Stamp out mailing errors: The ultimate guide to USPS address validation

For businesses, USPS address validation means making sure you have accurate addresses for customers. This reduces failed deliveries and costs associated with returned mail. It also enhances customer satisfaction by ensuring deliveries are made on time - and to the right place.

But is it the right option for every business? In this article, we discuss the pros and cons of USPS address validation, and how to choose the right option for you.

What is USPS address validation?

USPS address validation is a service provided by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to ensure that mailing addresses are accurate, standardized, and deliverable.

The process involves comparing a given address against the USPS database of valid addresses to verify its authenticity. The service can correct minor errors, standardize formatting to meet USPS guidelines, and identify potential issues that might prevent successful mail delivery.

For businesses and individuals, USPS address validation is an essential tool to minimize the risk of undelivered mail, reduce wasted postage costs, and improve the efficiency of deliveries.

To check address validity with USPS, the process typically involves checking for elements like street names, house or apartment numbers, city names, ZIP Codes, and other critical components of an address. If the input address has discrepancies with the stored version of the address—such as missing or incorrect information—the system may suggest corrections or flag the address as undeliverable.

USPS address validation can be accessed through various platforms, including online tools, APIs, and third-party services that integrate the USPS database for seamless validation during e-commerce checkouts, customer onboarding, or bulk mail processing.

USPS Address Overview

Why It Matters

The USPS maintains one of the most comprehensive and expedient mail delivery networks in the world. 

The Agency has an annual operating revenue of more than $71B and delivers 48 percent of the world’s mail. It is self-funded through revenues from stamps and other service fees rather than tax dollars.

The USPS is a role model for the rest of the world and ranks #7 on a global list of the world’s highest performing postal services based on four factors: reliability, reach, relevance, and resilience. The country is one of the top funders of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which is a United Nations specialized agency for global collaboration in the postal sector.

The USPS provides a gateway for the global commercial sector to reach American customers. 

The backbone of the USPS is its integrated supply chain, which partners with private companies to deliver mail to 160M+ delivery addresses, which includes 46M rural addresses. Throughout rural America, the USPS is often the only delivery option available. The United States is one of only 12 percent of countries that have delivery point verification (DVP) data, which corresponds to a house or apartment.

Did you know...

Every year, post offices around the United States receive thousands of letters to Santa from American kids. Some of these children ask for toys. Others ask for basic necessities — or help for themselves and loved ones.

For the last 100 years, the USPS has maintained a program called Operation Santa where postal employees respond to these letters. Some post offices even purchase gifts for the children.

USPS customers, everyday Americans, can go online and adopt letters to help a child or family have a happy holiday when they otherwise may not.

USPS letter-writers take part in an apprenticeship program to receive training before they become official “Santas.” You can read more about the program here

The USPS is the nation’s preferred option for last-mile delivery, which is the practice of moving goods from a transit hub to a final destination such as a residence. This capability is essential for expedited and same-day delivery services. Last mile delivery can sometimes represent 25% of shipping costs due to the complexity of delivering packages to some locations.

Every component of a USPS address is important for communicating delivery information. Senders and recipients of mail can reduce strain on the Postal Service, which is already under extreme financial strain, by ensuring that information is well-formatted and correct. 

How USPS Addresses Work

According to the USPS official website, “the delivery address is the most important information on your mail piece.” 

The United States Postal Service relies on automated mail processing machines to read addresses from the bottom up. These systems first look for a city, state, and ZIP code that corresponds to a specific region within a geography. Extra information below the delivery address line may confuse the machine.

There are six components that comprise a USPS address:

• Name
• Company
• Delivery Address
• City
• State
• ZIP Code

In the United States, the term for a postal code is ZIP code. The role of the ZIP code is to process data with expediency and efficiency. 

United States ZIP codes are five numerical digits long. ZIP+4 codes, also known as add-on or plus-four codes, include four additional digits that identify a geographic segment within a ZIP code delivery area.

To send mail, only the first five digits of the ZIP code are required. Including the full ZIP+4 code; however, can expedite delivery times due to the specific geographic detail communicated.

ZIP codes are translated into barcodes that enable the automatic sorting of mail, which reduces the amount of human oversight necessary.

A comprehensive list of guidelines and tips for addressing is available on the USPS website. It is estimated that more than 25% of mail pieces have an error such as a missing apartment number or incorrect ZIP code. In some cases, the USPS is able to deliver mail with errors. But it costs the agency time and money — resources that are scarce.

How To Verify Using a USPS Address

The USPS publishes a suite of tools, including an Address Information System (AIS) viewer that provides the ability to retrieve, view, and print accurate and current ZIP code information for all 50 states.

Address verification software uses an application programming interface (API) to validate information against official USPS records.

Behind the scenes, a global data set sits behind the address verification software and aggregates multiple reference data sources into a consistent and reliable single-best-record. 

Often unnoticed, address software is an important part of a digital business’s technology stack. To provide a seamless end-user experience, the address validation API needs to deliver results in real-time. From the customer’s perspective, this process should be taking place instantaneously and behind the scenes. There should be no delays, glitches, or bugs.

Loqate helps businesses around the world verify customer addresses by combining our global datasets with best in class technology. Our easy to integrate API helps our customers verify customer data at the point of capture. Find out more about how Loqate address verification solutions can help your business.

Pros of USPS address validation

To validate USPS address services, let’s first discuss the pros.

• Accurate - USPS address validation directly leverages the official USPS database, ensuring a high level of accuracy for verifying and standardizing US addresses.
• Free - USPS has free options available for basic validation needs.
• Can be integrated - USPS offers APIs that integrate into websites, e-commerce platforms, and CRM systems, with some input needed from your in house developers.
• Trusted - As the official postal service, USPS provides a trusted, government-backed validation system.

Cons of USPS address validation

To validate USPS address validation, and whether it’s right for your business, let’s consider the cons.

• Limited to US addresses - There is no USPS international address validation. USPS address validation only supports US addresses. So if you want your business to grow beyond the US, you will need a better solution.
• Limited features - While USPS validation ensures accurate and deliverable addresses, its features can be less comprehensive. There are no advanced tools included, such as geocoding, email verification, and predictive address suggestions during user input.
• Lack of user-friendly interfaces - USPS address validation tools, particularly APIs, can be less intuitive to set up and use compared to modern third-party platforms. The documentation and support might require more technical expertise, potentially increasing implementation time and effort.
• Limited customization - USPS validation may not be as flexible for businesses requiring tailored solutions, such as custom formatting for addresses or integration with non-standard workflows.
• No enrichment or additional data - USPS doesn’t provide enriched data, such as demographic information, business identifiers, or property details, which could add value to customer profiles.
• Potential latency for high volume usage - Speed and performance can be slower during bulk address validation.

How to know if USPS address validation is right for your business

USPS address validation is a powerful and reliable tool for ensuring accurate delivery to US addresses, but whether it’s the right fit for your business depends on your specific needs. If your operations are primarily domestic, require compliance with USPS mailing standards, or would benefit from a free solution without a need to scale, USPS validation is an excellent choice. It’s particularly suited for small to medium-sized businesses or those primarily using USPS for shipping and marketing campaigns

Address verification services ensure your business doesn’t suffer from undelivered mail, wasted time, increased costs for re-sending items, and potential customer dissatisfaction. Every business needs a tool, but which is the best tool for address validation? USPS is just one of many options. 

However, if your business operates internationally, requires advanced features like geocoding, enriched data, or highly customized workflows, a third-party service may better meet your needs. Also make sure to consider your technical resources—if you need a user-friendly platform with robust integration options, Loqate’s Address Verify offers a smoother implementation process, fast look-ups, enriched data, international address verification and much more.

USPS Address Validation FAQs

Is USPS address validation free?

Yes, USPS offers free address validation tools, such as the USPS ZIP Code Lookup and Address Information APIs, for basic validation needs. However, advanced features or high-volume usage may better suit paid solutions like Loqate’s Address Verify.

Does USPS have an API for address validation?

Yes, there is a USPS API for address validation called the USPS Address Validation API (part of the Web Tools API suite). It allows businesses to verify, standardize, and correct US addresses programmatically, making it ideal for integration into e-commerce platforms or CRM systems. However, it is only useful if you only want to ship to the US.

How much does USPS address validation cost?

USPS address validation is free for basic use, such as through their online tools or USPS API for address validation. However, if you need high-volume processing or advanced features, you may incur costs from third-party providers that integrate USPS data.

How to validate an address with USPS?

To validate an address with USPS, you can use their free online tools like the USPS ZIP Code Lookup or integrate their USPS Address Validation API into your system. Simply enter the address, and USPS will verify it, correct errors, and standardize the format for deliverability.

Loqate helps businesses around the world verify customer addresses by combining our global datasets with best in class technology. Our easy to integrate API helps our customers verify customer data at the point of capture. 

Find out more about how Loqate address verification solutions can help your business.