Postal code

A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail.

As of August 2021, the Universal Postal Union lists 160 countries which require the use of a postal code.

Although postal codes are usually assigned to geographical areas, special codes are sometimes assigned to individual addresses or to institutions that receive large volumes of mail, such as government agencies and large commercial companies. One example is the French CEDEX system.





== Terms ==

There are a number of synonyms for postal code; some are country-specific:



CAP: The standard term in Italy; CAP is an acronym for codice di avviamento postale ('postal expedition code').

CEP: The standard term in Brazil; CEP is an acronym for código de endereçamento postal ('postal addressing code').

Eircode: The standard term in Ireland.

NPA in French-speaking Switzerland (numéro postal d'acheminement) and Italian-speaking Switzerland (numero postale di avviamento).

PIN: The standard term in India; PIN is an acronym for Postal Index Number. Sometimes called a PIN code.