Postcode Address File

The Postcode Address File is the UK’s most up-to-date address database. By taking advantage of daily updates you can get more letters and parcels to your customers first time. It also supports businesses in reducing abandoned baskets, expensive returns, fraudulent transactions and customer complaints, saving you both time and money.

Download Sample Data

Watch the PAF video

32m

UK postal delivery addresses

1.8m

UK postcodes

1.4m

UK business names

How PAF can help you

The Postcode Address File – and its complementary products – offer a host of benefits to organisations of every size and in every sector.

Making online transactions easier

Reduce abandoned baskets and expensive returns by enabling fast and accurate automatic address completion.

Deliver mail efficiently

Reduce abandoned baskets and expensive returns by enabling fast and accurate automatic address completion.

Complementary products

Include our additional datasets and optimise your customer solutions.

Multiple Residence

By using Multiple Residence alongside PAF® businesses can identify individual dwellings within multiple occupancy buildings that share a front door.

Not Yet Built

By using Not Yet Built together with PAF® businesses can identify and deliver services to the addresses of properties that are at the planning and construction stage.

BFPO

By using BFPO together with PAF® businesses can provide goods and services to more than 100,000 British forces personnel serving overseas.

Alias

Using Alias together with PAF® enables businesses to identify and deliver to properties that have additional address characteristics, such as a name.

Verifying customer identities

Verify addresses in seconds, for a better customer experience and reduce the likelihood of losses due to fraud.

Managing databases effectively

Remove errors, duplicates and gaps in customer address information to ensure your records are up to date.

Identify addresses in a specific geographic area

Optimise route planning and select specific postcode areas to improve service and maintain happy customers.

Licensing & Pricing

You can access our Licence Agreements and other licensing information dependent on the type of your organisation, by clicking on the relevant box below. If you are unsure of your organisation type or need advice, please contact us using the link at the bottom of this page.

For Solution Providers

A Solutions Provider is an organisation licensed by Royal Mail to use its address databases e.g. PAF, to create, enhance and supply products and Solutions.

You can find out more information about pricing here.

Please read the PAF data supply agreement before applying.

Read licence agreement Apply
Direct End Users

A Direct End User is an organisation that purchases a Licence directly from Royal Mail to cover use within their own legal entity.

You can find out more information about pricing here.

Please read the PAF data supply agreement before applying.

Read licence agreement Download sample data
For Corporates

Licence both your parent company and your subsidiaries all under one convenient licence option.

As a Corporate Group owner, you can purchase a PAF licence that covers all your Corporate Group members for their use of PAF under one convenient Licence Fee.

Members of your Corporate Group that purchase a PAF-based addressing Solution from a Solutions Provider(s), will not need to pay the PAF licence fees element of any charges by a Solutions Provider because as the Corporate Group owner, you will have paid the Licence Fee directly to Royal Mail.

If you are a Solutions Provider and you sell a PAF Solution to an End User, and you have ascertained that this organisation is part of a Corporate Group that has a Corporate PAF licence, you will need to send a Royalty Return showing a zero fee to Royal Mail by using our Royalty Returns process. Access the Fee Reporting Rules for further details.

A Corporate Licence is also available for our Multiple Residence and Not Yet Built datasets.

To find out more please contact us. You can find out more information about pricing in the licence agreement.

Read the licence Agreement Read the PAF data supply agreement
For Microbusinesses

A Micro-Business is an organisation with less than 9 employees and turnover below £2m per annum.

If you are still unsure of your organisation type please contact us.

Please read the PAF data supply agreement before applying.

Read Developer and Microbusiness terms Register for free use of PAF
For Charities

If your organisation is a UK based Charity or a community interest company with an income of less than £10million you may be eligible to access free PAF Data for non-commercial use.Have you already checked our Charity page to see if you qualify for this licensing option?

If you wish to use PAF for commercial purposes, i.e. making PAF Data available to others via your products and services; or access our other complementary address data products, you will need to return the appropriate licence fees for the supply and use for each of our products.

If you are still unsure of your organisation type please contact us.

Read licence agreement Register for free use of PAF

Data Support for the Public Sector

Eligible public sector organisations can access PAF, Multiple Residence and Not Yet Built data for free at the point of use enabling the delivery of vital public services.

PAF for the public sector