ZIP Code vs Postal Code
Though the advent of SMS and email has adversely affected the business of physical mails, they still constitute a bulk of messages and letters sent and received across the world. In fact email can never substitute a formal letter which has its own sanctity and importance. Nearly all official and governmental communication is in the form of physical mails and companies also prefer to send and receive formal mails. In this context, increasing volume of mails necessitated use of a postal code that could make sorting of letters faster and simpler. USSR was the first country to introduce postal codes and gradually every country of the world resorted to these codes depending upon its geographical conditions. In some countries postal codes are merely series of numeral character while in others they contain both alpha and numeric characters. ZIP code is a system of postal codes used extensively in US and in Philippines.
ZIP code as it is used in the US is often converted into a barcode also called Postnet that is printed on the envelope. This barcode makes it easier for electronic sorting machines to quickly separate letter based upon geographical locations. ZIP is an acronym that stands for Zonal Improvement Plan, and was introduced to make mailing, faster, simpler and more efficient. The earlier ZIP code contained 5 numeric letters. However, in 1980, a more extensive system called ZIP+4 was introduced that contained an additional 4 numeric letters. ZIP+4 made sorting more easy by giving more precise identification of the location.
It is interesting to know that the postal code in India is known as PIN code and stands for Postal Index Number. It was introduced in 1972 and consists of a 6 digit code that reveals the exact location of the mailing address.
Postal codes are usually assigned to geographical locations; they are also assigned to customers or business entities receiving bulk of mail such as government institutions and large corporations.
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In brief: ZIP Code vs Postal Code • Postal code is a system of assigning different codes to geographical locations to make sorting of mail easier. In different countries, different postal codes are used • ZIP code is a system of postal code used in the US and Philippines. • Postal code is known as PIN code in India.
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