Royal Mail warns against punctuation in addresses

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 08:20 · Archive

Royal Mail advises against using commas or full stops when writing addresses on letters and parcels.

Royal Mail and the Post Office advise against using commas or full stops when addressing mail. Many people naturally add punctuation after street names or localities, but the postal services say this can interfere with automated sorting systems that process large volumes of post.

The guidance recommends formatting addresses with each part on a separate line: the recipient's name, building number and street, any locality, then the town and full postcode. The postcode should appear in capital letters on the final line without underlining or punctuation, and must be accurate enough to match the address in Royal Mail's Postcode Address File. Addresses should be left-aligned for clarity.

Automatic sorting equipment relies on address details to direct items to the correct destination. Unclear writing, incorrect address details or poorly formatted postcodes can make this process less reliable and may mean items require additional handling. While correctly formatted addresses cannot eliminate all causes of delay, Royal Mail says the approach can reduce the risk of avoidable mistakes. Customers can check addresses using Royal Mail's online Postcode Finder.

How it is being reported

• Royal Mail says customers 'should never' write two things on letters and parcelsBrits have been warned against making a simple mistake with their postThe Mirror · 15 Oct, 08:02
• Royal Mail letters and parcels ‘delay’ alert if customers make ‘simple mistake’A tiny detail on an envelope could be the difference between your post being delivered or notDaily Express · 15 Oct, 07:45

In this story: Royal Mail · Post Office · UK

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem