Posten Norge Address Validation: Services, Benefits, Drawbacks and Alternative
Did you know that 95% of enterprises and 90% of small businesses faced identity fraud last year? One of the most common ways criminals commit identity theft is by accessing their customer’s addresses. Fraudsters may change the victim’s address to reroute sensitive documents with confidential information, such as bank statements or government documents. Furthermore, after gaining access to the customer’s eCommerce website credentials, they might change the shipping address but keep the same billing address. They do this to commit fraud without raising any suspicion. Another statistic you should know is the increasing number of undeliverable mail and how it impacts the business. For every 1000 mail returned due to deliverability, a company loses $383 in address recorrection and re-shipping.
What is common between these two data points? The lack of address verification. If you do not check the validity of an address, your business can become a victim of fraud. Moreover, incorrect or incomplete addresses will impede shipping services from making accurate deliveries.
Countries around the world have adopted address validation systems to prevent fraud. In Norway, this system is called Posten Norge Address Validation. In addition to deterring fraud, it ensures accurate delivery and helps enrich the customer experience for nationwide businesses. This blog will discuss this system’s services, benefits, and drawbacks. We will also learn what makes PostGrid a suitable alternative to it.
Key Takeaways
- Posten Norge Address Validation cross-checks the entered address against the Norway Post to determine whether it is valid and can accept mail and packages.
- Among its services are postcode registers, where you will find all the Norwegian postcodes. The address register provides details of the street, municipality, and more.
- You can also use it to electronically update an address, request a temporary change of details, package redirecting, and store business mail.
- It helps with accurate delivery; however, it only validates addresses in Norway. You will only get details of the street name and number; it does not provide geocodes or RDI information.
- Choose PostGrid Address Verification if you want to verify international addresses in real-time and need a solution that offers additional information, such as rooftop geocodes and floor numbers.
What is Posten Norge Address Validation?
It is the official address validation solution designed by Norway’s national postal service provider, Posten Bring (formerly Posten Norge). It verifies, validates, and formats Norwegian addresses according to postal standards. It helps businesses ensure correct delivery in e-commerce transactions and logistics and enhances customer communication.
Businesses can integrate it with their ecommerce platform, website, application, shipping platforms, and more to ensure accurate delivery. Cross-verifying the address will also prevent fraudulent transactions due to identity theft.
Services Offered By Posten Norge Address Validation
Postcode Register
It consists of tables that list all the valid postcodes of addresses in Norway. All the new, changed, or discontinued postcodes, municipality numbers, and names are here. If certain municipalities share the same postal code, the service will select the one with the most mail recipients. The first two digits of a municipal number are the county number; you will also find a list of counties here. To search for a valid number through the address and postcode search, add the street name, postal name, postal code, or municipality here. You can also use the map finder, which provides postcode boundaries. You can download the map, which contains the first two digits of the postcode.
Electronic Address Updating (EA)
If Posten Norge cannot deliver the package due to an old or wrong address, it will be returned to the sender. It will also inform you that you must update the customer’s address. You will need an agreement number from EA to avail of this service. You will design a barcode based on the level of service you want, and you can decide on the routine with your supplier. After getting approval for the test shipment, you can establish the procedures for processing or importing the return files to EA. You can then update the address before sending the next mail.
Permanent Change of Address
Posten Norge requires you to request a permanent change of address in these situations:
- When your business is moving
- You are changing the postal code
- You are renting a PO box
The postal service will forward the mail for free for up to 2 months, and you can extend it for 14 months. After this, it will return any package intended for the old address to the sender. If more than one business is registered with the same mailbox, but you don’t want them to see the information, you can contact customer service. The postal service will apply a block to prevent it. This feature can be beneficial to residents of various institutions. Additionally, those living under guardianship who want to redirect the mail to their guardian can use this.
Temporary Redirection
This service can be helpful when you plan to operate your business temporarily from a new location. It redirects the letter to a new address within Norway or abroad. You must fill out a form and send it to Posten Norge’s official address. The postal service will begin the forwarding process in five working days
This service is available initially for six months, and to extend it, you will have to contact customer service. After the term mentioned in the agreement has passed, the service provider will withhold mail till it can be sent to the permanent address. If you want to forward a parcel to your new location, you must pay an additional fee.
Safe Storage of Business Mail
If you are not operating the business during the holidays or are away briefly, you can request mail storage to Posten Norge. Aside from storing addressed mail, you will get the following services:
- Pause any unaddressed advertisement.
- Return registered letters, insured letters, and parcels to the sender after the expired deadline.
- Receive your mail while it is being kept from you during your non-operational time.
Like other services, you must fill out and send the form to the postal service. Two days after they receive it, the safekeeping will be activated. The service is initially available for three months. You must contact customer service to extend the agreement for up to six months.
Address Registers
This will provide a complete overview of the addresses with postal codes and PO boxes. You can access it to ensure the mail is sent immediately. It will also assure that there is no possibility of the returned mail. It will contain the following details registered with the Norwegian Mapping Authority:
- Street name and code
- Road name and code
- Postcodes
- Cities
- Municipal name and codes
Address Parsing and Standardization
It will break down a full address into components like street name, postal code, state, or city. Then, it will cross-check and verify whether the structure meets Posten Norge’s postal standards. If not, it will normalize the address according to what is acceptable. Once formatted, it checks the addresses against the official records to verify if they exist and are deliverable. This feature helps the tool identify missing components that might cause delivery issues.
Real-Time Autocomplete Suggestions
As the customer types, the solution provides autocomplete suggestions of Norwegian addresses up to the street level. This reduces the possibility of data entry, thus enhancing delivery accuracy. Additionally, it will reduce the friction customers face while filing the complete address, preventing dissatisfaction and cart abandonment.
Benefits of Posten Norge Address Validation
Accurate Mail Delivery
The parsing, standardization, and validation prevent misinterpretation by postal service workers or courier systems. This ensures that mail reaches its intended recipient, and you won’t have to spend money correcting the address and resending it.
Saves Time
Since it will correct any mistake in the address, such as a lack of structure or typo, there is no need for manual intervention. Your business will be able to process the order and dispatch the mail quickly for timely delivery.
Targeted Marketing
This solution provides a clean and verified address database, ensuring your direct mail marketing materials reach the customer. Moreover, with specific insights about your customers, you can deploy a highly targeted marketing campaign to boost your ROI.
Boost Customer Satisfaction
It will prevent shipping delays or failed delivery due to incorrect or unverified addresses. Complaints and negative reviews are reduced when customers receive their packages on time. Additionally, businesses that consistently deliver orders to the correct address and on time build strong relationships with customers, which increases the possibility of repeat purchases and referrals.
Also Read: Top Bulk Batch Address Verification ServicesDrawbacks of Posten Norge Address Validation
Non-Real-Time Address Verification
Posten Norge Address Validation checks the details after they are submitted. Typos, missing information, and other errors will remain in the system. When businesses use it, it might lead to failed deliveries, incorrect communication, and incorrect analytics, negatively impacting how customers perceive your brand.
Limited to Norwegian Addresses
It only verifies and offers autocomplete suggestions for addresses based in Norway. If your customer base is in Norway, then you can use it. However, if you operate globally, you will find this tool restrictive. If you have international deliveries to make, a lack of address verification might put you at risk of misdelivery or delay. To ensure delivery accuracy globally, you must invest in an additional system that offers international address verification. This will increase your operational costs. Moreover, if you store addresses in disparate systems, it might be confusing and erroneous to extract and supply details when the customer needs them, for instance, during the checkout process.
Does Not Provide Geocoding Data
Geocoding is the process of providing latitude and longitude data for a particular address. It enhances delivery accuracy and prevents fraud. However, Posten Norge Address Validation does not offer geocoding data. Without knowing actual geographic positions, you might be unable to optimize the delivery route. This will increase fuel and labor costs and might even lead to a delivery delay.
Service providers like ambulances or utilities need accurate coordinates to dispatch emergency responders or their services. Without knowledge of latitudes and longitudes, rendering services will be delayed. Additionally, without location data, you cannot segment the audience. You will not be able to create personalized marketing campaigns and might also miss opportunities for store expansion.
Does Not Offer Premise Level Address Information
The Posten Norge Address Validation solution will verify the street and building. But how will you ensure that the package lands at the right doorstep? Lack of knowledge of floor number, apartment number, or suite number might lead to misdelivery. The shipping carrier will return the package to you. You will spend more on address correction, manual verification, and reshipping.
Moreover, manually contacting customers to complete the missing information will increase the customer service workload and call center costs. Additionally, repeatedly receiving misdelivery frustrates customers, who leave negative reviews on social platforms, tarnishing your brand’s image.
No Residential Delivery Indicator
The type of address matters to your business. It decides how much the shipping carrier will charge to deliver the package. They charge more for residential addresses than for commercial properties.
Additionally, certain private shipping carriers do not deliver to residential areas. This is why the tool verifying addresses must help you determine the property type through a residential delivery indicator. However, Posten Norge Address Validation does not offer this. Your customers in Norway might wrongly declare the property to take advantage of the low shipping cost, and you will bear the expenses.
What Makes PostGrid's Address Verification the Right Alternative?
| Factors | PostGrid | Posten Norge Address Validation |
| Real-Time Address Verification | It instantly checks the address as the customer is typing in and corrects them. | It performs verification after the customer has typed and submitted the address details. |
| International Address Verification | It will check, format, and provide autocomplete suggestions for over 250 countries and territories. | It only checks Norwegian addresses. You will need a separate address verification system to serve customers internationally. |
| Address Standardization | It formats the address according to the postal standards of the respective country. This is possible because it can access the official postal records of many countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, etc. | It only refers to Norway’s national postal service provider, Posten Norge. Hence, it only standardizes the address according to its standards. |
| Geocoding Data | It provides the most accurate type of geocode: rooftop. These are the coordinates of the building’s roof where you have to send the package. | It does not provide any details about the latitude and longitude of the address. |
| Premise Level Data | It provides information on the apartment, floor, and suite number to maximize delivery accuracy. | It only provides the details of the road and the street where the address is located. |
| Residential Delivery Indicator | It will help you determine whether the address is commercial or residential. This information can then be used to strategize the price and optimize delivery routes. | It does not indicate whether an area is residential or commercial. |
| Autocomplete Suggestions | It only offers address recommendations near the customer’s IP address. This ensures relevancy and prevents customer frustration from searching for their address from a long list. | It offers suggestions from across the country, including all places with the same street, city, or municipal name, even if they are irrelevant. |
| Modes of Deployment | You can use the solution in three ways:
|
You can directly access the online platform or integrate the API within the system. |
PostGrid is the Superior Choice For Address Verification
The address validation solution you choose should help you verify every minute detail of the address. It should also enhance delivery accuracy, prevent fraud, and enrich the customer experience. As you can see from the abovementioned details, the PostGrid Address Verification solution offers more benefits than Posten Norge. You can verify batches of addresses in real-time, and get verified and complete information globally. Request a demo now to see how our solution can help you.
