List Tips
proper address formatting
Formatting your addresses properly will decrease the cost of your mailing (as the postal software will be able to get the Zip+4 information and send the mail at automated rates). It will also increase the speed at which we can get your mailing out because we will have fewer address errors to correct. Last but not least, it will increase your response rate by ensuring that the appropriate person is really receiving your mailings.
A proper address is constructed as:
Contact Name
Title
Department
Company
Secondary Address (floor, apartment, etc.)
Primary Address
City State Zip+4
The reason the address block is constructed this way is because the post office reads from the bottom up.
There are several things to consider when setting up your address format:
- The most common mistake is spelling errors. Have someone proof the addresses after your data entry person has entered them. If possible, run a spell check. While this will not catch errors such as some street names being misspelled, it will catch things such as the directionals being misspelled.
- You can include apartment information in the primary address as such: 6864 W Lode Dr # 2B or you can include the apartment information in a secondary address field.
- The address1 field should only contain the primary address information. If you need to include Care Of, company or building information, it should be kept in a separate field.
- If you are including apartment or suite information, please prefix it with a "#" or "Apt" or "Suite," do not just include the apartment number. If you are using the "#" sign, there must be a space between the # and the apartment number.
- A primary address is NOT an intersection - 8th and Jefferson is 800 Jefferson.
- Primary addresses are also not a subdivision, business name or highway name. Mail pieces with only this type of information will not be sent.
- Directionals are important! Include the East, West, North and South in an address. These should be abbreviated as S for South, N for North, E for East and W for West (and any combo of NE, SW, etc.).
- Spell out the street name (for example – Southwest Highway NOT SW Hwy).
- The suffix (street, avenue, drive, place) is also very important. The suffixes should be abbreviated (DR. for Drive, ST for Street, etc.) Click HERE for proper abbreviations
- Rural Addresses are the second most commonly mis-formatted addresses. Since the conversion of addresses to the 911 system, former rural routes have been reformatted. These addresses are usually submitted as 24 S. 96 West 123rd street. The proper formatting for these addresses is 24S96 W 123rd ST. (no spaces between the numbers and directional - this is very important. Although it is not easy for the human eye to read, it is the way the post office machines read it and the mailpiece will not go out at automation rates if it is formatted incorrectly).
- Military Addresses should have the FPO/APO in the city field, the AE (or whatever code) in the State field and the zip information in the zip fields. This address is recognized as a domestic address even if the person is overseas.
- If you have foreign addresses in your list - you must create a country field and keep the country information in this field. Several countries do have the equivalent of our state and zip code formats, so try to include that information as well. (Foreign addresses can be sent by Rescigno's, but must be sent at first class rates).
- Because Puerto Rico is a protectorate of the US, letters to Puerto Rico can be sent at regular bulk rates -they do not have to be sent out as foreign letters.
Dual Addresses:
Some people have both a PO Box and a street address. When mailing - only ONE of these addresses will be used as the delivery address. The post office reads addresses from the bottom up, so which ever address is closest to the city/state/zip line will be the address used (without regard to whether it is the PO Box or Street address).
