Australia Post Address Formats
Did you know that the address format you use to send postal mail can change from country to country? The chances are that you have already noticed this if you have ever tried sending an international postal mail.
The address format used in Australia is slightly different from the standard address format in other countries. In Australia, the standard address format is defined by Australia Post, the country’s official postal service provider.
Similarly, the standard address format for other countries is defined by their respective official postal service provider. For example, the USPS determines the standard address format for locations inside the US, Canada Post for Canada, and more.
The standard Australia address format is essential for ensuring the punctual delivery of your direct mail. Therefore, any business that sends direct mail to their customer, prospects, or partners in Australia must take the time to learn the Australia address format.
Companies often underestimate the role of postal address format. As a result, the business communication through direct mail for such companies is often not optimized enough. Here, we are going to help you understand the significance of postal address format and how it can optimize your business communication.
But, more importantly, we are going to teach you how to correctly write an address according to the standards specified by Australia Post. And, perhaps, the best place to start to understand the Australia address format is to examine an example.
Australia Address Example
What you see below is an example of the Australia address format. If you are familiar with US addresses, you know that the standard Australian address format is pretty similar to the US. The most noticeable similarity between both addresses is that the city name, state, and postal code all appear on one line.
Mrs McGonagall
92 McPherson Road
GREAT SOUTHERN, VIC, 3685
AUSTRALIA
Now with the example above, it should be relatively easy for you to understand and write Australia address format when sending letters, postcards, invoices, etc. However, it is worth noting that the address format, even inside Australia, can sometimes vary. For example, the PO Box addresses are not like regular addresses. Hence, their form is also slightly different from the regular one.
Understanding Australia Post Address Format
From the example above, it should be easy for you to get a general idea of the address format in Australia. Then, we will analyze the Australia Address Format deeper to get a better understanding of the address format.
Australia Address Format For Regular Address
There are mainly two types of addresses in Australia. One is the regular address that all of us are familiar with, and the other is the PO Box address.
The latter is not as popular as the regular address as it is not that widely used. However, given below are some guidelines you can use for writing regular Australia address format.
Always Start With The Name of The Business/Person.
Start with the addressee’s name (or business name) as with any other address format. The beginning of the address format is the one thing that is common for almost all address formats around the world.
Follow The Name With Street Address.
According to the standard address format, you should write the street address below the business or person’s name.
In Case The Destination Is An Apartment Address.
If you are dealing with an apartment address, write the apartment number before the street number. When you do this, one thing to remember is to separate the two with a dash (/).
Example: 14/08 Albus St
Follow The Street Address With City, State, And Postal Code.
The Australia address format starts to look a lot like the US address format here. After writing the street address, you must write the city, state, and postal code.
The address format at this portion resembles the US address format because we use the abbreviated form of the state name.
The following table shows the abbreviations of all the Australian states. You should probably save this table for later as it can come in very handy for your direct mail operations.
| State Or Territory Name | Abbreviation |
| Australian Capital Territory | ACT |
| New South Wales | NSW |
| Northern Territory | NT |
| South Australia | SA |
| Tasmania | TAS |
| Victoria | VIC |
| Western Australia | WA |
| Queensland | QLD |
Add “Australia” On The Last Line
The last line of the standard address format is just as predictable as the first line. You must add the country name on the last line of the address, which in this case is Australia.
Adding the destination’s country name is also a common practice in almost every standard address format. However, it is not strictly necessary if the mail you are sending is a domestic one.
Australia PO Box Letter Address Format
The address format for PO Box addresses in Australia is not the same as the address format for regular mail. However, the difference between the two formats is not easily noticeable. In fact, to the untrained eye, the two formats will seem identical.
The only difference between the PO Box address format and the regular address format is that the former includes a PO Box number. Hence, it goes for all types of mailers you send to an Australian PO Box address, including parcels, packages, and letters.
The following example will help you better understand the PO Box address format in Australia.
Mrs McGonagall
PO Box 69
GREAT SOUTHERN, VIC, 3685
AUSTRALIA
How To Correctly Write An Australian Address On Your Direct Mail
You may have noticed that we write the address on a specific portion of the envelope. Usually, we write the address on the bottom right-hand corner of the envelope and follow a similar format when writing addresses on direct mail you send to Australia.
The following diagram will help you get a more comprehensive picture of how you can write an Australian address.
As you can see in the image above, you can divide the front of the direct mail envelope into four zones. They are:
- Service Zone
- Postage Zone
- Address Zone
- Clear Zone
1. Service Zone
The service zone is where you can provide the advertisements or your return address. Most companies choose to provide the return address in the service zone. However, it is not uncommon to see advertisements in the service zone. Some even use it to pitch a marketing offer.
2. Postage Zone
As you may have already guessed from the name, this is the part of the envelope where you stick the postage stamp. The postage rate for sending direct mail can vary depending on the type of postal service, distance, etc. Therefore, the number or value of postage stamps can also vary.
3. Address Zone
The address zone is where you can provide the address of the recipient. Make sure that you write your address on the bottom right-hand corner of the envelope. However, it would be best if you also remember to keep a 15mm distance from the edge of the envelope on the corners.
4. Clear Zone
A small portion of the envelope goes along the bottom right corner, which is called the clear zone. The clear zone slightly moves the address zone from the corner. Unfortunately, many people often forget about the clear zone, and it might end up slowing down the processing of the direct mail.
Tips You Can Use While Addressing Envelopes
There are a couple of things you can do to ensure faster processing of your direct mail by Australia Post. In this section, we will list some helpful tips that help you provide fast and accurate delivery of your direct mail via Australia Post.
Ensure The Accuracy Of The Postcode
Postcode is perhaps the most significant part of the full address. An accurate postcode allows Australia Post to sort and deliver your direct mail quickly. Hence, you should make sure that the postcode is valid. You can use software solutions such as PostGrid to validate the postcodes.
Use Quality Printers And Dark Ink
The next thing you need to do is make sure that you use quality printers. Use dark ink to enhance the readability of the mailer, including the address. Black on white is usually the preferred choice for business communication letters. Try not to use colours like red, yellow or orange for the ink.
Ensure Symmetric Address Lines
Sometimes the address lines on the envelope tend to indent and stagger. Thus, it is not a desirable address format. Hence, maintain some form of symmetricity when writing the address.
Do Not Underline Any Words
Some people have a habit of underlining important parts of a text, and they tend to do the same on direct mail addresses. However, this is not a desirable action as far as Australia Post is concerned. Therefore, you should not underline any words in the postal address.
Always Include a Return Address
When writing a letter, especially for business communication/marketing, you should always include a return address. It is essential to have a return address. The returned mail will give you valuable insights, including undeliverable addresses.
Use Printed Envelopes
Use printed envelopes instead of handwritten ones because they have better readability. Printed envelopes also have a faster processing time than handwritten ones.
Use PostGrid As Your Automated Direct Mail Solution
PostGrid is an automated direct mail solution that enables you to automate your direct mail process fully. In addition, it can standardize and validate your postal address database. PostGrid’s system uses top-quality printers and ensures that your direct mail addresses are printed in the standard Australia address format.
Conclusion
To ensure fast and accurate delivery of your mail sent to addresses inside Australia, you must follow the Australia address format. It means that you have to ensure that the address you print or write on your envelopes needs to be according to the standards set by Australia Post.
However, it is easier said than done, especially if you send direct mail in bulk. The best solution to ensure a valid address format for your direct mail is using a software solution like PostGrid. PostGrid is an advanced direct mail automation tool that can provide accurate printing and mailing of your direct mail.
With an advanced solution like PostGrid, you can ensure the accuracy of the address format and validate their deliverability. Every business that uses direct mail to communicate effectively should employ PostGrid to optimize its direct mail process.
The post Australia Address Format appeared first on PostGrid.
source https://www.postgrid.com.au/australia-address-format/
source https://postgridaustralia.blogspot.com/2021/11/australia-address-format.html
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