Ask us.
Sarah Jolie, president of Hensley Company, is known as the PostalNerd. She and her team know stuff. Just ask.
Complete this Q&A contact form and your question will be handled directly and privately by Sarah via email. If the PostalNerd feels the information might benefit others, she will ask if it can be added to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
SPOTLIGHT QUESTION
Q. Why is the 9-digit ZIP code so important? It is all I can do to remember my 5-digit ZIP code.
A. The good news is that you don’t have to remember anyone’s 9-digit ZIP code when you use Hensley Company for your mailings. Our software finds the correct 9-digit ZIP code so you don’t have to do so.
ZIP stands for “Zone Improvement Plan.” The 9-digit code represents an enhancement to the original 5-digit plan.
Each mailbox, called a DELIVERY POINT (DP), is grouped with other similar addresses to make mail move as quickly as possible. Every piece of mail processed by the USPS goes through Delivery Point Validation to verify that a physical address (street, building number, directional, etc.) exists in the USPS delivery database. Once the specifics are verified, a barcode is put on your envelope so the journey to its destination can begin. If the address cannot be verified, the mail piece goes into a different system that attempts to figure out how to repair the address. This allows the USPS to deliver mail quickly and correctly to the intended recipient.