UK address validation (PAF)

How to clean an address list

1. 1

   Drag and drop your file.

   Upload your existing customer database, contact list or mailing list.

2. 2

   Check the address fields.

   Provero automatically maps fields where possible. Check the mapping and make sure the address fields you have are matched to the right cleansing fields.

3. 3

   Choose Standard or Detailed.

   Standard returns the matched address and a summary result. Detailed adds information about the match, such as confidence and component match results, with latitude and longitude where returned.

4. 4

   Download your cleansed addresses.

   Run the checks and download your results, ready to use in your existing systems.

What it checks

Provero checks the address data you supply against Royal Mail's Postcode Address File, known as PAF.

You can submit incomplete, misspelled or inconsistently formatted addresses. Send the details you have and Provero will try to find the most relevant matching address. Where a match is found, it returns a standardised postal address.

Use it to cleanse existing lists, correct spelling errors and bring addresses collected from different sources into a consistent format.

Lookup or cleansing, UK or global

UK address validation (PAF) works on address data you already hold. It is not a form search.

To help someone find and select their address while filling in a form, use UK address lookup (PAF): they enter a postcode and choose their address from a list.

This service checks UK addresses against Royal Mail PAF. To clean international address records, use Global address validation, through the API or bulk upload.

What it returns

Standard and Detailed change the amount of information returned. A possible match can still need review in either format.

How to read the result

A result that needs review is a suggested address. It should not automatically replace the address you already hold.

API & bulk usage

Use drag-and-drop bulk upload to cleanse an existing list without an API integration. For automated checks, submit addresses through the UK address validation API. Send an address in one field or map the separate address fields you already have.

Example from the API documentation

POST https://api.provero.io/api/validate/uk-address

{
  "full_address": "10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA",
  "postcode": "SW1A 2AA",
  "town_city": "London",
  "output_format": "standard"
}

{
  "address_status": "verified",
  "premise_match": "FULL",
  "address_line_1": "Prime Minister & First Lord Of The Treasury",
  "address_line_2": "10 Downing Street",
  "address_line_3": "",
  "post_town": "LONDON",
  "postcode": "SW1A 2AA",
  "country": "England",
  "full_address": "Prime Minister & First Lord Of The Treasury, 10 Downing Street, LONDON, SW1A 2AA"
}

Pricing

Cleanse UK addresses from £0.046 per request, down to £0.032 at volume.

All prices exclude VAT. View all Provero pricing

Need volume pricing? Email pricing@provero.io.

Related checks

Checks that work alongside UK address validation (PAF).

• UK address lookup (PAF) Help customers select their address while completing a form.
• Global address validation Check and cleanse international addresses through the API or bulk upload.
• KYC Checks Check whether the name and date of birth belong at the address on UK identity records.
• Mobile network KYC Check supplied identity details against mobile-network data.