Difference Between Pin Code and Zip Code

Edited by Diffzy | Updated on: April 30, 2023

       

Difference Between Pin Code and Zip Code

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Introduction

The address is the essential condition for sending a post. A correct address guarantees the safe delivery of mail or packages. The letter is sent from the sender's preferred post office. Mail is organized according to to address. The envelope's code number, which is provided, aids in sorting. For mail and postal, code numbers are essential.

Pin Code vs Zip Code

A pin code and a zip code vary primarily in that pin codes are used in India, but zip codes are the coding scheme used in the US. In 1960, zip codes were first used. Six numbers make up pin codes. Five digits and an extra four numbers make up a zip code. Postal Index Number is what PIN stands for. The term "Zonal Improvement Plan'' is referred to as ZIP.

In use since August 15, 1972, is the pin code. PINs are now required to arrange the letters. It simplified the procedure and got rid of any ambiguity. This idea was first presented in India by Shriram Bhikaji Velankar. He worked for the Union Ministry of Communication as an assistant secretary. The way post offices operate has altered as a result of this arrangement.

America's postal code is the Zip code, which was first used in 1963. The first five digits of the code were numbers. The original five numerals were increased by four in 1983. The five numbers should be placed next to these four numerals, separated by a hyphen. Zip suggests that mail using zip codes travels securely like it is being zipped along.

Difference Between Pin Code and Zip Code in Tabular Form

Parameters of Comparison Pin Code Zip Code
Introduced in It was introduced in 1972 It was introduced in 1963
Country Present in India Present in America
Numbers There are total 6 numbers There are a total of 5+4 numbers
Full form Postal Index Number Zonal Improvement plan
Compositions It consists of only numbers It consists of numbers and letters

What is Pin Code?

The Indian postal service employers can function more efficiently thanks to the pin code system. Various locations in India have similar names. India's population speaks a variety of languages. A postman must overcome these obstacles to deliver the mail to the proper address. Using pin codes might clear up this misunderstanding.

Old souls who still prefer to write loving letters to their loved ones are proof that letter writing is still alive and well. The zone is indicated by the first digit of the pin code. As a result, the final three numbers at each post office within a district are different. The pin code address of a location is made up of these digits together. Each number represents a distinct concept.

There are nine postal zones in India. The functional zone, which includes the mail for the Indian army, is one of these. The specific post office is indicated by the final two digits. The names of post offices follow a chronological sequence. The following number is provided if a new post office is founded as a branch of a sizable post office. Every district has a central post office where all the mail is sorted and distributed to local post offices.

The address includes a pin code at the end. There is a spot to write the pin code on postal cards. The laborious sorting procedure has been made simpler by pin codes. Based on the pin code, the bulk letters that are received are categorized. Army postal service pin prefixes range from 90 to 99.

A Postal Index Number code is referred to as a PIN code. On August 15, 1972, Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, an additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Communications, created the pin code system. India Post uses this six-digit number to distinguish between its post offices. The major reason for the introduction of this method was to simplify human sorting and mail delivery by eliminating confusion caused by misspelled addresses, similarly named locations, and various public language usages. India now uses 6-digit postcodes, however, 8 digits will shortly replace them.

Find Out How A Certain Region's Pin Code Was Picked.

Even if writing letters is a thing of the past, our affinity for online buying prevents the Pin code from becoming obsolete.

The steps are as follows:

The pin code is a six-digit number, and each digit has a specific meaning.

First Digit of PIN Code

The area is mirrored by the pin's initial digit. There are nine pin regions in India, with eight of them designating geographical areas and the ninth one being used only for Army postal services.

Third Digit of PIN Code

A sorting district, which has its headquarters at the main post office of the major city in the region and is known as the sorting office, is identified by the third digit of a PIN when combined with the first two digits (except the functional zone for the Army). Depending on the amount of mail processed, a state may have one or more sorting districts.

Fourth Digit of PIN Code

The delivery office's route inside the sorting district is represented by the fourth digit.

Fifth and Sixth Digits of PIN Code

Starting with 01, which would be the General Post Office (GPO) or head office, the final two digits indicate the delivery office within the sorting district (HO). The delivery office is numbered chronologically, with higher numbers being given to more recent delivery offices. In the unlikely event that a delivery office's mail volume becomes unmanageably high, a new delivery office is established and the following PIN is issued. As a result, the first four digits of a delivery office that is near to another will only be shared. IN

What is Zip Code?

In 1943, the USPS department separated major cities into several postal zones. At first, a zip code was not necessary. The zip code was prefixed with the state's name abbreviated. Zip codes are the invention of Robert Moon. Mail is sorted at sectional center facilities.

The sorted mail is delivered to the appropriate post offices. Facilities in sectional centers are only used for sorting. No mail is delivered by it. It operates in conjunction with a post office that handles mail delivery. Digital zip code readers make the process of classifying mail by zip code more efficient and quick. A barcode is created using the zip codes. The envelope has a barcode on it. It facilitates better sorting on the part of the machines.

The barcode can be created in advance by the sender. This is not ideal, though. Discounts are offered to email senders in bulk. Only if the sender prints the barcode and maintains the letters organized will a discount be given. Foreign nations are excluded from the zipcode system. US Army overseas correspondence uses zip codes. The Republic of the Marshall Islands is one overseas nation that uses zip codes for delivery.

The group of US states is identified by the first Zipcode number. Based on the first three digits of the zip code, the mail is delivered to a certain sectional center facility. In the list of zip codes, Holtsville, New York is assigned the lowest number. The delivery address group is represented by the fourth and fifth digits.

The United States Postal Service utilizes a system called zip codes to identify locations and direct mail to certain locations. Zoning Improvement Plan is abbreviated as ZIP.

The US Postal Service first employed a 5-digit zip code. Then it increased it to nine digits. It is possible to perform a more thorough identification using nine digits.

The 9-digit zip number is mostly used for companies, even if the 5-digit zip code is still sufficient for mailing mail. If companies utilize the 9-digit code, they can receive a discount.

Regarding its zip code system, the US Postal Service states that "during World War II, hundreds of experienced postal workers went to serve with the military. In 124 of the biggest cities, the Post Office Department launched a zoning address system in May 1943 to make up for the loss.

To allow mail to be divided by personnel without in-depth knowledge of the plan, delivery units or zones under this system were distinguished by one or two digits between the city and state, for example, Birmingham 7, Alabama.

"Twenty years later, the Department established the Zoning Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code, an even more comprehensive plan."

Using this US Postal Service website, companies may locate zip codes. You have a choice of methods for getting access to this data.

Zip code – What Do Digits Represent?

A collection of US states is often represented by the first digit. The primary postal processing facility that handles and sorts the mail is identified by the second and third numbers. We often refer to this building as the "sec center" (sectional center facility). The same sec center receives all letters and packages with the same first three digits. They are then sorted by the final two numbers at the sec center before being sent to neighborhood post offices.

Let's consider the zip code 88310 as an illustration. The national area is represented by the first digit (8). Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming are included in the group "Eight." The Sec Center is represented by the following two numbers, 83. The associate post office or delivery area is indicated by the final two numbers, 10, in the address.

Zip Code Equivalents in Other Countries

The post office in the UK utilizes an alphanumeric system known as the "postcode." Alphanumeric means that it combines letters and numbers. In the British System, a single postcode might apply to up to 100 residential buildings that are close to one another. Postcode can be written as a single word or as two words, postcode. For each unique address, Ireland's Eircode system assigns a 7-character alphanumeric unique code.

Since 1972, India has used PIN codes. PIN, or postal index number, means. The code has six digits. There are nine separate postal zones in India. There are six alphanumeric characters in the Canadian postal code. Four numbers make up Australian postcodes. They must be written after the state or territory and the name of the town, city, or suburb. Four digits make up postcodes in New Zealand. While most other nations use a postcode, postal code, or pin code instead of a zip code, Americans use a zip code.

Main Differences Between Pin Code and Zip Code in Points

  • In India, pin codes are used. In India, the postal system is made simpler by the use of pin codes. In the USA, zip codes are used.
  • Each stage of sorting is indicated by one of the six numbers in a pin code. They added four numbers to the five numbers in the zip code.
  • In 1972, the India Post, the nation's postal service, adopted the Pin code. Since 1963, zip codes have been used in America.
  • A pin code is made up entirely of numbers. A zip code may be made up entirely of numbers or it may include both numbers and alphabets.
  • Pin codes are useful for pinpointing locations and determining delivery routes. Only to identify the location is the zip code used.

Conclusion

Zip code and pin code both have the same function. They are citizens of two distinct nations. Their makeup varies slightly amongst them. Other than India, other nations utilize PINs for different purposes. Every country's postal codes have a different number. Even though the number of individuals writing letters is declining, some people still utilize postal services. The United States Postal Service utilizes a system called zip codes to identify locations and direct mail to certain locations.

PINs and zip codes are used for more than just letters and mail. Additionally, it helps in shipping and delivering online-ordered goods. The postal pin codes are used by courier services and shipping companies. Based on the pin codes, parcels are divided. Based on their pin code, residents in the same district can be identified.

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"Difference Between Pin Code and Zip Code." Diffzy.com, 2024. Thu. 18 Apr. 2024. <https://www.diffzy.com/article/difference-between-pin-code-and-zip-code-826>.



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