Why give both street and PO box?
August 29, 2019 10:17 AM Subscribe
I am cleaning up some (USA) addresses and I have many that provide both a street and a PO box in the address:
101 Main Street
PO Box 100
City, ST 00000
Why do they do this and which one should I keep? I want them to be only three lines where possible, including the name and city/state/zip.
Well, that's likely the address of the building that houses all the PO boxes. I don't see how you can get rid of it or the mail won't get there.
There might be 1000 PO Boxes in that building, it's not extra info it's required.
posted by Brockles at 10:22 AM on August 29, 2019 [5 favorites]
There might be 1000 PO Boxes in that building, it's not extra info it's required.
posted by Brockles at 10:22 AM on August 29, 2019 [5 favorites]
Are they residential addresses or business addresses?
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:22 AM on August 29, 2019
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:22 AM on August 29, 2019
For what it's worth, I remember that when I was a graduate student, all mail sent to on-campus students was supposed to be addressed to their PO box number, not their dorm. If the sender foolishly wrote the PO box as well as the street address of the dorm, the campus post office would re-direct the mail to their "dead letter" box. Seems stupid, but I think it might have been related to the fact that the campus workers tended to dislike the students, so they were looking for ways to annoy them.
posted by JD Sockinger at 10:28 AM on August 29, 2019
posted by JD Sockinger at 10:28 AM on August 29, 2019
There may be two different post offices in a city, with overlapping numbers for P.O. Boxes.
You need the address to pick the post office and the P.O. Box number to pick the box at that particular office.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:29 AM on August 29, 2019
You need the address to pick the post office and the P.O. Box number to pick the box at that particular office.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:29 AM on August 29, 2019
Response by poster: This is for mailing a letter only, no packages or deliveries. I don't think a real USPS mailbox needs a street address. If it is a private box, it does need the street and box number, but I would not expect "PO" in the address. Just 101 Main street #1000.
posted by soelo at 10:29 AM on August 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by soelo at 10:29 AM on August 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
The addressee might not keep up the rent on a P O Box. The street address provides an alternative.
Brockles' comment applies only to the non-USPS services that offer boxes. A true post office box is found at the post office.
I recall hearing that the USPS will use the line just above the city and state to deliver an item.
If you want to clean up, keep the P O Box address.
posted by megatherium at 10:35 AM on August 29, 2019
Brockles' comment applies only to the non-USPS services that offer boxes. A true post office box is found at the post office.
I recall hearing that the USPS will use the line just above the city and state to deliver an item.
If you want to clean up, keep the P O Box address.
posted by megatherium at 10:35 AM on August 29, 2019
According the USPS the address:
101 Main Street
PO Box 100
City, ST 00000
Can be given as
101 Main Street #100
City, ST 00000
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:37 AM on August 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
101 Main Street
PO Box 100
City, ST 00000
Can be given as
101 Main Street #100
City, ST 00000
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:37 AM on August 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
I don't think a real USPS mailbox needs a street address
This is correct. I have a PO Box as well as a street address which is necessary for package deliveries. Occasionally I'll have to provide the "wrong" one for dumb form reasons, and I just put both on the line with the street address first: 100 Main Street Box 100, and that seems to work.
posted by jessamyn at 10:40 AM on August 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
This is correct. I have a PO Box as well as a street address which is necessary for package deliveries. Occasionally I'll have to provide the "wrong" one for dumb form reasons, and I just put both on the line with the street address first: 100 Main Street Box 100, and that seems to work.
posted by jessamyn at 10:40 AM on August 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
I believe you're right. I've never heard of a street address being required along with a PO box number. And if there are multiple post offices in the same city they will have different zip codes. I feel fairly certain that the main reason a business might include the street address would be to allow package delivery. (The person entering their address might include the street address out of habit even if they realize you won't be sending them packages.) Some businesses could also be using the street-style addresses descibed in Tell Me No Lies' link. In either case, you can just keep the PO box.
posted by Redstart at 10:42 AM on August 29, 2019
posted by Redstart at 10:42 AM on August 29, 2019
There's no guarantee that mail sent to the street address will reach the resident: USPS doesn't provide home delivery in some areas, so residents/businesses are forced to use PO Boxes (or "General Delivery").
posted by homodachi at 10:53 AM on August 29, 2019
posted by homodachi at 10:53 AM on August 29, 2019
Deliveries by a service other than USPS requires a street address, so business will provide both (often a totally separate location that can receive packages, like an office with a reception desk).
posted by LKWorking at 10:56 AM on August 29, 2019
posted by LKWorking at 10:56 AM on August 29, 2019
I had this come up at work yesterday. I Googled and it was definitely a home address, and then had a PO box. I just emailed the person and asked which one he wanted (the house one).
I've seen street addresses included with PO's before, but that was the physical address of the PO box location.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:06 AM on August 29, 2019
I've seen street addresses included with PO's before, but that was the physical address of the PO box location.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:06 AM on August 29, 2019
I've dealt with this and it was because the person used both home address and a PO Box for mail and they conscientiously filled out the form with both. I was told (in the past) that the address line directly below the name was given priority in delivery.
Also, my local PO has a different zip code for boxholders than my street address a few blocks away (small town) so wouldn't that be the first sort?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:16 AM on August 29, 2019
Also, my local PO has a different zip code for boxholders than my street address a few blocks away (small town) so wouldn't that be the first sort?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:16 AM on August 29, 2019
If these are businesses, there's a good chance that they already know their correct address form better than you do.
In some cases, it's mandatory to have more than three lines. I used to work for a company that had a New York registered "office" at PO Box NNNN, 20 W 34th St Suite YYYY, New York, NY 10001, USA. It was a PO box that was forwarded every week via courier to our main office in Toronto. There were potentially thousands of boxes at suite YYYY in the Empire State building, and missing that off meant missed payments.
Just make sure that every address has a ZIP/postal code. I'm sure there's an "X Thousand Things That Geeks are Wrong About Postal Addresses" list somewhere. Even FRANK'S COMPULSIVE GUIDE TO POSTAL ADDRESSES is a bit light on details for the USA.
posted by scruss at 11:42 AM on August 29, 2019
In some cases, it's mandatory to have more than three lines. I used to work for a company that had a New York registered "office" at PO Box NNNN, 20 W 34th St Suite YYYY, New York, NY 10001, USA. It was a PO box that was forwarded every week via courier to our main office in Toronto. There were potentially thousands of boxes at suite YYYY in the Empire State building, and missing that off meant missed payments.
Just make sure that every address has a ZIP/postal code. I'm sure there's an "X Thousand Things That Geeks are Wrong About Postal Addresses" list somewhere. Even FRANK'S COMPULSIVE GUIDE TO POSTAL ADDRESSES is a bit light on details for the USA.
posted by scruss at 11:42 AM on August 29, 2019
Response by poster: If these are businesses, there's a good chance that they already know their correct address form better than you do.
You would think so, but I have many 4 digit zip codes that are not just missing the leading zero, they are missing a random digit. People filled out these forms, so there are plenty of errors and I am just trying to pick the best option.
posted by soelo at 11:58 AM on August 29, 2019
You would think so, but I have many 4 digit zip codes that are not just missing the leading zero, they are missing a random digit. People filled out these forms, so there are plenty of errors and I am just trying to pick the best option.
posted by soelo at 11:58 AM on August 29, 2019
I'm fairly certain that true (that is, USPS owned) PO Boxes should never require anything more than a 3-line address. The Zip Code specifies the Post Office the boxes are located in, and sometimes is even more granular than that (many post offices use a different Zip for PO Box mail vs. route mail).
My guess is that what you have is a private box inside a building, and someone mistakenly wrote it as though it's a PO Box, not knowing that "PO Box" as Line 2 on an address is only for boxes at USPS locations, never private boxes. This is a pretty frequent thing and the USPS is lenient about it, i.e. it doesn't result in misdeliveries, and therefore makes sense that it would exist in a system. But it's technically incorrect.
The general solution here is probably to run your addresses through an address validation service. Many multiline addresses can be reduced to 3 lines through the use of "123 MAIN ST #456" or "789 COMMERCIAL AVE STE 101" nomenclature.
> PO Box NNNN, 20 W 34th St Suite YYYY, New York, NY 10001, USA
This is... not to spec, although it may still get the mailpiece there. Per the USPS, "The words POST OFFICE BOX or PO BOX and the private mailbox number cannot be used on the Delivery Address Line [for Private Mailbox Addresses]. Only the Postal Service is entitled to provide delivery to a PO Box."
The Post Office acknowledges situations like this one and recommends the use of MailStop Codes (MSCs) above the Recipient Line to aid in internal mail distribution, or for commercial mail receiving agencies (private box rental companies), they are okay with "PMB" or "#" above the address line in the case of addresses that have a secondary identifier (e.g. Suite).
So the orthodox, USPS-approved 4-line version of that address would be something like (changed slightly so it's a valid street address in NYC):
posted by Kadin2048 at 2:04 PM on August 29, 2019
My guess is that what you have is a private box inside a building, and someone mistakenly wrote it as though it's a PO Box, not knowing that "PO Box" as Line 2 on an address is only for boxes at USPS locations, never private boxes. This is a pretty frequent thing and the USPS is lenient about it, i.e. it doesn't result in misdeliveries, and therefore makes sense that it would exist in a system. But it's technically incorrect.
The general solution here is probably to run your addresses through an address validation service. Many multiline addresses can be reduced to 3 lines through the use of "123 MAIN ST #456" or "789 COMMERCIAL AVE STE 101" nomenclature.
> PO Box NNNN, 20 W 34th St Suite YYYY, New York, NY 10001, USA
This is... not to spec, although it may still get the mailpiece there. Per the USPS, "The words POST OFFICE BOX or PO BOX and the private mailbox number cannot be used on the Delivery Address Line [for Private Mailbox Addresses]. Only the Postal Service is entitled to provide delivery to a PO Box."
The Post Office acknowledges situations like this one and recommends the use of MailStop Codes (MSCs) above the Recipient Line to aid in internal mail distribution, or for commercial mail receiving agencies (private box rental companies), they are okay with "PMB" or "#" above the address line in the case of addresses that have a secondary identifier (e.g. Suite).
So the orthodox, USPS-approved 4-line version of that address would be something like (changed slightly so it's a valid street address in NYC):
RECIPIENT NAME PMB NNNN 201 W 34TH ST STE YYYY NEW YORK, NY 10001-2818They are also cool with a 3-line variant:
RECIPIENT NAME 201 W 34TH ST STE YYYY PMB NNNN NEW YORK, NY 10001-2818But they really don't want you running the Suite and Private Box elements together, e.g. no "YYYY-NNNN" or "YYYY.NNNN", though I have seen both in practice, generally by people trying to hide the subaddressing.
posted by Kadin2048 at 2:04 PM on August 29, 2019
Finally, a topic on which I am an expert!
Kadin2048 has it, mostly. Most respondents have confused PO Box with PMB (private mail box). USPS prefers the PMB to be on a separate line of the address block, such as:
PMB 1234
567 Main St Ste 890
Anytown US 98765
It is true that USPS jealously guards its right to the term 'PO Box'.
My expertise: over 20 years in the data processing side of the direct mail business.
Oh, and when faced with both a street address and a PO Box in the address, default to the PO Box. That and the ZIP code is enough to get it delivered. After all, the PO BOX is meant for mail. Besides, there's no telling if the ZIP code in the list applies to the street address or the PO Box. We always opt for the PO Box which, if wrong, will be corrected in the CASS certification that USPS requires commercial mailers to run their address list through.
posted by DandyRandy at 2:35 PM on August 29, 2019
Kadin2048 has it, mostly. Most respondents have confused PO Box with PMB (private mail box). USPS prefers the PMB to be on a separate line of the address block, such as:
PMB 1234
567 Main St Ste 890
Anytown US 98765
It is true that USPS jealously guards its right to the term 'PO Box'.
My expertise: over 20 years in the data processing side of the direct mail business.
Oh, and when faced with both a street address and a PO Box in the address, default to the PO Box. That and the ZIP code is enough to get it delivered. After all, the PO BOX is meant for mail. Besides, there's no telling if the ZIP code in the list applies to the street address or the PO Box. We always opt for the PO Box which, if wrong, will be corrected in the CASS certification that USPS requires commercial mailers to run their address list through.
posted by DandyRandy at 2:35 PM on August 29, 2019
I was assuming this was for places with no local delivery. For example, in some small towns here in Vermont (South Royalton does this), if you live within walking distance(?) of the PO you get a box, which your mail is put in and not delivered to your house or business. In my example, most -- not all -- of the addresses in the downtown are businesses.
Curly's Barbershop
102 Main Street
P.O. Box 10
Ourtown, ST 12345-6789
Someone wanting to visit Curly's Barbershop for a trim would want to know he is at 102 Main Street, but anyone wishing to send Curly a thank you card via the post would do well and put the box number on it. [Although in reality the people at the PO only need to see "Curly" because they are awesome.]
posted by terrapin at 2:43 PM on August 29, 2019
Curly's Barbershop
102 Main Street
P.O. Box 10
Ourtown, ST 12345-6789
Someone wanting to visit Curly's Barbershop for a trim would want to know he is at 102 Main Street, but anyone wishing to send Curly a thank you card via the post would do well and put the box number on it. [Although in reality the people at the PO only need to see "Curly" because they are awesome.]
posted by terrapin at 2:43 PM on August 29, 2019
My work has a P.O. Box and a street address. Why? Because we are on the edge of a county and the post office won't deliver mail here. They keep a P.O. Box for us at the local post office and we go pick up the mail there daily.
But delivery services are fine using the street address, so we use that too.
posted by tacodave at 5:19 PM on August 29, 2019
But delivery services are fine using the street address, so we use that too.
posted by tacodave at 5:19 PM on August 29, 2019
For our business, PO Box is for letters (especially checks) sent by USPS, street address is for packages delivered by anyone. Our USPS delivery doesn't happen until sometime in the afternoon, but they do PO Boxes first thing, so having payments come to the PO box means we have time to process and still get them to the bank before they close same day.
posted by yggdrasil at 8:13 AM on August 30, 2019
posted by yggdrasil at 8:13 AM on August 30, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Redstart at 10:22 AM on August 29, 2019 [4 favorites]