How To Use C/O In Mailing Address
Have you ever ended up sending mail to the wrong person due to incorrect addressing? Oftentimes, we forget to double-check details like the recipient’s name, delivery address, etc., before mailing something. It leads to a lot of issues like lost and misplaced mail.
The mailing address you provide helps Canada Post to complete a delivery. If you mention the wrong person’s name or address, there are chances that your mailpiece may not reach the correct location.
So, what can you do to ensure accurate deliveries? The answer is simple- start using c/o mailing addresses. They can help you direct your items to the right person without any trouble. A c/o address consists of an additional line to write the person who will receive your mail.
In this blog, we will talk about the c/o address meaning, uses, and examples. Also, we will cover how to use it while sending a mail item to someone.
What Does C/O Mean in An Address?
C/o stands for “in care of” and is written along with the mailing address on an item.
But, what does care of mean?
It means that a mail item is “in the care of” another person. “Care of” addresses are used in situations where the intended recipient is different from the actual recipient who collects the mailpiece.
They help ensure that the mailpiece is not returned to the sender if the postal service does not identify the recipient and refuses delivery.
Suppose you have a roommate who is home all day and usually receives the mail, and you always come home late from work. In this case, anyone mailing something to you can write your roommate’s name on the c/o address line. While writing the mailing address, your name would come on the first line followed by this line.
So, your roommate collects and signs (if required) the mail and then passes it on to you. This way, the mail reaches the right hands even though you weren’t originally able to collect the mail yourself.
Mailers can also use c/o addresses when they are unsure of the intended recipient’s home address. Thus, they add a c/o line and send mail to that person’s business address.
When to Use “Care of” in Addresses?
Apart from the above reasons, there are several other occasions when you may use “care of mailing addresses”.
Using such addresses benefits the sender and recipient both- the senders assure that their mail does not return to them and the recipients can get their mail safely.
Plus, it prevents other issues like misplaced or stolen mail, failed deliveries, data breaches, etc.
Find below some situations where it is advisable to use a c/o line:
Sending Mail to a Hotel
If you want to mail to someone currently residing in a hotel, you should write the room number in your mailing address. But, sometimes, you may not know the room number.
In such cases, you can add a c/o line and mention the hotel name where you need to mail. When the mailpiece reaches the hotel, any staff member can collect it and drop it in the recipient’s room.
Also Read: How To Write An Address International
Sending Mail to the Recipient’s Friend
Suppose you don’t have the mailing address of your intended recipient but have the address of one of their friends. You may add c/o to the address and send your mailpiece to the friend instead.
The c/o line lets the person know that the mail is sent for someone else and not themselves.
Sending Mail Elsewhere to Secure It
For example, you want to mail someone living in a bad neighbourhood. It is better to send the mail someplace else with a c/o line to assure its security.
Sending Mail to Someone’s Attorney
Sometimes, some clients request to get their account statements, invoices, or cheques mailed to their attorney’s offices. Hence, you send the document to the attorney’s office using a care-of address.
You may direct the mailpiece to some other trusted place as well. Make sure to contact the recipient beforehand regarding where to send their documents. It will help both parties keep the documents safe and confidential.
Also Read: Best Address Verification Software
How to Address a Letter In Care of?
Now that you know the benefits of using a c/o line, let us see how to use c/o in mailing addresses.
Collect the Correct Details
If you use a c/o line, there are chances that you are mailing to a secondary address (different from the recipient’s home address). It depends on the situation under which you are using a c/o address.
The point is that you should make sure the secondary address you are mailing to is correct.
You may call or email the recipients to confirm their secondary addresses or use PostGrid’s address verification API to speed up the process.
Add the Recipient’s Name
Your intended recipient’s name should always appear on the first line. It doesn’t matter if the address below belongs to someone else.
Include the C/O Line
The second line of your mailing address should be the c/o address line.
If you are mailing something to a business address, write “c/o” followed by the company’s name—for example, c/o Tatia Apparels.
Similarly, you can add the hotel’s name if you need to mail a hotel. In the case where you are mailing a person, write “c/o XYZ.”
Write the Civic Address
The third line should consist of the civic address—for example, 1248 George ST. Take care to include correct directionals and abbreviations to avoid any misinterpretations by the postal workers.
Mention the Municipality, Province, and Postal Code
As per the Canada Post guidelines, all mailing addresses should have the municipality, province or territory, and postal code on the last line.
Write the city name followed by the 2-digit province abbreviation and 6-character postal code.
The last line of your care of mailing address should look like this:
Victoria BC V8P 5H5
Add Your Return Address
Write your return address on the upper left-hand corner of your mailpiece. You may also mention it on the back of your envelope on the opening flap.
In the case of non-delivery, Canada Post is able to return your mail back only if you add a return address.
Attach Proper Postage and Send
Calculate your postal charges and affix the correct number of stamps. If you are having any difficulty knowing your postage, you can take your item to the Post Office.
Also Read: Bulk Batch Address Verification Services
Care of Address Examples
Let us see some examples of care of letter examples to help you understand the concept better:
Example 1: Here’s how you use “care of” to send mail to a friend, relative, family member, or neighbour
Rebecca Gillies
c/o Matt Jeffries
123 Greene AVE
Montreal QC H4C 2J8
Example 2: Here’s how you can mail to your recipient’s company address
Kol Tremblay
c/o Starfleet Inc
45 Connors Rd NW
Edmonton AB T6C 4N7
Example 3: Here’s how you should write a c/o address to mail to a hotel, hostel, university, etc.
Kaley Anderson
c/o The Myriad Hotel
8 Brunswick ST
Chester NS B0J 0A9
Also Read: Address Verification Services
Over to You
It is not hard to use c/o in a mailing address before sending an item to someone. But, remember to avoid mixing up the recipient’s name and the other person’s name who will be receiving the mail.
A care-of address consists of an additional line to write the name of the company, hotel, or person you are mailing. This line starts with “c/o” to make it clear that the mailpiece is not meant for this party. Instead, they are responsible for passing on the item to the recipient.
PostGrid’s direct mail API can help create, print, and mail your items in an automated way. It can also help you cross-verify your recipient’s primary and secondary addresses to ensure that you send mail to the correct addresses.
This way, you can mail effortlessly and at lower costs. Plus, you can track your items in real-time to check if they reach the correct location.
Sign up to know more about how we can assist you in conducting your mailing campaigns and verifying your c/o addresses.
