate. The technique and precision of geocode coordinates can vary based on the geocoding provider. In general, exact or parcel-level geocodes are considered the most accurate. Interpolated geocodes are considered fairly accurate for many use cases. And zip code and regional (city, county, or state) centroid geocodes are considered the least accurate, but may be sufficient for use as a fall-back when exact parcel or interpolated coordinates are not possible.
Geocoding
Geospatial
- The process of converting a descriptive location - such as a street address, landmark name, or postal code - into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). Geocoding enables integration of address-based data with mapping and spatial analysis tools to visualize, analyze, and route resources.Learn more
GIS
Geospatial
- Geographic Information System. Software and methods for capturing, storing, analyzing, and visualizing location-based data. GIS combines spatial features (points, lines, polygons) with attribute data for mapping and spatial analysis.
Golden Record
Data Quality
- A single, authoritative version of an entity assembled by consolidating the best available values from matching source records. Also called a survivor or master record, it is the preferred representation used downstream after matching and survivorship rules are applied.
I
In-Home Date
Postal & Direct Mail
- Marketers use the in-home date as a target for the ideal time for the mail to be delivered to the recipients. For direct mail advertising, in-home dates are frequently expressed as a range.
Indicia
Postal & Direct Mail
- Indicia is the box that appears in the top right corner of a mailpiece. Indicia's show the USPS the class of mail and tells them the postage has been prepaid via a permit. The advantage of permit mail is that postage is paid only when a mailing is deposited, unlike stamps or meter impressions which require a pre-mailing investment in postage.
Intelligent Mail barcode/IMb
Postal & Direct Mail
- The IMb is a series of vertical bars that appear in the address block or in the lower right portion of a mailpiece. These codes allow the USPS sorting equipment to route the mail to its destination. They also carry important information to identify the mail owner, mail preparer, mailing class, and ancillary services. Each IMb includes a serial number that identifies a unique mailpiece, allowing the USPS to track each mailpiece as it travels throughout the delivery network.
ISO 20022 Address Formats
Data Quality
- Postal address representations defined by the ISO 20022 financial messaging standard for payment and related messages. Addresses may be unstructured (free-text address lines), fully structured (discrete fields such as street name, building number, post code, town name, and country), or hybrid (mandatory structured town and country fields combined with limited free-text address lines). In SWIFT CBPR+ and related market practice, unstructured-only addresses are being phased out in favor of structured or hybrid formats, with town name and country required in dedicated fields.
K
Keyline/Match Key
Postal & Direct Mail
- A keyline is a combination of numbers and letters, usually printed directly above the mail recipient's name on a mailpiece. Information in the keyline helps identify the mail recipient and provides information used for mail tracking and quality control during the print and mail production process.
L
Latitude/Longitude
Geospatial
- A coordinate pair that identifies a location on Earth. Latitude measures north-south position relative to the equator; longitude measures east-west position relative to the prime meridian. Together they form the basis of most geocoding outputs.
Letters
Postal & Direct Mail
- This class of mail refers to mailpieces between 3 1/2" and 6 1/8" tall, 5" and 11 1/2" long, and between .007" and 1/8" thick.
M
Mail Drop
Postal & Direct Mail
- Mail drops are portions of a mailing that mailers enter into the mailstream at different times. In some cases, the distribution is spread over time to better manage expected responses. In other cases, mail drops can be used to contact the same set of contacts multiple times.
Mailing Lists
Postal & Direct Mail
- Mailing lists come in several varieties. A "House List" is usually the best performing mailing list because the people on the list are current customers, former customers, or prospects who have previously shown an interest in a product or service "Response Lists" are lists of people who share an attribute with your target audience. They might subscribe to certain magazines, belong to professional organizations, or be former students of a certain university. Acquiring these types of lists yields better than average results. "Compiled Lists" contain contacts chosen by general criteria such as estimated income levels, age, sex, or geographic location. These lists will not be as productive as others. However, marketers may augment or enhance the data on compiled lists to improve segmentation and targeting.
Marketing Mail
Postal & Direct Mail
- Marketing Mail is a mailing class formerly known as Standard Mail, or Third-Class Mail. Marketing Mail is most popular with high volume direct mail advertising because of low postage rates. However, the USPS publishes no delivery standards for Marketing Mail. Predicting in-home dates becomes more difficult for marketers.
Master Data Management/MDM
Data Quality
- The discipline and technology used to create and maintain a consistent, enterprise-wide view of core business entities such as customers, products, or locations. MDM typically combines matching, survivorship, governance, and ongoing stewardship.
Match IQ®
Products
- Match IQ® is Firstlogic's matching and consolidation product, formerly known as Postalsoft Match/Consolidate®. It compares name, address, and related customer data to find records that represent the same person, household, or company, then consolidates each match group according to rules you control.Match IQ®
N
NAICS Code
Geospatial
- The North American Industry Classification System is a classification of business establishments by type of business activity. It is widely used by government and business in the US and Canada. Typically, a code represents a business establishment at a single physical location. Each business establishment is grouped into an industry category depending on the primary business activity performed there. It is important to note that a company can be composed of multiple NAICS business establishments at various locations.
National Change of Address/NCOA
Postal & Direct Mail
- The NCOA database includes information on every person, family, or business that has filed a change-of-address notice with the US Postal Service. The USPS requires mailers seeking postage discounts to use an approved move update method to correct mailing addresses before they present the mail. NCOA processing is the most common method mailers choose to satisfy the move update requirement. The NCOA database changes constantly as individuals, families, and businesses submit new change of address notices and older change orders expire.Learn more
Nixie
Postal & Direct Mail
- A nixie is an undelivered mailpiece which has been returned to the sender.
Non-machineable
Postal & Direct Mail
- Non-machineable mail cannot be sorted on mail processing equipment because of size, shape, content, or address legibility. Such mail must be processed manually and is subject to a surcharge.
Non-Profit Class
Postal & Direct Mail
- The USPS allows non-profit organizations to send mail at reduced rates. Organizations must apply and be granted a permit. Non-Profit mail service is similar to Marketing Mail.
P
Palletization
Postal & Direct Mail
- Palletization refers to sacks and trays of mail arranged on pallets. Palletized mail can often be delivered faster because of less handling. The USPS publishes rules about how to palletize mail, label the pallets, and document the mailings.
Parcel-level Geocode
Geospatial
- A high-precision geocode associated with a specific land parcel or property boundary, typically more accurate than street-interpolated coordinates. Parcel-level geocodes are preferred for applications that require near-rooftop location accuracy.
Physical Address
Postal & Direct Mail
- The actual geographic location of a building or site - typically including street number, street name, city, state, and ZIP Code - used for on-site visits, deliveries of goods, or services. A physical address may differ from a mailing address when mail is redirected to PO boxes or alternate locations.Learn more
Postal pre-sort
Postal & Direct Mail
- Mailers sorting outgoing mail in a USPS-approved way to take advantage of postal discounts.
Postalsoft ACE®
Products
- Address cleansing software product. Formerly known as Postalsoft ACE®, it is now known as Firstlogic Address IQ®.Address IQ®
Postalsoft DataRight
Products
- Data standardization software product. Formerly known as Postalsoft DataRight, it is now known as Firstlogic DataRight IQ®.DataRight IQ®
Postalsoft FirstPrep
Products
- USPS File preparation software utility. Formerly known as Postalsoft FirstPrep, it is now known as Firstlogic FirstPrep®.
Postalsoft Match/Consolidate®
Products
- Matching and deduplication software product. Formerly known as Postalsoft Match/Consolidate®, it is now known as Firstlogic Match IQ®.Match IQ®
Postalsoft Rapid
Products
- Now known as the Firstlogic Address IQ® SDK.Workflow IQ docs
Postalsoft Views
Products
- An innovative user interface application that makes configuring data quality jobs easy. Formerly known as Postalsoft Views, it is now known as Firstlogic Views™.
Presort Accuracy Validation and Evaluation/PAVE
Postal & Direct Mail
- PAVE is the USPS process to assess the address handling quality of postal software. Vendors of such software will often advertise their product is CASS/PAVE certified.
Presorting
Postal & Direct Mail
- Presorting is the process a mail owner or mail preparer uses to arrange the sequence of the mail thereby reducing the USPS labor required to route and deliver it. Presorting can be done before printing, by arranging the data in the proper order, or after printing using large mail sorting machines. Presorting mail involves several steps, including calculating mailing tray capacity, printing and affixing tray labels, and preparing electronic mail submission reports.
R
Record Linkage
Data Quality
- The process of connecting records that belong to the same individual, household, organization, or other entity across one or more datasets. Record linkage may use exact keys, probabilistic matching, or a combination of both.
Reference Data
Data Quality
- Authoritative lookup values used to validate or enrich other data, such as postal address files, country codes, NAICS codes, or standardized street suffix lists. Reference data provides a trusted baseline against which operational records are checked.
Response Device
Postal & Direct Mail
- Response devices are items a mail recipient returns to the marketer, such as an order form or donation form.
Return-To-Sender/RTS
Postal & Direct Mail
- RTS is sometimes handwritten or rubber-stamped on a mailpiece by a mail carrier, usually on First Class Mail. Carriers sometimes include a reason for returning the piece such as NFA (No Forwarding Address), NSA (No Such Number), NMR (No Mail Receptacle), Refused, or Deceased.
Reverse Geocoding
Geospatial
- The process of converting geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) into a descriptive location such as a street address, place name, or administrative area. It is the inverse of geocoding.
Rooftop Geocode
Geospatial
- A geocode placed at or very near the building footprint associated with an address. Rooftop geocodes are among the most precise address-level coordinate types and are often used interchangeably with high-accuracy parcel or address-point geocodes.
S
Saturation Mailing
Postal & Direct Mail
- A saturation mailing is a mailing to 90 percent of the residential addresses, or 75 percent of the combined residential and business addresses, within a specified geographic area or carrier route.saturation mailing
Sectional Center Facility/SCF
Postal & Direct Mail
- An SCF is a major mail entry and handling point in the USPS delivery network designated by the first 3 digits in the ZIP codes. SCF's oversee distribution of mail to several ZIP codes. The USPS may at times reorganize the delivery network according to demand and efficiencies.
Self-Mailer
Postal & Direct Mail
- A self-mailer is a direct mail piece without an envelope. Folded brochures or flyers are examples of self-mailers. Several design requirements pertain to self-mailers including how they are folded, and the methods used to seal them, such as glue lines, glue dots, and wafer tabs.
Simplified Address
Postal & Direct Mail
- Examples of simplified addresses include "Postal Customer", "Postal Patron", "Current Resident", "Current Boxholder", etc. This form of addressing is used for saturation mailing purposes and won't contain any actual addressee names.
Spatial Accuracy
Geospatial
- How closely a geocode or map feature corresponds to its true position on Earth. Spatial accuracy depends on the geocoding method, source data, and assignment level - for example rooftop versus ZIP Code centroid.
Stuffer/Insert
Postal & Direct Mail
- A stuffer is a marketing or informational piece included in an envelope containing a bill or statement. Though these kinds of materials may be selectively inserted into envelopes according to certain criteria.
Survivorship
Data Quality
- Rules that decide which values win when duplicate or linked records are consolidated into a golden record. Survivorship may prefer the most recent value, the most complete source, a designated system of record, or a scored combination of attributes.
T
Third Class
Postal & Direct Mail
- Third Class is an obsolete term. The US Postal Service renamed Third Class as Standard Mail, and then renamed it again as Marketing Mail.
Title Addressing
Postal & Direct Mail
- Title addressing uses a title, job function, or description rather than a specific person's name on a mailing label. Examples would be "Sales Manager", "HR Director" or "Software Buyer."
U
Unique ZIP Code
Postal & Direct Mail
- A Unique ZIP Code is a ZIP code that the United States Postal Service assigns exclusively to a single high-volume mail recipient - such as a large corporation, university, government agency, or organization - to streamline the processing, sorting, and delivery of its mail. Unlike standard geographic ZIP Codes (which cover all addresses within a given area), a Unique ZIP Code corresponds solely to one mailing entity (and its associated delivery points), ensuring faster, more efficient handling of large mail volumes.Learn more
W
WGS84
Geospatial
- World Geodetic System 1984, the global geodetic datum used by GPS and most modern mapping systems. Latitude-longitude coordinates used in web maps and common geocoding APIs are typically expressed in WGS84.
Workflow IQ®
Products
- Workflow IQ® is Firstlogic's family of embeddable SDKs for address verification and data quality. Rather than a single application, it packages Firstlogic engines as developer libraries you integrate into your own applications - processing records in-process on your infrastructure. Current modules include the Address IQ SDK, with additional SDK modules planned.Workflow IQ®Developer docs
Z
ZIP+4
Postal & Direct Mail
- ZIP+4 is an extension to the traditional 5-digit ZIP Code that identifies addresses more accurately geographically. ZIP+4 codes can identify the side of a street or the floor of a building.Learn more
Zone Improvement Plan Code/ZIP Code
Postal & Direct Mail
- ZIP codes have been the primary way the USPS uses to sort and deliver mail since 1963. A five-digit ZIP Code generally identifies a postal delivery unit. The numbers are arranged incrementally from the East coast of the United States to the West. ZIP Codes change frequently as the USPS reacts to population shifts and new development. Using postal software to prepare a mailing list ensures the list matches the current ZIP Code scheme.
#
3-Digit/5-Digit
Postal & Direct Mail
- This term refers to the first 3 or 5 numbers in a ZIP code. Mailers often divide their mailings according to 3-digit presort and 5-digit presort, depending on how many pieces are addressed for a given area. Mailers pay less postage on items qualifying at the 5-digit level than the 3-digit level.
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