Practical International Data Management - Postal codes

Table of Contents


Definition


Codes used within postal addresses to indicate a geographic area, point or route or as a pointer to a company or building. Used to improve postal sorting and delivery and to prevent confusion when two streets share the same name within a single populated place.

Note: Postal code is the generic term for a code used in a postal address to aid in sorting and delivery. Other terms are used by particular postal authorities. There is a variation in terminology between language (Postal Code, Code Postal, Código Postal, Kody pocztowe) and also within languages (Postal Code, Postcode, ZIP Code, PIN Code etc.)

Considerations


Australian postal code boundaries, showing the huge size differential between postal code districts 

Australian postal code boundaries, showing the huge size differential between postal code districts.


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Source: The Global Sourcebook for International Data Management

     340 Tiburtina Valeria
     00011 ROMA
     ITALY


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      8238 BÜSINGEN (German postal code 78266)
      6911 CAMPIONE D'ITALIA (Italian postal code 22060)

Processing


      Inappropriate field labelling and required fields are responsible for much poor data quality and customer dissatisfaction

Inappropriate field labelling and required fields are responsible for much poor data quality and customer dissatisfaction. For more information, download the free e-book Better data quality from your web form - Effective international name and address Internet data collection.


      Map of postal code lengths throughout the world (including spacing and punctuation)
      Map of postal code lengths throughout the world (including spacing and punctuation). Download an updated version, and others with more detailed information, via this page.


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Resources



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