Verifying USPS addresses is important to aid the operations of e-commerce companies and other digital business frameworks that involve the delivery of products.
This ensures that the addresses are valid and mail can be delivered. USPS address verification can also help counter identity fraud or any financial crime that may involve misrepresenting an address or the use of a fake address.
USPS address verification thwarts frauds even before they happen. Let us discuss in detail, what USPS Address verification is.
What is USPS Address Verification?
USPS Address Verification is a service provided by the United States Postal Service to make sure that addresses entered into databases are valid or accurate and correctly formatted according to postal standards. This process aids individuals and businesses in reducing issues like delayed or undeliverable mail by verifying that addresses exist and are reachable by USPS. The verification can correct formatting errors, missing apartment numbers, or ZIP codes, and it typically involves cross-referencing with the USPS Address Management System (AMS), which is often updated.
Address verification is often used by businesses to maintain clean and accurate customer databases, tackle fraud, save on shipping costs, and improve customer satisfaction.
USPS address verification services are available through RegTech tools, APIs, and certain shipping platforms that integrate USPS verification directly into their systems.
Read Also: What is Address Verification Service
What are the Benefits Of USPS Address Verification?
The United States Postal Service is a standard database of valid addresses throughout the country. USPS verification address tools get or generate data from the USPS address verification database.
It is important to confirm the nature of an address submitted during the onboarding process or to the USPS address verification form by a customer to avoid discrepancies that can hinder operations or delivery or allow for the occurrence of fraud. The benefits of USPS address verification are mentioned and discussed below;
1. USPS Address Verification Provides for Accurate Deliveries
USPS Address verification affirms that addresses are valid, complete, and standardised. This allows businesses to be able to avoid costly delivery errors and ensures timely delivery of packages.
2. It Allows for Enhanced Customer Satisfaction
With the provision or confirmation of accurate or verified addresses, companies are able to offer better delivery experiences to customers and help reduce missed or delayed shipments. This, in turn, helps build trust and improves customer loyalty.
3. USPS Address Verification Helps To Save Cost
USPS Address Verification reduces undeliverable packages and returns, saving businesses on shipping costs, labour, and processing fees. Lesser errors also mean that fewer resources are spent on customer support for delivery issues.
4. USPS Address Verification Prevents Fraud
USPS Address Verification helps mitigate fraud by spotting invalid or suspicious addresses that would be used in the process of identity theft, credit card fraud, or other financial crimes. Verifying addresses during onboarding adds a security layer, particularly for e-commerce, banking, and digital services.
5. It Ensures Data Integrity and Clean Databases
Frequent address verification allows for companies to keep up-to-date customer databases, it reduces data decay and ensures that contact information is current and correct. Clean data supports effective marketing and customer engagement efforts.
6. It Aids Regulatory Compliance
For businesses in regulated industries, USPS Address Verification can help meet compliance requirements by validating customer information and maintaining accurate records.
USPS Address Verification services are accessible through APIs, RegTech tools, as well as shipping platforms, making them to be easily integrated into customer-facing and back-office applications.
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Best Practices For USPS Address Verification For Fintechs And E-commerce
To fully maximize the benefits of USPS Address Verification and ensure accurate, efficient operations, concerned entities should consider the following best practices:
1. The Use of Real-Time Address Verification Tools
Address verification should be implemented at the point of data entry. During customer sign-up or checkout. Real-time verification flags errors immediately, allows customers to correct any issues on the spot and ensures that only accurate addresses go into the company’s system.
2. Batch Verification for Database Clean-Up Should Be Implemented
Verify addresses in the already existing database regularly using batch verification. This process updates outdated or incorrect addresses, helps maintain data integrity, and removes undeliverable addresses, which is important for customer retention and accurate marketing efforts.
3. Addresses Should Be Standardised to USPS Format
It should be ensured that all addresses are formatted according to USPS standards (for example, abbreviations and casing) in order to improve consistency. Standardized addresses improve processing efficiency and lessen the likelihood of delivery errors.
4. Validate International Addresses Separately
USPS address verification is for addresses in the United States. However, to maintain accuracy for international shipments, a service that validates oor authenticates global addresses should be used to validate the addresses of international customers.
5. Integrate USPS APIs for Seamless Verification
USPS Address Verification APIs should be integrated into e-commerce platforms, CRMs, and shipping systems to automate verification. This integration allows for a seamless user experience and reduces manual data handling.
6. Screening for Address Completeness
It should be confirmed that required fields like apartment numbers, ZIP+4 codes, as well as secondary addresses are provided by the customer, or filled in. .
Incomplete addresses can lead to a mail that can not be delivered, and this can lead to higher shipping costs.
7. Run Verification During Key Customer Interactions
Addresses should be verified not only during initial entry but also during account updates, checkout, and periodically for long-term customers. This keeps addresses updated and reduces or mitigates shipping issues like customers moving away from an initially provided address or the use of alternative addresses.
8. Monitoring and Tracking Delivery Performance
Track and analyzing undeliverable mail rates or address errors to identify any issues with data quality or verification settings. Adjust your verification processes as needed to minimise errors.
9. The Education of Customers on Proper Address Entry
Provide guidance or address suggestions during checkout in order help customers enter correct addresses. Tools like address autocomplete or suggested corrections can make this process smoother.
Read Also; Digital Address Verification
USPS Postal Address Verification Tools?
When using a USPS address verification tool online, it is important to ensure that it provides real-time verification and has a USPS address verification database to ensure satisfactory results and an array of false positives. Youverify’s address verification tool draws from numerous standard address databases from around the world. It can effectively perform USPS address verification and can also be easily switched to be used for international address verification screenings.
Youverify’s address verification solution can help e-commerce companies and digital businesses manually verify customer addresses anywhere globally with a zero error margin. The solution improves customer drop-off rates and scales with ease.
Get started with easy USPS postal address verification online with Youverify, or book a free demo here.