Attach Zip Code Notice For Free

A letter without a ZIP code may not reach its intended destination.Violate these rules, the U.S. Post Service (USPS) warns, and your mailpiece could be delayed or misrouted. Information written below the city, state and ZIP code line could cause similar problems.

The term ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan. The basic 5-digit format was first introduced in 1963 and later extended to add an additional 4 digits after a dash to form a ZIP+4 code. The additional 4 digits help USPS more precisely group mail for delivery.

It will still be delivered. The letter processing machines will read the address and apply the barcode for that address, even if you leave off the Zip Code, as long as the address is correct and complete.

Don't provide your zip code at the register. "You go to a gas pump, the way it verifies your identity if by asking what's your zip code. If you're talking about a merchant or clerk, that's not a part of the credit card processing methodology," says Foley.

It is recommended to use the USPS standardized street address format when addressing mailpieces to ensure that they are processed smoothly by mail sorting equipment without any delays. Mailpieces with a ZIP Code are processed quickly and efficiently. Alleviates possible delays due to manual handling.

Writing the wrong ZIP Code with the right address usually causes the letter to be delivered about a day later than if the ZIPCode were correct. As long as the mailing address is correct, the letter will be delivered.

Both, Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster list zip-code as a verb, and they keep it all lowercase and use a hyphen. It means to mark something with a ZIP code, as in "Be sure to zip-code that letter."