Businesses throughout the US have been advised to conduct ZIP Code verification on a regular basis from official postal sources to make sure data quality is accurate.
ZIP Codes have held a very specific meaning since being first introduced in 1963, with the first number representing a general geographic area of the US, from zero in the east through to nine in the west, reports the North Fort Myers Neighbor.
The second and third numbers signify specific regional zones and two final numbers refer to post offices.
Since ZIP Codes were first launched, there have been two major additions; in 1983 the ZIP+4 Code was introduced, which adds four digits to signify a more precise location such as an apartment block, while two more digits were added in 1991 to help distinguish between private residences and businesses.
In other news, more than 21,000 ballots have been sent back to the Boulder county clerk and recorder's office in Colorado as returned mail, suggesting many people have moved house without informing the right authorities, reports Longmont Times-Call.