An Post Address Validation

“An Post,” Ireland’s official postal service, was established in 1792 with mailing services from Dublin to a few major towns. Today, it provides various services, from pensions to parcel collection. Ireland has around 2.3 million residential and commercial addresses. Around 805,000 of these are non-unique and have the same postal address. 

Ensuring accurate delivery and location intelligence of the intended address is incredibly challenging. The Eircode system and An Post address validation are the only answers to fetch and verify accurate postal addresses in your database. You can Visit An Post’s website to use their Address Point, Check an Address, or Eircode Finder service to maintain data hygiene. But how does it work? Does it have any limitations? This blog is perfect for learning about An post address validation and its alternatives.

Key Takeaways 

• 30% of Irish addresses are non-unique and have the same postal addresses. 
• An Post address validation helps in verifying addresses against the official database. 
• Unique Eircodes help identify every property in Ireland, including houses and businesses. 
• An Eircode contains two segments; a Routing Key and a Unique Identifier. 
• An Post allows individuals without a permanent address to receive mail via its Address Point service. 
• Individuals and businesses can use An Post’s Check an Address Service to validate addresses. 
• An Post doesn’t standard or fix typo errors in postal addresses. 
• Address validation in Ireland is highly dependent on Eircodes. 
• The Eircode finder tool is handy to find and check Eircodes for Irish addresses. 
• An Post’s item tracking tools help you track up to five items simultaneously. 
• Some Irish regions might use Gaeltacht to write addresses. 
• You cannot run bulk address validation jobs with An Post’s solution. 
• An Post updates its address database every quarter.

• Language: English might be Ireland’s primary language when writing mailing addresses. However, Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) regions might use Irish to write addresses. 
• Abbreviations: Irish addresses use “P.O. Box” for Post Office Box, “St.” for Street, and “No.” for Number (House or Building Number)
• Alignment: Every Irish address must be left-aligned for easy reading and deliverability.
• Length Variations: Irish addresses have different lengths and details, depending on the urban or rural presence. 
• Non-Standard Elements: Many rural addresses lack traditional elements like house numbers and street names. They also have non-unique names, making it harder to identify recipients without a proper Ericode. 
• Use of Localities and Townlands: Many Irish towns and villages have townlands and localities as an address element, providing an additional layer of detail.

Despite not having many non-unique addresses in the country, you must follow the official format when writing Irish addresses. Start by writing the recipient’s full name on the first line (Example: Aoife O’Sullivan). Mention the house/building number and street name on the following line. We also need to include the dependent locality if applicable. Then, write the name of the town or city where the recipient lives. Rural addresses need you to mention the county (if applicable) to provide more clarity to the address. 

Ireland uses a unique postal code system, Eircode, which helps identify individual buildings. You should adequately provide the precise seven-character Eircode for the respective recipient. Lastly, we always write “IRELAND” in capital letters for international mail.  

Here is what the format should look like: 

Your sample address would look like this: 

Invalid or Incomplete Address on Label 

Individuals or businesses might face delivery challenges when the address is incomplete or not in the An Post’s official database. Most users make mistakes when writing the Eircode of the recipient. It can completely render your mail items undeliverable. Postal workers often struggle to locate the recipient if you make mistakes when writing house number, street address, town, or Eircode. Many of the country’s residents live in rural areas, making address validation critical for successful deliveries. 

Inconsistency in the Address 

The Irish postal addressing system is complex, making it challenging for individuals and businesses to follow the correct format. Even minute sequence differences can confuse postal workers and sorting machines, leading to delays or failures. It is always advisable to follow the official format and appropriate Eircode. An Post address validation could be a valuable resource for fixing these issues. 

The Addressee Moved to a New Location 

It is the most unfortunate situation you can face while sending mail items to an Irish address. Sadly, Ireland doesn’t have an automatic mail redirection system. People must opt for manual mail redirection, forwarding, or minding services, leading to failed deliveries and return mail. Businesses must pay more attention to identifying outdated addresses before dispatching mail.

Non-Unique Addresses 

Ireland has more than 800,000 non-unique addresses without any name or number. It makes it tricky for businesses and postal workers to locate the intended recipient in an area. Thankfully, the Eircode postal system might resolve this dilemma. However, it also means that Irish addresses are highly dependent on Eircodes. The problem is even more prominent in rural areas where you can find multiple properties under the same townland name without unique identifiers. Your mail item won’t be delivered if you make mistakes in the recipient’s name or Eircode. 

Recipient Not Present at Delivery Point 

The post office will not be able to deliver your mail if the recipient is unavailable or if they cannot find a safe drop-off location. It is a more common problem if you are using An Post’s Registered Post service, requiring proof of receipt with a signature from the recipient. To avoid this situation, you should use their redelivery service or parcel locker options. 

Lack of Real-Time Address Validation 

An Post’s address validation solution fetches results from its official address database, GeoDirectory. However, GeoDirectory only updates quarterly, leaving users with outdated data for new addresses, changes, and corrections. The tool also does not confirm whether an individual or business is actually operating at an address, increasing the chances of delays or return mail. Thus, users can only use it to verify the structural existence of a postal address. 

High Dependency on Eircode 

As we discussed above, Ireland has more than 800,000 non-unique addresses. It means even your neighbor might have the same address as you. An Post’s address validation tools are highly dependent on Eircodes. A minute error in this code might change the delivery location, leading to delays, failure, and even fraud. Businesses can have a hard time validating addresses without a proper Eircode. 

Limited Address Autocomplete Feature 

An Post’s address validation solution does provide some autocomplete capabilities when you try to enter postal addresses. However, it only gives five to ten suggestions per input, which could be less considering the complexity of Irish addresses and Eircodes. It automatically invites spelling or formatting errors when users write their addresses. 

Bulk Validation is Only Possible by Using Their Partners

Businesses often search for address validation solutions that can support their high-volume workflows. Sadly, An Post doesn’t natively help run bulk address validation tasks. You need to rely on their partners, like GeoDirectory or other third-party providers. It further increases your address validation costs and might lead to delays. 

Limited Address Database for New Properties 

As we said, An Post updates its databases quarterly every year. It means new houses, apartments, and commercial establishments are not immediately present on their available database. Businesses are likely to face challenges if validate these addresses before dispatching mail. 

An Post provides free-to-use address validation services to help individuals and businesses to cross-verify addresses and Eircodes against their database. Users can also use their dedicated Eircode finder to locate and validate Eircodes for Irish addresses. However, most of these tools are suitable for personal purposes. Businesses can’t expect to run full-scale address validation jobs in bulk to streamline their deliveries and location intelligence process. 

They need to opt for An Post’s partners like GeoDirectory to gather insights for commercial purposes. These partners also have limited features and might be priced high. Their database updates only quarterly, leaving scope for inaccuracies and mistakes. Businesses should look for a better alternative that provides comprehensive solutions for address validation, standardization, cleansing, bulk workflows, and autocomplete. 

PostGrid Address Verification API is an innovation offering, ideal for businesses of all sizes looking for real-time validation and standardization with integrations and multiple data sources. It works with Irish addresses and lets you validate addresses in bulk, saving time and smoothening workflows. The cost-effective solution provides flexible pricing plans that help you scale the solution according to your needs, leaving zero scope for inefficiencies.