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POSTNET (Postal Numeric Encoding Technique) is a barcode
Barcode

A bar code is an optical machine-readable representation of data. Originally, bar codes represented data in the widths and the spacings of parallel lines and may be referred to as linear or 1D barcodes or symbologies....
 symbology
Symbology

Also known as processual symbolic analysis, symbology was developed by Victor Turner in the mid-1970s to refer to the use of symbols within cultural contexts, in particular ritual....
 that is used by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an Independent agencies of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States....
 to assist in directing mail. The ZIP Code
ZIP Code

File:UseZipCode.JPGThe ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service . The letters ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, are properly written in capital letters and were chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the code....
 or ZIP+4 code is encoded in half- and full-height bars. Most often, the delivery point
Delivery point

In a Mail system, a delivery point is a single mailbox or other place at which mail is delivered. It differs from a address , in that each address may in fact have several delivery points, such as an apartment flat, office Departmentalization, or other room ....
 is added, usually being the last two digit
Numerical digit

In mathematics and computer science, a digit is a symbol used in numerals , to represent numbers, in Positional notation numeral systems. The name "digit" comes from the fact that the 10 digits of the hands correspond to the 10 symbols of the common base 10 number system, i.e....
s of the address
Address (geography)

An address is a code and abstract concept expressing the fixed location of a home, business or other building on the earth's surface....
 or PO box
Post Office box

A post office box is a uniquely-addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office station.In many countries, particularly in Africa, and the Middle East there is no 'door to door' delivery of mail....
 number.

The barcode starts and ends with a full bar (often called a guard rail or frame bar and represented as the letter "S" in the USPS TrueType Font) and has a check digit
Check digit

A check digit is a form of redundancy check used for error detection, the decimal equivalent of a binary checksum. It consists of a single digit computed from the other digits in the message....
 after the ZIP or ZIP+4.






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POSTNET (Postal Numeric Encoding Technique) is a barcode
Barcode

A bar code is an optical machine-readable representation of data. Originally, bar codes represented data in the widths and the spacings of parallel lines and may be referred to as linear or 1D barcodes or symbologies....
 symbology
Symbology

Also known as processual symbolic analysis, symbology was developed by Victor Turner in the mid-1970s to refer to the use of symbols within cultural contexts, in particular ritual....
 that is used by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an Independent agencies of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States....
 to assist in directing mail. The ZIP Code
ZIP Code

File:UseZipCode.JPGThe ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service . The letters ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, are properly written in capital letters and were chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the code....
 or ZIP+4 code is encoded in half- and full-height bars. Most often, the delivery point
Delivery point

In a Mail system, a delivery point is a single mailbox or other place at which mail is delivered. It differs from a address , in that each address may in fact have several delivery points, such as an apartment flat, office Departmentalization, or other room ....
 is added, usually being the last two digit
Numerical digit

In mathematics and computer science, a digit is a symbol used in numerals , to represent numbers, in Positional notation numeral systems. The name "digit" comes from the fact that the 10 digits of the hands correspond to the 10 symbols of the common base 10 number system, i.e....
s of the address
Address (geography)

An address is a code and abstract concept expressing the fixed location of a home, business or other building on the earth's surface....
 or PO box
Post Office box

A post office box is a uniquely-addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office station.In many countries, particularly in Africa, and the Middle East there is no 'door to door' delivery of mail....
 number.

The barcode starts and ends with a full bar (often called a guard rail or frame bar and represented as the letter "S" in the USPS TrueType Font) and has a check digit
Check digit

A check digit is a form of redundancy check used for error detection, the decimal equivalent of a binary checksum. It consists of a single digit computed from the other digits in the message....
 after the ZIP or ZIP+4. The check digit is calculated as follows:
  1. Add up the digits, including the delivery point code if it is being used. (Zeroes are zero, not eleven.) If you are sending a letter to somewhere in Young America, Minnesota
    Young America Township, Minnesota

    Young America Township is a township in Carver County, Minnesota, Minnesota, United States. The population was 838 as of the 2000 United States Census....
    , you might be sending to 55555-1237, which would have the sum of 38.
  2. Find the remainder of this number when it is divided by 10, in this case 8. This could also be called the sum
    SUM

    SUM can refer to:* The State University of Management* Soccer United Marketing* StartUp-Manager...
     modulo
    Modulo operation

    In computing, the modulo operation finds the remainder of division of one number by another.Given two numbers, and , a modulo n is the remainder, on division of a by n....
     10. (Note that when summing the digits, any leading 1 in the current sum can just be discarded.)
  3. Subtract the sum modulo 10 from 10. Continuing with the example, 10 - 8 = 2. The check digit is therefore 2.
  4. The sum of the ZIP, ZIP+4, or ZIP+4+delivery point digits and the check digit, modulo 10, should be zero. Continuing with the example, (5+5+5+5+5+1+2+3+7+2) mod 10 = 0.


The encoding table is shown on the right.

Each individual digit is represented by a set of five bars, two of which are full bars (i.e. two-out-of-five code
Two-out-of-five code

In telecommunication, a two-out-of-five code is an m of n codes that provides exactly ten possible combinations, and thus is popular for representing decimal digits using five bits....
). The full bars represent "on" bits in a pseudo-binary code in which the places represent, from left to right: 7, 4, 2, 1, 0. (Though in this scheme, zero
0 (number)

0 is both a number and the numerical digit used to represent that number in numeral system. It plays a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers, and many other algebraic structures....
 is encoded as 11 decimal, or "binary" 11000.)

Example


The above-mentioned example of 55555-1237 yields:
  1. Sum is 38
  2. The check digit is therefore 2
  3. The data encoded will be 5555512372
Together with the initial and terminal frame bars, this would be represented as:
Note that the Delivery Point
Delivery point

In a Mail system, a delivery point is a single mailbox or other place at which mail is delivered. It differs from a address , in that each address may in fact have several delivery points, such as an apartment flat, office Departmentalization, or other room ....
 is often added after the ZIP+4 and before the check digit, in which case the computation of the check digit includes the ZIP+4 and the Delivery Point.

Barcode formats


There have been 4 formats of Postnet barcodes used by the Postal Service:

A 5 digit (plus check digit) barcode, containing the basic ZIP Code only, referred to as the "A" code. 32 bars total.

A 6 digit (plus check digit) barcode, containing the last 2 digits of the ZIP Code and the 4 digits of the ZIP+4 Code, referred to as a "B" code. Possibly 37 bars total. In the early stages of Postal automated mail processing the B code was used to "upgrade" mail that had been coded only with a 5-digit "A" code. This barcode was only found on mail that received a 5-digit barcode on the initial coding by an OCR. Now obsolete.

A 9 digit (plus check digit) barcode, containing the ZIP Code and ZIP+4 Code, referred to as the "C" code. 52 bars total. The 9-digit barcode enabled the sorting of mail to the individual delivery carrier, and in some cases into a semblance of delivery sequence.

An 11 digit (plus check digit) barcode, containing the ZIP Code, ZIP+4 Code, and the delivery point code. 62 bars total. This is usually referred to as the DPBC, or Delivery Point Bar Code. This is the predominant barcode in use currently , and it enables the Postal Service to sort mail into delivery point (address) sequence.

Planned Obsolescence


POSTNET is being deprecated, replaced by OneCode ACS which combines all previous Postal Service barcodes and marking into a single barcode. Beginning May 2011 OneCode ACS will be required for mail to qualify for automation discounts.

See also

  • Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique
    Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique

    The Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique barcode is used by the United States Postal Service to identify and track pieces of mail during delivery - the Post Office's "CONFIRM" services....
     (PLANET)