Bulk Mailing Services

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Bulk Mail Options: Best Practices That Will Work in 2022

Have you ever wished for a higher response rate for your marketing efforts? Did you know that there is a 9% average response rate for direct mail campaigns? Well, we are sure you know that a 9% average response rate is an incredible number for any marketing channel. However, many businesses are unsure about employing bulk mailing campaigns.

Most marketers and business owners are unsure about bulk mailing services not meeting their business needs. But, the truth may be different from what you are thinking. There are several bulk mail services available in the market, and one of them could be the perfect fit for your business.

We will help you determine the perfect bulk mailing option for your direct mail requirements. Following is the list of things you will learn about in this article.

• What is bulk mail?
• The primary bulk mail services in Australia
• The characteristics and conditions for availing bulk mailing services

What are Bulk Mailing Services?

Bulk mailing services are postal mail services that enable businesses to send postal mail in bulk at an affordable price. Here are 3 questions marketers or business owners who want to employ bulk mail for business marketing or communication purposes.

• Is it a cost-effective means of communication?
• Does it save a significant amount of money on postage costs?
• Is it flexible enough to meet different business needs?

If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then you have found an excellent bulk mailing service for your business. 

Australia Post Bulk Mail Services

When it comes to bulk mailing services in Australia, there is no need to look beyond Australia Post. It meets all the prerequisites of an ideal bulk mailing service provider. Furthermore, Australia Post offers several bulk mail services that businesses can use in various situations.

Here are some of the Australia Post bulk mail services you can employ for your business.

#1 Print Post

Print Post is a bulk mailing service for Australia Post that lets businesses deliver regular publication materials. The publication materials that companies can send via Australia Post’s Print Post service include:

• Catalogues
• Brochures
• Magazines
• Newsletters

Are you unsure about the type of printed material you want to use for marketing your business? If yes, you might want to check out our blog.

“Different Types of Direct Mails and Why You Should be Sending Them“

Conditions For Promo Post Service

Companies can get reduced prices for sending promotional materials to their customers if:

• The minimum volume of mail is 100.
• Companies must print the barcodes if mail volume is higher than 2000.
• Companies must sort the mailers as per Australia Post instructions.

Priority And Regular Delivery

You can access both priority and regular delivery for your Reply Mail.

#2 PreSort Letters

As the name suggests, Australia Post’s PreSort Letters is a service that allows businesses to send presorted mailings. The main distinctive feature of PreSort Letters is their barcodes. The machine-addressed barcode makes it easy for Australia Post to deliver them.

Companies can get a lower mailing cost for direct mail communication if they use Australia Post bulk postage service such as PreSort Mail. However, it only applies if the sender meets certain conditions.

Conditions For PreSort Letters Service

• Apply the barcodes, sort them, place them into the suitable trays, and complete the documentation.

Priority And Regular Delivery

You can send your PreSort Letters through Australia Post’s priority and regular service. 

#3 Promo Post

Promo Post is an Australia Post bulk mail service specifically for businesses that want to promote a product or service. It enables you to send promotional material within Australia for a nominal cost. However, it also comes with some prerequisites to adhere to reduce prices.

Conditions For Promo Post Service

Companies can get reduced prices for sending promotional materials to their customers if:

• They send individual lodgements containing more than 4000 PreSort Letters
• The primary purpose of the mailer must be to promote a business
• All lodgements meet the PreSort Letters requirements

Regular Delivery 

Although you can say that all Promo Posts are PreSort Letters, they do not support priority delivery. All Promo Post uses regular delivery. Hence, you should consider the additional time required for delivery before implementing a marketing campaign.

#4 Charity Mail

Charities often depend on direct mail as their communication channel for acquiring new donors. Australia Post makes it a point to ensure that charity organisations can benefit from its Charity Mail service.

Conditions For Charity Mail

For Australia Post to provide Charity Mail service to an organisation, it must meet the following requirements.

• All the mailers should be PreSort Letters or meet the PreSort conditions
• The purpose of the bulk postage Australia Post must be fundraising and promotion activity
• The organisation sending the mailer should be Income Tax Exempt Charities (ITEC) or Deductible Gift Recipients (DGR)
• Every lodgement must contain at least 300 barcoded articles

Priority And Regular Delivery

Unlike Promo Post, we discussed above. You can deliver Charity mail via Priority or Regular mail service from Australia Post.

#5 Clean Mail

Clean Mail is a postal service from Australia Post that lets businesses send Small and Small Plus articles within Australia at low costs. One of the advantages of using Australia Post’s Clean Mail service is that you don’t have to print or sort your mailers.

Hence, it is perfect for companies that do not have the facilities to print barcode labels or sort the mailers. The best part of Clean Mail is that it is still cheaper than regular mail despite not printing the barcodes or presorting mailers.

Conditions For Clean Mail

For accessing the Clean Mail service from Australia Post, your business mail must meet the following conditions.

• You must ensure that the addresses are readable for the Australia Post’s automated letter sorting equipment
• Use machine-printed addresses to ensure the readability of the postal addresses

Priority And Regular Delivery

Clean Mail offers both priority and regular deliveries to businesses. Hence, companies can use regular delivery services to save money if it is not a time-sensitive document. And if a business wants faster delivery, they can always opt for priority delivery.

#6 Acquisition Mail

Acquisitions Mail is a postal service from Australia Post that allows business organisations to send addressed mailers within Australia. One of the advantages of using the Acquisition Mail service is geographical targeting. It lets you target your mailers to residential address points.

You may even pick the postcodes, suburbs (localities), or Statistical Areas (SA1s) based on your marketing needs. Australia Post will even supply residential street addresses for specific geographic regions. And like every other Australia Post bulk mail we discussed so far, it also offers lower postage prices.

Conditions For Acquisition Mail

For your company to access Australia Post’s Acquisition Mail service, it must meet the following requirements.

• Print barcodes for the mailers if the volume of mailers is more than 300
• You must sort your direct mailers if the mailer volume exceeds 300 mailers

Regular Delivery

In terms of delivery options, Acquisition Mail only offers regular delivery. So, suppose you are looking for a faster delivery option.

#7 Reply Paid 

Reply Paid service is one of the most effective ways to boost your direct mail response rate. As the name implies, it involves a prepaid or preprinted reply card/envelope. You may attach this with your direct marketing mail so that the recipient can conveniently respond to your offer.

Furthermore, it can be personalised to suit your target audience’s taste and looks professional. And the best part about Reply Mail is that companies only have to pay for the responses they receive. It is ideal for businesses that want to:

• Generate sales leads
• Build customer databases
• Raise funds
• Request information from the customer
• Encourage timely payments
• Research the marketplace

Conditions For Reply Mail

For accessing the Reply Mail service from Australia Post, your business mail must meet the following conditions.

• Companies must preprint the barcodes for your Reply Mail
• The company or business organisation must apply for a Reply Paid Number

Priority And Regular Delivery

You can access both priority and regular delivery for your Reply Mail.

#8 Unaddressed Mail

As you can guess from the name, this Australia Post bulk mail service allows companies to send unaddressed mail to their customers. It means you don’t need access to an extensive address database for your direct mail marketing.

Hence, it is ideal for sending leaflets, catalogues, merchandising samples, etc., to customers in a specific area. For example, Real Estate businesses can advertise attractive properties to potential buyers or sellers in the area.

Furthermore, you can employ an advanced direct mail tool like PostGrid for your real estate marketing. It allows real estate businesses access to Custom Redesign Templates for resting their marketing material.

Conditions For Unaddressed Mail

The following conditions need to be satisfied for business organisations to access the Unaddressed Mail service from Australia Post.

• Businesses must target at least one suburb or postcode for Unaddressed Mail
• Companies have to sort their mailers into trays and label them as per the instructions from Australia Post

#9 Other Australia Post Bulk Mail Services

Apart from the bulk mail service listed above, you can consider two more bulk mail services from Australia Post.

Domestic Letter With Tracking Imprint:

This Australia Post bulk mail service allows you to deliver a large volume of trackable mailers at a low cost. However, this is offered only on a contract basis. Furthermore, it is subject to pre-approval and requires you to send a minimum of 10,000 mailers.

Registered Post Imprint:

Bulk mail service from Australia Post enables companies to deliver crucial documents in large volumes. It requires the recipient’s signature for delivery and can be especially useful for industries such as financial services. You can even employ direct mail service providers like PostGrid that offer specialised direct mail services for finance industries.

Conclusion

Australia Post offers various bulk mail services that can fit the needs of any business regardless of their size or requirement. However, implementing bulk mail campaigns is not merely about finding the right postal service provider. 

You need an advanced direct mail automation service like PostGrid for implementing an effective bulk mailing campaign. PostGrid fully automates your postal mail process, including personalisation. Furthermore, PostGrid uses Australia Post to deliver your business mailers. 

As a result, you can create a fully optimised direct mail campaign and ensure affordable operations for your direct marketing campaigns.

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Direct Mail Guide

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Direct Mail Guide: Meaning, Benefits, and More

Did you know that 74% of people in Australia pay complete attention to direct mail? Additionally, 65% of Australians scan and read every mail item they receive.

Considering these statistics, we can say that direct mail is a powerful and must-have marketing tool for your media mix.

It helps you connect with people, improve brand visibility, and drive conversions!

But, what is AU direct mail marketing?

Direct mail is any physical correspondence sent directly to the physical mailboxes of your customers and prospects. It allows you to communicate with them personally and encourage them to buy from your business. Common examples of direct mail formats are postcards, letters, brochures, catalogues, etc.

Try adding an offer that makes people respond to your mail along with an upfront CTA that tells them what to do next.

Apart from a few basics, you can get creative with your direct mail advertising items. You may experiment with graphics, copy, colours, finishing, coating, etc. But, make sure to design something appealing and result-bearing.

In this blog, we will talk about several things regarding AU direct mail, like:

• Benefits of a direct mail marketing
• Do’s and don’ts of direct mail
• Steps to conduct mailing campaigns, etc.

Let’s dig in!

Why is Direct Mail Marketing Still Effective?

We know that direct mail is one of today’s most effective and profitable marketing channels. It helps marketers achieve several objectives, like increasing brand reputation and getting more sales.

But why does it still work even when the digital marketing field is expanding every day? What are the advantages of direct mail?

Below are some points that can answer these questions and help you learn more about direct mail:

Direct Mail Is Engaging

Direct mail consists of printed materials sent to your target market for generating new leads. These items are tangible and can engage with all the readers’ senses.

Unlike emails and social media ads, direct mail can also be felt. Hence, it is more engaging and interactive than other channels. People can save it for later use or share it with family and friends. Thus, your brand can get more visibility by using direct mail solutions.

Direct Mail Has a Broader Reach

This marketing form helps you connect with people that aren’t active on social media or other digital channels. Also, direct mail allows you to target more demographics and geographical areas than digital marketing.

With services like PostGrid, you can compile segmented mailing lists to reach relevant prospects.

Direct Mail Drives Responses

At PostGrid, we generally come across questions like- what is a good response rate for direct mails?

Well, the average direct mail response rate is 9% for in-house lists, which is far more than several digital marketing channels. Furthermore, 43% of people buy from a brand after receiving a mail item.

Thus, it is evident that direct mail Sydney can drive responses and increase your campaign’s return on investment (ROI).

If you aren’t satisfied yet, read more direct mail statistics that can change your mind.

Direct Mail Faces Less Competition

Several companies have replaced direct mail marketing Australia with digital marketing. They believe that digital marketing is more cost-effective and speedy. Luckily, direct mails are not spammed as much as online ads due to these reasons.

You can take advantage of this situation and use traditional mail to stand out from the crowd.

Creative direct mail advertising can help you give your potential customers a break from the digital noise. Hence, your audience is more likely to appreciate your mail and respond.

Direct Mail Is Long-Lasting

Recipients tend to store direct mail items at their houses for a few days, especially when they come with a coupon offer. Try adding phrases, like ‘Bring this postcard to our store by 1st March to get a 20% discount.’ Readers will likely save your items at least till the mentioned date.

Find the image below of a direct mail item with a discount coupon:

Such creative direct mailer ideas help you grab your prospects’ attention and persuade them to complete the CTA.

Tips to Conduct Effective Auspost Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns

Though direct mails are exciting and memorable to recipients, there may be a learning curve to it. Therefore, we have mentioned some do’s and don’ts below to help you out:

Do: Identify Your Target Audience

Before planning a B2C or B2B direct mail campaign, you should know your buyer personas. It enables you to focus on the most relevant prospects, saving you a lot of time and money.

Categorize your customers according to geo-demographics, like age, gender, income level, location, preferences, etc., to find their look-alikes. Then, you can target them and increase response levels easily.

Do: Always Add a Call to Action

Including a CTA in your Australia Post, direct mail marketing pieces is not optional. It can lead to your campaign’s success or failure, so be sure to add upfront CTAs.

Add them several times through your mail piece, depending on its format and size. For example, if you send a direct mail sales letter, you can include a CTA at the top and bottom. But, a small standard-sized postcard should only have one CTA that is clearly visible to the readers.

Here is an example: Scan the QR code below to complete your transaction and get a $25 cashback.

Read more about how you can incorporate QR codes into your campaigns.

Do: Follow Up Regularly

Direct mailer and marketing is not a do-it-and-forget-it activity. It requires time, patience, and follow-ups. You cannot send out your direct mail items and expect every recipient to reply. Some of them might need additional touchpoints to show interest.

Follow up with all the respondents first to help accelerate conversions. But, also remember to follow up with non-respondents; they may have forgotten to respond.

The point is not to leave any stone unturned and keep in touch with everyone. Perhaps, you can set up an email drip campaign to follow up with your direct mail recipients frequently.

Don’t: Skip Proofreading

Sending mail to existing and potential customers is not a simple task, but it is worth the effort. However, some minor mistakes may act as a barrier between you and your campaign’s success. Hence, make sure to proofread everything before printing. Look out for misspellings, incorrect details, design errors, etc.

Don’t: Miss Driving Online Traffic

Direct mail Australia Post is an opportunity for marketers to drive online traffic to their websites and social media handles. Thus, don’t forget to include all the relevant links and your contact information.

How to Send Direct Mail Online

You can always conduct a DIY direct mail campaign, but it can be daunting and expensive. Hence, you can now use the services of an automated direct mail agency like PostGrid to save money, time, and effort.

Here are the steps to launch a direct mail marketing campaign and how you can automate them:

Plan Everything In Advance

Marketers should plan every aspect of their campaigns in detail. Make sure to settle on your:

• Marketing goals: What are you looking to achieve from this campaign?
• Mailing list type: Are you buying lists or compiling them yourself?
• Campaign size: Do you want to send bulk mail or conduct a small-scale campaign?
• Response channels: What options should you give your recipients to respond?
• Marketing budget: How much are you willing to spend on a campaign?
• Types of direct mail advertising items: Which format do you need to use?

Read how PostGrid can help you send out marketing letters and postcards.

PostGrid’s automated direct mail marketing API can help you avail of huge postal discounts on bulk mail. Plus, it can help you compile targeted mailing lists consisting of valid delivery addresses.

Read more about our address verification solutions here.

Design Your Items

Your artwork is the most significant feature of your campaign. You may choose to keep it minimalistic or go over the top to make it the most creative thing your prospect has ever seen. It all depends on your campaign goals and messaging type.

Here are examples of the best direct mail campaigns:

These items are unique, eye-catching, and creative. They send out the company’s marketing message upfront and encourage recipients to take action.

PostGrid can help you design such items using its HTML templates. That’s right; you don’t need to hire a designer and pay extra!

Printing and Delivery

Usually, you need to print your mail items by yourself or outsource the job to a printing company. But, with PostGrid, you need not worry about printing and mailing. It can help you automate everything from start to end.

Firstly, your items are printed through one of PostGrid’s printing partners, who are experts in their field. Then, they are enveloped and mailed via the postal services within two business days.

Measuring Campaign Performance

It becomes easier to track responses if you include features like QR codes, pURLs, and coupon codes in your items. We can help you add them to your design and track your campaign performance accurately.

No more dangling with estimates and guessing your campaign results! PostGrid allows you to access your campaign reports and insights through your dashboard.

Conclusion

In contrast to what some people think, direct mail is far from dead. It is data-driven, targeted, trackable, and effective. Moreover, you can use the services of a direct mail house to automate all your offline mailing activities.

PostGrid’s direct mail API offers several features to its customers, like:

• Zapier integration
• International address validation
• Item personalisation
• Complete data security
• Per-piece tracking, etc.

Request a demo now to know more about our automated direct mail services!

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Postage Paid Envelopes

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Postage Paid Envelopes

More and more marketers and business owners are now turning to direct mail for accomplishing their marketing goals. Direct mail is often more effective in connecting with customers and generating responses. However, direct mail marketing can be complex and time-consuming unless you have the right tools.

Postage Paid envelopes are one of the most convenient ways for business organisations to simplify their direct mail process. However, many companies are still unaware of the Prepaid Envelope offered by Australia Post or how they can use it for direct mail marketing.

Hence, we will explain what a Postage Paid envelope is and how Postage Paid envelopes work. Furthermore, the article also discusses the requirements of Australia Post’s prepaid envelopes and how you can optimise your direct mail campaigns.

What Is A Postage Paid Envelope?

Postage Paid envelopes or prepaid postage envelopes are envelopes that do not require you to attach postage stamps for mailing them. In other words, prepaid postage envelopes allow people to send postal mail without applying postage stamps.

Businesses often employ prepaid envelopes to boost the reply rate of their direct mail campaigns. Companies can also use prepaid envelopes to conveniently send marketing mail without going through the trouble of applying postage on each mailer.

Postage paid envelopes Australia comes with a Postage Paid Imprint, distinguishing prepaid envelopes from regular postage envelopes. So, if you ever see Postage Paid Imprint in a direct mail envelope, it means that its postage is already paid for.

Postage Paid Imprint

According to Australia Post, Postage Paid Imprint is a preprinted impression that serves as an alternative to postage stamps or a postage meter. The Postage Paid Imprint indicates that the postage is already paid for by some means other than postage stamps.

It is usually used by businesses that send regular quantities of mail and boost the response for their direct mail campaigns. Understanding the characteristics of the Postage Paid Imprint enables you to distinguish prepaid envelopes from preprinted envelopes.  

Otherwise, businesses may use regularly printed envelopes without attaching the necessary postage. It can lead to financial and time loss. Hence, if you want to use Postage Paid envelopes for your business communications, you should learn everything you can about it.

Postage Paid Imprint Location

The image above shows the position or location for the Postage Paid Imprint. Ensure that the positioning of the Postage Paid Imprint is within the postage zone of an envelope. If the imprint is not on the postage zone, it is not considered as one of the AusPost Postage Paid envelopes.   

The Postage Zone:

Some of you may be unsure about the position and size of the postage zone. The postage zone is 90mm wide and 40mm high. It appears on the top right corner of the address side of the envelope.

You can measure the 90mm width of the postage zone from the top right-hand corner and its 40mm height from the top edge of the envelope.

Postage Paid Imprint Design 

The Postage Paid Imprint also has some unique design characteristics to tell whether an envelope is prepaid or not. First of all, you should look for the wording “POSTAGE PAID AUSTRALIA”. The envelope is not a prepaid postage envelope unless the imprint contains this wording.

Furthermore, the words should be printed in black ink and capital letters. The ideal font size for the wording is 8.5 to 14. Australia Post also recommends that you use the fonts Helvetica or Arial. Ensure that the imprint is against a white background with a rectangular shape.

The maximum allowable size or dimension of the rectangular box is 26mm in height and 40mm wide. You should also ensure that the triangle has a minimum measurement of 19mm height and 25mm width.

Prepaid Postage Envelopes For Priority Mail Services

One of the benefits of prepaid postage envelopes is that they are also available for priority mail services. As you can guess, the Postage Paid envelopes for priority mail are different from the standard prepaid envelopes.

However, the design features of priority Postage Paid Imprint differ from the regular one. Apart from the words “POSTAGE PAID AUSTRALIA”, the Postage Paid Imprint for priority mail also has the words “PRIORITY.”

The word “PRIORITY” is provided in a smaller rectangle below the white rectangle for the wording “POSTAGE PAID AUSTRALIA.” Australia Post uses mail processing equipment for sorting the mail. It enables them to streamline their direct mail delivery and eliminates manual processing delays.

Australia Post uses the same equipment to recognise and sort priority mail from regular mail by identifying “PRIORITY” on the imprint. The significant design aspects of the priority Postage Paid Imprint include the following:

Use Reverse Text For “PRIORITY”  

One of the design aspects that stands out in the Postage Paid Imprint for Priority Mail is the reverse text. And no, the reverse text does not mean that the letters are reversed. The reverse text here means that the text should be white while keeping the background black.

Text Format

Australia Post recommends using capital letters to ensure the mail processing equipment easily recognises your prepaid postage envelopes. 

It would be best to opt for bold font over the regular font. The preferred font style for Priority Mail Postage Paid Imprint is Helvetica Bold or Arial Bold.

Australia Post also suggests that you should maintain the font size between 10 to 14 to ensure the imprint’s easy readability.

Design Of The Rectangular Box

The small rectangular box should have 4 to 6mm height for wide imprints and 6 to 10mm size for tall imprints.

Contrast 

Australia Post suggests maintaining a minimum contrast of 65% between the background and the text for optimal readability.

Other Requirements For Postage Paid Envelopes

Apart from the design aspects that we have discussed earlier, there are other factors you need to consider when using prepaid envelopes. The additional requirements for Postage Paid envelopes include the following:

Return Address

The Postage Paid envelopes should always have an Australian return address. Make sure to print it on the top-left-hand corner on the front of the envelope.

Lodgement Requirements

Another important thing you should note about the Postage Paid envelopes in Australia is the lodging requirements. Make sure to lodge the mail during the working hours of an authorised Australia Post facility.

How To Pay For Prepaid Postage Envelopes

There are two ways you can pay for Postage Paid envelopes from Australia Post. Customers can either use an Australia Post Business Credit Account or cash payments. The former is more convenient for marketing purposes. Furthermore, cash payments are only preferable for Postage Paid Imprint mail for individual or personal communications.

Conclusion

AusPost Postage Paid envelopes are an excellent way for business organisations to run easy and convenient direct mail marketing campaigns. Prepaid Postage envelopes enable businesses to send direct mail to their customers, prospects, and partners without the trouble of attaching postage stamps.

Apart from this, they can also use prepaid envelopes to boost the response rate of their direct mail campaigns. Sending a prepaid envelope to your target audience provides them with a convenient way to respond to your direct mail.

Companies can further enhance the effectiveness of their prepaid envelopes by using an automated tool like PostGrid. Advanced software solutions like PostGrid can automate the entire direct mail process, including personalisation, printing, and delivery of your mailers.

Such extensive automation of your direct mail process enables you to ensure the fastest processing time for your mailers. Any business that wants to see feasible changes in its direct marketing effort should consider an advanced automation solution like PostGrid.

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US Address Format

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How to Use the US Address Format Correctly

Using the correct format while addressing an envelope or package helps you ensure that it reaches the correct destination. Also, it helps the postal service to mail your items efficiently and speedily. 

However, we often forget about checking the American address format before sending something to the US. It can result in various issues, like delays, returns, and lost mail. Hence, taking out a moment of your time to cross-check your address format can save you a lot of trouble. 

While mailing from Australia, you should take care that you write the US address according to the United States Postal Service (USPS) address format. It speeds up the delivery process and eliminates any unnecessary trouble. 

Keep reading this blog to know how to write an address US. We will also discuss some tips that will help you make your mailing addresses valid and deliverable. 

How to Write US Address on Envelope or Parcel

US mailing addresses usually range from three to six lines. Find below the components of the US address format:

Recipient’s Name

Always write the recipient’s name on the first line. It is also called the attention line, so you can begin by writing “ATTN” or “ATTENTION.”

Company’s Name

You can mention the company’s name on the second line. Some people write the company’s name on the first line if they aren’t sure of the recipient’s name.

Delivery Address

The third line typically consists of the street address. The USPS also refers to it as the delivery address line. Some examples of US street addresses are:

• 106 DOYERS ST
• 8 ARLINGTON DR
• 599 NW BAY BLVD
• 72 ANDERSON PL

As you can see, there are several abbreviations in street addresses. For example, ST stands for ‘Street,’ BLVD stands for ‘Boulevard,’ and PL stands for ‘Place.’ You can check the complete list of abbreviations on the USPS website. 

Also, you should use the correct abbreviations for street directional, like N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, SW. 

City, State, and ZIP code

The second last line has three crucial elements of an American mailing address: city, state, and ZIP code.

The US addresses also use the state abbreviation instead of the name, like Australian addresses. So, write the city name at the beginning of the line, followed by the 2-digit state abbreviation.

Again, make sure to use the correct abbreviation as prescribed by the USPS.

The last thing you should add to this line is the ZIP code. It works in the same way as postcodes work in Australia. However, postcodes have only four numbers, whereas ZIP codes range up to nine digits.

Most people only use the 5-digit ZIP codes. But, it is advisable to add ZIP+4 codes (the additional digits added to ZIP codes) to ensure accurate mailing.

This line should look something like this:
ALLENTOWN PA 18101 0598

Country Name

The correct US address format while sending mail from Australia has the word ‘USA’ on the last line. If you want, you may write ‘United States of America,’ but it is recommended to write ‘USA.’

It is one of the most significant aspects of your mailing address while mailing internationally.

So, the US address format is:
Recipient’s full name
Company name
Street address
City, state, ZIP code
Country name

Here’s an example of an American address according to the above format:
CAROLINE MILLER
JSP INC
105 KROME AVE
MIAMI FL 33185 3700
USA

Different Types of US Letter Address Formats

Apart from the standard US address format that we discussed above, there are some variations that you should about.

Residential Addresses

While mailing a residential address, you need not add the company name on the second line. You can begin with the recipient’s name and add the street address on the following line.

ALARIC DIAS
8 ONTARIO ST
CLEVELAND OH 44113-1602
USA

PO BOX Addresses

The US shipping address format for PO boxes is not very different from the other address formats. You only need to replace the street address with a PO box number.

Here’s an example:
STUART GELLER
TROPIC PRODUCTIONS LTD
PO BOX 6903
LOS ANGELES CA 90079 6285
USA

Note: If you want, you can also add the street address on the line above the PO Box number.

Military Addresses

The US military address format is a little tricky. On the first line, write the full name of the service member you are mailing. You may or may not add the rank, grade, etc.

If you don’t know the name, you can add a specific title, like Supply Officer, Commanding Officer, etc.

Also, add the unit designation and FPO/APO details with a ZIP code.

Below is an example of a US military address:
SGT JACE SMITH
UNIT 1582 BOX 174
APO AE 09350

Addresses With Secondary Details

Add an extra line to your address in cases where you need to mention additional address details, like a suite number. For example:

ANNA PARKER
SUITE 20 A
10 CAMPBELL AVE
TUCSON AZ 85641 0189
USA

Crucial Guidelines to Follow While Writing US Addresses

Below are some essential and helpful guidelines that can help you write US addresses correctly:

• Write your mailing address in uppercase letters and refrain from using punctuation.
• Leave one space between the city name and state abbreviation and two spaces between the state abbreviation and ZIP code.
• Use black (any dark-coloured ink) on white paper (any light-coloured paper).
• Use simple and legible fonts.
• Keep your address parallel to the longest side of your mail item.
• Always place the postage and the address on the same side.
• Avoid using extra glossy envelopes. It is advisable to avoid any coated or shiny paper stock altogether.
• The postal sorting equipment reads your mailing addresses from the bottom up. So, do not interchange any lines, like adding the suite number below the delivery address line instead of above.
• You may use words such as ‘RESIDENT’ OR ‘OCCUPANT’ if you aren’t sure of the recipient’s full name.

Using PostGrid’s Address Verification Services

Not following the proper US address format can lead to delays and lost mail. Your mail may be misdirected or misrouted easily due to an incorrect address format. 

Hence, it is significant to write your mailing addresses the right way and follow all the guidelines closely. However, you may face difficulties cross-checking addresses and following the format all the time. Also, it takes a lot of effort to verify every abbreviation and ZIP code before mailing. 

PostGrid’s address verification API and software can help you solve these problems. They allow you to verify any number of mailing addresses in no time. Furthermore, you can standardise your addresses according to the prescribed format simultaneously. 

Find below some more useful features of PostGrid’s address verification:

• Fuzzy matching: Our API can fix all addressing errors, like incorrect abbreviations, missing ZIP codes, spacing errors, etc. 
• Autocomplete: It can also auto-complete addresses using geocoding. For example, if your customers want to shop online from your website, the API auto-fills their address details when they start typing them. 
• CASS-certified: PostGrid is CASS-certified; hence all the addresses are verified as per the authoritative database of the USPS.  
• Zero-code integration: You don’t need technical or coding expertise to integrate our API into your CRM. 
• NCOA: PostGrid also takes the National Change of Address (NCOA) data file into consideration while verifying your addresses. So, you can be assured that you have all the current mailing addresses only.  

Conclusion

We hope this article enables you to understand how do US addresses work. Make sure to identify which type of address you want to mail to and follow the correct format accordingly. 

PostGrid makes it easy for businesses to capture valid, deliverable addresses. Also, it helps them update their database from time to time.  

Request a demo to learn more about how we can help you follow the correct US address format via our address verification solutions!

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