ZIP+4 Codes are special 4-digit codes appended to 5-digit ZIP Codes that help the USPS to route mail efficiently. When added to mail, the last 4 digits of ZIP Code numbers identify segments of USPS delivery routes.
ZIP+4 Codes are 4-digit codes appended to the original 5-digit USPS ZIP Codes. Using the full ZIP Code with the extra 4 digits when mailing via the USPS ensures the fastest, most accurate mailing possible.
4 extra numbers on zip code
These codes indicate a specific delivery route, meaning the actual path the mail truck would travel in a single drop-off. Usually, this comprises ten to twenty homes or locations. The USPS also assigns ZIP+4 Codes to PO Boxes. Typically, each PO Box gets its own +4 Code, which often matches the box number.
The extra 4 digits on ZIP Codes identify segments of fluid postal delivery routes. They're not permanent lines, so a 9 digits ZIP Code can change regularly. Five-digit ZIP Codes also change, but they do so infrequently; it's less likely that you will live in a ZIP Code when it changes. Not so for the last 4 digits of Zip Code numbers.
If you need an answer to, "What is my ZIP Code with the extra 4 digits?" Just click one of the buttons at the top of the page, enter your address, and get your +4 Code instantly. Just remember, it's called a ZIP+4 Code, or simply a ZIP+4.
ZIP codes, the postal code system used by the US Postal Service (USPS), were introduced in 1963. Their basic, and most familiar, format consists of five digits that indicate a specific delivery area. In 1983, the USPS introduced the extended ZIP+4 code.
These last 4 digits represent specific delivery routes within delivery areas. This extra detail means an even more precise matching to a more granular level. It could represent a handful of houses on one side of a street, or even a single building that receives a high volume of mail.
Delivery addresses do not require ZIP+4 Codes. However, ZIP+4 codes require an address to be first standardized and verified to exist. This means that an address with a ZIP 4 code can be sure to exist and therefore deliverable.
Your ZIP+4 is a basic five-digit code with four digits added as an extra identifier. It helps to identify a geographic segment within the five-digit delivery area, such as a city block, a group of apartments, an individual high-volume receiver of mail, or a post office box. ZIP+4 Codes improve the mail sorting and delivery process - the increased level of accuracy helps speed up delivery time, decrease the chance of delivery errors, and qualify mailers for bulk mailing discounts.
Melissa has over 35 years of experience providing leading-edge address management and mailing solutions. Our Address Verification service CASS processes your mailing list by matching the addresses in your mail file to the monthly updated USPS National Address file, adding the correct ZIP+4 postal codes and standardizing to meet USPS CASS requirements. We verify, correct and standardize address data for over 240 countries, and our CASS processing service can help you improve mail deliverability and qualify your mailings for postal discounts.
When someone asks for your zip code, you probably reply with a string of five numbers. This is the norm for most people and has actually been the norm for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) since the beginning.
When zip codes were first introduced in 1963, it was a part of an initiative to make mail delivery in the U.S. more efficient by dividing the country up into zones based on mail routes. Most frequently, your five digit zip code represents the destination of the post office your mail is sent to before being handed off to your mail carrier.
Each number of a zip code corresponds to a specific piece of information about the destination. The first number, between 0-9, denotes a geographic area of the U.S. The second two numbers of a zip code specify a specific region within that geographic area and the last two are meant to indicate a specific Post Office.
Some post offices service more than one zip code but, for much of the U.S., there's a one-to-one ratio of post offices to zip codes. This is why you're often required to go to a specific location to conduct business with the USPS.
As infrastructure in the U.S. grew, the five digit zip codes system had to be replaced with something more precise. In 1983, a system was created to locate buildings more precisely. A standard zip code coupled with the four extra zip code numbers can now be used to designate specific streets, buildings, houses or businesses.
Some businesses are eligible to receive a bulk mailing rate at a discount. This mail is sorted separately from general-delivery mail and often takes a bit longer to arrive at its destination. But, for many businesses the discount is worth it. The USPS requires a full nine-digit zip code for mail sent at a discounted bulk rate.
Another time you may find yourself wanting to know your full nine digit zip code is when looking up congressional representatives based on your address. Knowing your full zip code is the only way to identify your specific government representatives in some districts.
Regardless, knowing your full zip code will ensure that your mail is delivered correctly more often. Most mail will arrive at its destination no-problem if you just use your standard five-digit zip code, but if you're worried about nondelivery of a package, specifying the intended destination even further doesn't hurt your chances.
A ZIP Code is a postal code used by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Introduced on July 1, 1963, the basic format consisted of five digits.[1] In 1983, an extended ZIP+4 code was introduced; it included the five digits of the ZIP Code, followed by a hyphen and four digits that designated a more specific location.
The term ZIP is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan;[2] it was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently and quickly[3] (zipping along) when senders use the code in the postal address. The term ZIP Code was originally registered as a service mark by the USPS; its registration expired in 1997.[4]
The early history and context of postal codes began with postal district/zone numbers. The United States Post Office Department (USPOD) implemented postal zones for 178 large cities in May 1943.[5] Postmaster General Frank Walker explained that many experienced postal clerks were going into the army, and the zone system would enable inexperienced clerks to sort mail without having to learn the delivery area of each city carrier. [6]
In 1967, these became mandatory for second- and third-class bulk mailers, and the system was soon adopted generally. The United States Post Office used a cartoon character, which it called Mr. ZIP, to promote the use of the ZIP Code.[13] The name "Mr. ZIP" was coined by D. Jamison Cain.[11] Mr. ZIP was often depicted with a legend such as "USE ZIP CODE" in the selvage of panes of postage stamps or on the covers of booklet panes of stamps.[13] Mr. ZIP was featured prominently alongside musical group "The Swingin' Six" in a variety show that the post office used to explain the importance of using ZIP codes.[14]
For post office boxes, the general (but not invariable) rule is that each box has its own ZIP+4 code. The add-on code is often one of the following: the last four digits of the box number (e.g. PO Box 107050, Albany, NY 12201-7050), zero plus the last three digits of the box number (e.g., PO Box 17727, Eagle River, AK 99577-0727), or, if the box number consists of fewer than four digits, enough zeros are attached to the front of the box number to produce a four-digit number (e.g., PO Box 77, Juneau, AK 99750-0077). However, there is no uniform rule, so the ZIP+4 Code must be looked up individually for each box[citation needed] (e.g. using the USPS's official ZIP Code Lookup tool, and being sure to enter just city and state, not the 5-digit ZIP).[17]
The ZIP Code is often translated into an Intelligent Mail barcode that is printed on the mailpiece to make it easier for automated machines to sort. A barcode can be printed by the sender (some word-processing programs such as WordPerfect[18] include the feature), but this is not recommended, as the address-to-ZIP lookup tables can be significantly out of date.
Customers who send bulk mail can get a discount on postage if they have printed the barcode themselves and have presorted the mail. This requires more than just a simple font; mailing lists must be standardized with up-to-date Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS)-certified software that adds and verifies a full, correct ZIP+4 Code and an additional two digits representing the exact delivery point.[citation needed] Furthermore, mail must be sorted in a specific manner to an 11-digit code with at least 150 mailpieces for each qualifying ZIP Code and must be accompanied by documentation confirming this. These steps are usually done with PAVE-certified software that also prints the barcoded address labels and the barcoded sack or tray tags.[citation needed]
In general, the first three digits designate a sectional center facility, the mail sorting and distribution center for an area. A sectional center facility may have more than one three-digit code assigned to it. For example, the Northern Virginia sectional center facility in Merrifield is assigned codes 220, 221, 222, and 223. In some cases, a sectional center facility may serve an area in an adjacent state, usually due to the lack of a proper location for a center in that region. For example, 739 in Oklahoma is assigned to Amarillo, Texas; 297 in South Carolina is assigned to Charlotte, North Carolina; 865 in Arizona is assigned to Albuquerque, New Mexico; and 961 in California to Reno, Nevada.
The numbers increase southward along the East Coast, such as 02115 (Boston), 10001 (New York City), 19103 (Philadelphia), 21201 (Baltimore), 20008 (Washington, D.C.), 30303 (Atlanta), and 33130 (Miami) (these are only examples, as each of these cities contains several ZIP Codes in the same range). From there, the numbers increase heading westward and northward east of the Mississippi River, southward west of the Mississippi River, and northward on the West Coast. For example, 40202 is in Louisville, 50309 in Des Moines, 60601 in Chicago, 63101 in St. Louis, 77036 in Houston, 80202 in Denver, 94111 in San Francisco, 98101 in Seattle, and 99950 in Ketchikan, Alaska (the highest ZIP Code). 2ff7e9595c
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