A postal code is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail.
A ZIP Code is a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The term ZIP was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently and quickly when senders use the code in the postal address. The Philippine Postal Corporation also uses this terminology for the postal code system in the Philippines.
A Postal Index Number refers to a six-digit code in the Indian postal code system used by India Post. On 15 August 2022, the PIN system celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The INSEE code is a numerical indexing code used by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) to identify various entities, including communes and départements. They are also used as national identification numbers given to people.
Postal codes were introduced in France in 1964, when La Poste introduced automated sorting. They were updated to use the current 5 digit system in 1972.
Spanish postal codes were introduced on 1 July 1984, when the Sociedad Estatal de Correos y Telégrafos introduced automated mail sorting. They consist of five numerical digits, where the first two digits, ranging 01 to 52, correspond either to one of the 50 provinces of Spain or to one of the two autonomous cities on the African coast.
Postal codes in the People's Republic of China (邮政编码) are postal codes used by China Post for the delivery of letters and goods within mainland China.
Postal codes in Argentina are called códigos postales. Argentina first implemented a four-digit postal code system in 1958, aiming to improve mail distribution efficiency. However, it wasn't until 1998 that the more detailed and comprehensive Código Postal Argentino (CPA) system was launched, significantly enhancing both accuracy and efficiency in mail delivery. Until 1998 Argentina employed a four-digit postal code for each municipality, with the first digit representing a region in the country, except in the case of the city of Buenos Aires. The unique codes became the base for the newer system, officially called CPA.
Ukraine uses five-digit numeric postal codes that are written immediately to the right of the city or settlement name.
Four-digit postal codes were introduced in Romania in 1974. Beginning with 1 May 2003, postal codes have six digits, and represent addresses to the street level in major cities. The digits represent the postal area; the county; the city/commune; the last three, depending on the size of the city/commune, represent the commune/city, the street, or the house/building.
The Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb) is a 65-bar barcode for use on mail in the United States. The term "Intelligent Mail" refers to services offered by the United States Postal Service for domestic mail delivery. The IM barcode is intended to provide greater information and functionality than its predecessors POSTNET and PLANET. An Intelligent Mail barcode has also been referred to as a One Code Solution and a 4-State Customer Barcode, abbreviated 4CB, 4-CB or USPS4CB. The complete specification can be found in USPS Document USPS-B-3200. It effectively incorporates the routing ZIP Code and tracking information included in previously used postal barcode standards.
Postal codes in Austria were introduced in 1966. known locally as 'Postleitzahlen' are a fundamental aspect of the nation's logistical infrastructure, providing a systematic means of organizing mail delivery and geographical categorization. The term 'Postleitzahlen' translates to 'postal codes' in English.
The Portuguese postal code is formed by four digits, a hyphen, then three digits, followed by a postal location of up to 25 characters in capitals.
Avenida Marconi 4C 1000-205 Lisboa
Postal codes in Hungary are four-digit numeric postcodes administered by Magyar Posta, the postal service of Hungary. The current system was introduced on 1 January 1973.
Postal codes in Thailand are five digit numbers. The first two digits of the postal code denote the province or special administrative area, while the last 3 digits represent the post office within the province. There are exceptions, for example, Bangkok and Samut Prakan province shared the first two digits 10xxx. It's typical to use postal code ended with zero 0 because they are assigned to post office that are responsible for delivering mail to the district. For example, mails to Dusit district destinations uses postal code 10300 except within Chitralada Palace where postal code 10303 is used. 10300 is postal code of Dusit Post Office which handles the delivery throughout Dusit district while 10303 is postal code of Chitralada Palace Post Office which does not deliver mails outside the palace. Other post offices in Dusit district exist, such as Bang Krabu Post Office with postal code 10301, the code used for mails to be delivered to P.O. Box in the post office.
Germany introduced postal codes on 25 July 1941, in the form of a two-digit system that was applied initially for the parcel service and later for all mail deliveries. This system was replaced in 1962 in West Germany by a four-digit system; three years later East Germany followed with its own four-digit system. Whereas the Federal Republic introduced a system with space left for the East German postal system after a possible reunification, such as by omitting all codes starting with '1' and '9', the German Democratic Republic had a system that used all codes starting from '1' to '9' just for East Germany.
The Greek postal code system is administered by ELTA. Each city street or rural region has a unique five-digit number, its Ταχυδρομικός Κώδικας 'postal code' (ΤΚ). The first three digits identify the city, municipality or prefecture. In major cities, the final two digits identify specific post offices.
Russian Post has a system of postal codes based on the federal subject a place is located in. Each postal code consists of six digits with first three referring to the federal subject or the administrative division with special status. Some larger subjects have multiple three-digit prefixes. For instance, Moscow's postal codes fall in the range 101–129.
Postal codes in the Netherlands, known as postcodes, are alphanumeric, consisting of four digits followed by two uppercase letters. The letters 'F', 'I', 'O', 'Q', 'U' and 'Y' were originally not used for technical reasons, but almost all existing combinations are now used as these letters were allowed for new locations starting 2005. The letter combinations 'SS', 'SD' and 'SA' are not used because of their associations with the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
In Poland, postal codes were introduced in 1973. They are five-digit codes of two-then-three digits, with a hyphen between them. The first digit indicates one of the 10 large postal regions the country is divided into. These areas do not follow the administrative divisions. The second and third digits specify a particular smaller region, and the last two are the number of a postal delivery branch.
