Shipping packages and letters nowadays take less time than blinking an eye. We don't think much about whether the receiver will get the box, so we created this article on frequently asked questions about address verification. One aspect of mailing that merits a second look, whether you're sending out a personal or a business letter, is verifying that you have the proper address. Using a reliable address verification system helps increase the likelihood that packages sent by the US Postal Service, FedEx, or UPS will arrive at their final destinations.
Before you go to the post office, you may want to check through some answers to often-asked questions about giving out your address.
Is there a reason you have to check addresses? There are various reasons why checking the accuracy of mailing addresses is crucial. Some of us have had mail that was important to us go missing. Verifying the correctness of the recipient's address is a simple way to make sure they get their product or important message. In addition, if your business sends a lot of mail, you may qualify for reductions on postage by showing that you verify addresses before sending packages. Using address verification software to gather, maintain, and update address information may improve company operations and efficiency and ensure a positive customer experience.
What are the dissimilarities between home and commercial delivery?
What constitutes a residential or commercial address and a business address are not always the same, depending on the carrier. When the ground floor of a building houses a company and the higher floors house people's homes, the situation might get even more complicated. It's a commercial establishment disguised as a residential one. Given the disparity in shipping costs between home and business addresses, businesses would do well to pay close attention to this data. Depending on the delivery company, prices for residential and commercial deliveries might vary widely. FedEx and UPS, for instance, impose a premium for home deliveries, but the United States Postal Service does not. Price is determined by weight, dimensions, and shipping destination. FedEx or UPS will likely be the shipper of choice if anything has to be delivered to a workplace.
What exactly is an ATI (Address Type Indicator)?
Some improved US address datasets include ATI, which companies may use to classify a given address as a commercial, residential, or multi-use location. ATI is used by businesses to help them choose the most cost-effective shipping methods.
What exactly is an RDI, or "Residential Delivery Indicator?"
The USPS uses RDI data collection to classify an address as a home or a business. The dataset can determine this without knowing the resident's name or company. Address-specific input from mail delivery services is used to make the call.
How do shipping companies handle remote areas?
Because they only want to work with specific addresses, various carriers use different approaches to address verification. For example, FedEx and UPS do not deliver post office boxes, while the US Postal Service does. Some stores refuse to ship to Post Office Boxes because they have a policy of only working with one shipping company, and USPS isn't it. This policy disproportionately affects consumers in rural areas.
How to handle delivery in densely populated regions
In metropolitan regions, mailboxes and buildings on the corner of two streets are two of the biggest obstacles to delivery. One may only receive mail from the United States Postal Service at a real mailbox. A building without a mailbox will not receive mail. In dense metropolitan areas, buildings on a corner may have two addresses, and the Postal Service will only carry mail to one of them. If you need anything sent, FedEx or UPS may deliver to either location. For instance, USPS may deliver to 125 Summer Street but not to the Lincoln Street location. You can imagine the confusion and, depending on the shipping company, the high cost of changing an address if we anticipate a significant cargo or freight.
By verifying addresses before they are added to a database, companies may be sure that only valid addresses are stored there. Visit our address verification website or dig deeper into other resources, including our no-cost address-finding tool, email validation, phone verification, and data enrichment, to learn more about our industry-leading address validation services.
Do you want to try our address validation or any other validation service mentioned before? Click here to test one of our tools today, and sign up for more advantages.
