PAF® is a database of all UK addresses and postcodes. PAF® is used widely for the efficient delivery of mail and, increasingly, for online use particularly for address look-up, address verification, and in mapping software. We hope you can find all of the information you need about raw data and PAF® powered software solutions, however, if you have any questions please feel free to Contact Us.
Product information
PAF® contains:
29 million business and residential addresses to which mail can be delivered
1.8 million UK postcodes
1.4 million business names
Small User Residential, Small User Organisation and Large User Organisation details
records for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man
Please note: PAF® doesn’t include any address details for the Republic of Ireland or for addresses that are unable to receive mail such as telephone exchanges and electricity sub-stations. Also, since PAF® is a database of delivery points you won’t find the names of private individuals, except when it is the only method of identifying a Delivery Point.
PAF® product options There are two PAF® options available – Full PAF® or Part PAF®. A Full PAF® record comprises all known delivery address and postcode elements in the UK, whereas a Part PAF® record includes some of the same elements but not all. We have created a PDF to show the different data elements that are included in Full PAF® and Part PAF®:
Maintaining the quality of PAF® PAF® users value and depend upon the accuracy of the data we provide. Maintaining the accuracy of the data is the Address Management Unit’s number one priority. Royal Mail’s 65,000 postmen and women capture thousands of address changes every day that we use to continuously update PAF®. If you purchase PAF® raw data from Royal Mail you can:
take a complete edition of PAF® monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually
take a complete edition of PAF® followed by daily updates, monthly updates or quarterly updates
take updates only if you already have a complete edition of PAF®
Customers looking to buy a PAF® solution from a Solutions Provider should ask about the regularity with which PAF® is updated.
Uses and benefits
Tens of thousands of businesses already use PAF® in a wide variety of innovative ways. PAF® users recognise how PAF® helps improve the effectiveness of their customer communications, and the professionalism with which they serve customers.
Here are some common uses of PAF® along with examples of how it could benefit you:
1. For database management
Standardise all address records in your customer database(s) and/or mailing lists
Correct mistakes and fill in gaps in your existing customer records
Use the postcode to link customer records together
2. For mailing purposes
Present your business in a professional way to your customers whenever you send mail
Improve the efficiency and speed of getting mail and parcels to your customers
Cut the costs associated with returned and undelivered mail
Qualify for discounts on Royal Mail mailing services
3. For improving customer service
Verify your customers’ address details over the telephone or online
Make it quicker and easier for your customers to enter their address details and complete transactions when they shop online
Provide online maps and location-based services to your customers
Enable your customers to look up addresses on your website
Sample data
If you are interested in developing your own software solutions that incorporate address data then you can download a sample of PAF®. Simply complete the registration process, accept our terms and download your data. Alternatively, our First Steps CD contains samples of PAF® and our other raw datasets. Request your free copy of First Steps now.
Technical information
File formats
Royal Mail supplies PAF® as raw data. There are three different PAF® files available:
1. Main File:
The master database Main File contains complete Postcode and address information for over 29 million UK addresses. Main File contains no software and the raw data within it must be processed for use through IT applications.
2. Compressed Standard File:
An expanded form of the Main File with over 29 million UK addresses in sequential order, as well as Delivery Point Suffix data.
3. Ranges File:
A similar format to the Compressed Standard File, it takes up less space by ranging numbered properties on the same Postcode together in one record.
Address format The addresses held on PAF® are in a relational format, i.e. they are held as a series of alpha-numeric keys, or pointers, which relate to supporting files of Address element text rather than text. The supporting text files are:
Localities File
Thoroughfares File
Thoroughfare Descriptor File
Building Names File
Sub Building Names File
Organisations File
Each address on PAF® has an eight-digit number associated with it – the Address Key. This number in conjunction with the Organisation Key and Postcode Type identifies the address.
If you want to use PAF® raw data to develop your own solutions, you may want detailed technical information to help you with your programming.Learn more from our Programmers Guide
Licensing & licence fees
Fees for licensing the use of PAF®:
You have two options; if you want to programme the data, you can license the data from Royal Mail and you will be responsible for returning the appropriate fees to us directly. Alternatively, you can license software that contains PAF® from a licensed Solutions Provider. Most customers choose this option. If you license through a Solutions Provider they will return fees to Royal Mail on your behalf.
The table below shows the fees that either you or your Solutions Provider will return to Royal Mail. As you can see, you can license PAF® for use within your organisation – internal use – or for use on your website – external use. Depending on the volume of use and number of users, you can choose to license on a transaction ‘pay as you go’ basis or on a user basis.
You can also license PAF® on a Postcode Area basis. This costs £2 per Postcode Area.
|
Internal use For example in a call centre |
||||
| Full PAF® only | Full PAF® & Full Not Yet Built™ | Full PAF®, Full Not Yet Built™ & Full Multiple Residence™ | ||
Single Legal Entity |
Per Transaction (click) Shared across the entity OR Per User Unlimited annual use for a single terminal |
£8 per 100 transactions £75 per User |
£9 per 100 transactions N/A |
£10 per 100 transactions N/A |
|
Multiple User Blocks Up to 300 Users OR Unlimited Multiple User Blocks |
£4,125 £12,375 |
|||
Multiple Legal Entities |
Corporate Groups | £90,000 | ||
| Associate, Broker and Extended Use Groups | Up to £49,500 | |||
|
External use For use online |
|||
| Full PAF® only | Full PAF® & Full Not Yet Built™ | Full PAF®, Full Not Yet Built™ & Full Multiple Residence™ | |
|
Per Transaction (click) Unlimited Transactions Fixed annual fee |
£1 per 100 transactions £4,000 |
£1.10 per 100 transactions £4,480 |
£1.20 per 100 transactions £4,960 |
| Corporate Groups | £45,000 | ||
If you act as a bureau you will need to return the following bureau fees:
| Number of records in third party database cleansed or processed in immediately preceding financial year | Bureau Fee (per annum) |
| Up to one (1) million | £250 |
| Over one (1) million and up to ten (10) million | £750 |
| Over ten (10) million and up to one hundred (100) million | £3,750 |
| Over one hundred (100) million | £10,000 |
If you purchase PAF® raw data from Royal Mail you will be required to pay the appropriate data supply fees. The costs vary depending on how regularly you want your data to be refreshed and on whether you choose to receive your data on a CD or via an online download.
| Data Supply Medium Option | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | CD | ||
| The Annual Package | |||
| 1 | 1 x Complete Edition | £300 | £400.00 |
| The Updates Package | |||
| 2 | 2 x Half-Yearly Complete Editions | £600 | £800.00 |
| 3 | 4 x Quarterly Complete Editions | £750 | £1,000.00 |
| 4 | 12 x Monthly Complete Editions | £900 | £1,200.00 |
| The Changes Package | |||
| 5 | 1 Complete Edition* and 3 x Quarterly Updates (Changes) | £750.00 | £1,000.00 |
| 6 | 1 x Complete Edition* and 11 x Monthly Updates (Changes) | £900.00 | £1,200.00 |
| 7 | 1 x Complete Edition* and Daily Updates (Changes) | £2,250.00 | N/A |
| 8 | 4 x Quarterly Updates (Changes) – not obtainable in year one | £750.00 | £1,000.00 |
| 9 | 12 x Monthly Updates (Changes) – not obtainable in year one | £900.00 | £1,200.00 |
| 10 | Daily Updates (Changes) – not obtainable in year one | £2,250.00 | N/A |
∗For Options 5, 6 and 7 the Complete Edition must be on CD.
Download the full Data Supply Agreement
Download the PAF® Data Supply Order Form
How to buy
To buy a software solution containing Royal Mail’s address data
Find a supplier – you can either search by your addressing need or by keyword
To buy data from the Royal Mail Address Management Unit
Email us at address.management@royalmail.com or call us on 0845 606 6854 (option 3)
To become a Solutions Provider
Other products you may be interested in
Multiple Residence™ Whilst PAF® provides details of business and residential addresses; Multiple Residence™ identifies separate dwellings or businesses that sit behind the address delivery point.
Not Yet Built™ PAF® is a database of addresses that are capable of receiving mail, however, Not Yet Built™ contains records of properties planned and under construction.
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