Address standardization - QAS online glossary

Definition:
Address standardization is the formal name given to the process of formatting addresses as recommended by the USPS® or other national postal authority.

The order and layout of a U.S. address may seem simple to the human eye, but even minor mistakes or anomolies can mean the difference between timely delivery and costly embarrassment.

Address standardization software corrects such things as abbreviations, placement, layout and the order that addresses appear in. An incorrectly-formatted address can be significantly delayed and in extreme cases, may not be delivered at all.

An example of a non-standardized address is:

529 Main Street
Suite 204
Charlestown, MA 02129

The same address following address standardization:

529 Main St Ste 204
Charlestown MA  02129-1104

Note the proper abbreviation in the first line (including primary and secondary address information) as well as the Zip + 4® as preferred by the USPS.

Using an address standardization tool is important because both customers and employees alike often do not know the correct format for (even their own!) addresses.

Even with expensive and time-consuming training, minor address formatting mistakes can cost companies a surprisingly large amount in address correction charges and lost customer business.

Related links

Read more about verifying addresses during data entry.
What are the best practices for regularly cleaning your address data?