UK PAF Address Validation API

Check a UK address you already hold against Royal Mail PAF, and get it back as a clean, structured, deliverable address.

Try it free Pricing on request: pricing@provero.io

What it checks

PAF Address Validation matches a UK address you already hold against the Royal Mail Postcode Address File, the authoritative list of deliverable UK postal addresses. It answers whether the address exists as a real postal address and returns it in the correct, structured form rather than the free text you were given. Where an address is close but imperfectly written, matching against PAF is what lets a correctly formatted version be returned instead. This is address validation on records you already have, which is the difference between it and UK Postcode Verification: that check is the address chooser your customer uses at the point of capture.

What it returns

Match against PAF , whether the submitted address corresponds to a deliverable UK postal address on the Royal Mail Postcode Address File
Structured address , the matched address split into its component lines and fields rather than returned as free text
Correctly formatted postal address , the address written in the form Royal Mail recognises, where a match is found

For pricing and coverage detail on this check: pricing@provero.io

When to use it

Cleaning a UK contact or customer database where addresses were typed as free text and may be misspelled, abbreviated or incomplete.
Before a physical mailing or fulfilment run, to strip addresses that are not deliverable before you pay to print and post.
Standardising addresses collected through different forms, imports and suppliers into one consistent structured format.
Before an address is used as a matching key in a CRM or identity process, where inconsistent formatting causes false mismatches.
As one signal alongside phone, email and identity checks when you are deciding how much to trust a record.

When not to use it

As proof that a person lives at the address. PAF confirms the address exists and is deliverable; it says nothing about who is there. Use Mobile Network Identity Verification or IP Geolocation as separate, independent signals if that matters.
As a fraud verdict. A real, well-formed address is easy to supply and is not evidence of a genuine customer on its own.
For addresses outside the United Kingdom. PAF is a UK file; use Global Address Validation for other countries.
As the capture experience on a public form. If the customer is typing their address now, UK Postcode Verification gives them a list to pick from, which is faster and produces cleaner data at source.

How to read the result

A PAF result is about postal deliverability and format, read it alongside what you intend to do with the address.

Matched: The address exists on PAF. Store the structured version returned rather than the original free text, so downstream systems get a consistent address.
Not matched: The address as submitted does not correspond to a deliverable UK postal address. Treat it as unusable for post, and decide whether to re-collect it, suppress the record or route it for review.

Pricing

Pricing on request: pricing@provero.io

This check is quoted on request, because the rate depends on volume and coverage. Everything else runs on the same prepaid balance. See published pricing.

Need custom pricing? pricing@provero.io

API & bulk usage

Run UK PAF Address Validation as a real-time API call, or upload a file to validate an existing address list in bulk. You can call it on its own, or combine it with other Provero checks in a single request and get every signal back in one response.

Related checks

No single check settles whether a record can be trusted. These are the ones people usually run alongside UK PAF Address Validation, each answering a different question about the same record.

See every Provero check →

UK PAF Address Validation FAQ

What is Royal Mail PAF?

The Postcode Address File is Royal Mail's authoritative database of deliverable UK postal addresses. Validating against it is how you confirm that an address you hold is a real address that post can be delivered to, and how a correctly formatted version of it can be returned.

What is the difference between PAF Address Validation and UK Postcode Verification?

They solve different problems. UK Postcode Verification is the address chooser you put on a form: the customer types a postcode and picks their address from a list, so clean data is captured at source. PAF Address Validation works on addresses you already hold, checking them against PAF and returning them in a structured, correctly formatted form.

Does a PAF match prove the person lives at that address?

No. It confirms the address is a real, deliverable postal address. It carries no information about who lives there. If residency or identity matters, treat the PAF result as one signal and use independent checks such as Mobile Network Identity Verification alongside it.

Does it work outside the UK?

No. PAF is a UK file and this check covers UK addresses only. Use Global Address Validation for addresses in other countries.

How much does UK PAF Address Validation cost?

Pricing for this check is quoted on request. Email pricing@provero.io and we will confirm the rate for your volume.

Start with this check

Create a free account, claim your credits and run UK PAF Address Validation as a real-time API or a bulk upload. No card required.