Royal Mail has warned customers against using commas and full stops when writing addresses on letters and parcels, saying punctuation can make automated sorting less reliable.
The postal service’s guidance states that the postcode should appear in capital letters on the final address line and should never be underlined or punctuated. A comma after a street name may seem harmless, particularly for those used to writing addresses in sentences, but Royal Mail is not in favour of punctuation such as commas and full stops on mail items.
Why address format matters
Automated sorting systems process large volumes of letters by using address information to direct items towards the right destination. Unclear writing, incorrect address details or a poorly formatted postcode can make that process less reliable and may mean an item needs additional handling.
Royal Mail’s guidance recommends keeping the address aligned to the left, with each part on a separate line. The recipient’s name should come first, followed by the house number and street, any necessary locality, the town and the full postcode.
Postcode guidance
The postcode is particularly important because it helps identify where an item needs to go. Royal Mail advises customers to check they have the full and accurate postcode rather than relying on a town or street name alone.
A typical UK address should therefore be written without commas or full stops, with the town and postcode in capital letters. For example, the street address should sit on its own line, followed by the town and postcode rather than being written as one long sentence.
Checking before sending
Customers can check an address using Royal Mail’s online Postcode Finder if they are unsure of the correct details. The service can help identify the recognised version of an address and its postcode before a letter or parcel is sent.
While leaving out punctuation cannot guarantee an item will arrive on time, following the recommended format can help avoid preventable address-processing problems. Anyone posting an important document, card or parcel should take a moment to check the address is legible, complete and correctly laid out before sending it.
