Business Definition for: five-digit ZIP code
five-digit ZIP code
ZIP (Zoning Improvement Plan) code instituted by the U.S. Postal Service to facilitate mail handling and delivery. The first digit represents one of ten areas of the country (0 = New England, 9 = West Coast). The first three digits together represent a
sectional center facility
or main post office. The last two digits further define the destination point in terms of a post office or
delivery center
area within a large city or in terms of a small city or town whose residents share the same ZIP code. Some large buildings or organizations that receive high mail volumes have their own five-digit ZIP code(s). Users of
bulk mail
are required by the Postal Service to sort their mailings by five-digit ZIP code. Mailers also use the ZIP code to
sequence
and
segment
lists by the
demographics
characteristics of the residents of each ZIP code area and to identify the best ZIP code areas to send future promotions.
See also
five-digit qualified
,
nine-digit ZIP code (ZIP+4)
,
ZIP select
,
national ZIP code area
Related Terms:
bulk mail presorted (see presort) to the five-digit ZIP code level and prepared in conformance with U.S. Postal Service regulations governing five-digit ZIP sort postage discounts.
extension of the five-digit ZIP code providing the U.S. Postal Service with even more precise destination information to facilitate mail handling. The nine-digit ZIP is based on a system of blockface grids. The first two digits of the added four digits are a sector; the last two digits are a segment within a sector.
The USPS intends the nine-digit ZIP to be used by business mailers, not by individuals, and offers a small discount for its use. Another benefit provided by the nine-digit ZIP is that it can serve as a basis for demographic and psychographic selections from mailing lists.
process of selecting records from a promotion file or list, based upon the ZIP code area in which the individuals reside (or work). Direct marketers often select records that, based upon a ZIP code analysis of current customer addresses, are expected to respond best to a promotion. ZIP selects are also made to test response to a promotion by individuals residing in a particular ZIP code area. ZIP selects are usually performed during a merge/purge.
first digit of the five digit ZIP code, designating one of ten regions of the country. The digits and regions are:
| 0 |
MA RI NH ME VT CT NJ NY |
5 |
IA WI MN SD ND MT |
| 1 |
PA NY DE |
6 |
IL MO KS NE |
| 2 |
DC MD WV NC SC |
7 |
LA AR OK TX |
| 3 |
GA FL AL TN MS |
8 |
CO WY ID UT AZ NM NV |
| 4 |
KY OH IN MI |
9 |
CA HI OR WA AK |
Referring Terms:
Copyright c 2000, 1994, 1987 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Reprinted by arrangement with Publisher.
