Postcode wildcard

  • Thread starter Thread starter Astrax
  • Start date Start date
A

Astrax

ISTR there is a sort of wildcard entry which can be used as the last
part of a postcode to refer to an area.

It can usually be used when a web page needs a full postcode.


For example, if I had a post code of
BS49 4ER
then I could use the wildcard to refer to only
BS49
by entering something like
BS49 ZZZ

Does anyone know what that "ZZZ" should be?
 
Astrax said:
ISTR there is a sort of wildcard entry which can be used as the last
part of a postcode to refer to an area.

It can usually be used when a web page needs a full postcode.


For example, if I had a post code of
BS49 4ER
then I could use the wildcard to refer to only
BS49
by entering something like
BS49 ZZZ

Does anyone know what that "ZZZ" should be?
Click to expand...


ladies and gentlemen .... do we have the first question NOT answered on
uk.d-i-y

Been lurking a while and quite impressed on the answers given to EVERY
question ( 'XP start button' and 'Home-made gasket for 2-stroke motor'
being personal favs ! )

I know its posted to the wrong group but I know there someone out there
dying to answer this one :)
 
ISTR there is a sort of wildcard entry which can be used as the last
part of a postcode to refer to an area.

It can usually be used when a web page needs a full postcode.
Click to expand...

Not really. Officially you just drop short. You can reliably refer to an
areas (getting progressive smaller) as, for example:

RG
RG1
RG1 1
RG1 1AA

These should all indicate continguous areas. I don't believe you can split
the final two letters, though, although I may be mistaken.

If you are trying to fake up a full postcode having only part, add 'AA' or
'1AA' as appropriate. This is often the postcode for the main post office
facility in that area, but it isn't guaranteed to work.

A quick test for my local postcode area RG6 (RG6 1AA) does work and seems to
point to their East Reading Delivery Centre. RG1 1AA gets their main Reading
depot. However, RG3 1AA is invalid, so it is luck of the draw!

If you are doing this to get Acorn profiles off UpMyStreet or for reception
predictors, etc, then my experience is that they go down to the very last
digit, so you should use something like the Royal Mail postcode finder to
get an exact match for the street in question.

Christian.
 
Astrax said:
ISTR there is a sort of wildcard entry which can be used as the last
part of a postcode to refer to an area.

It can usually be used when a web page needs a full postcode.


For example, if I had a post code of
BS49 4ER
then I could use the wildcard to refer to only
BS49
by entering something like
BS49 ZZZ

Does anyone know what that "ZZZ" should be?
Click to expand...

Try "1AA" as this is generally the postcode for the Royal Mail Delivery
offices. Although not ever postcode sector would have a "1AA", I would say
that at least 80% have!

HTH's.
 
Not really. Officially you just drop short. You can reliably refer
to an areas (getting progressive smaller) as, for example:

RG
RG1
RG1 1
RG1 1AA

These should all indicate continguous areas. I don't believe you
can split the final two letters, though, although I may be
mistaken.
Click to expand...

Sadly, many web pages will insist on the full postcode rather than just
the first part.

If you are trying to fake up a full postcode having only part, add
'AA' or '1AA' as appropriate. This is often the postcode for the
main post office facility in that area, but it isn't guaranteed to
work.

A quick test for my local postcode area RG6 (RG6 1AA) does work and
seems to point to their East Reading Delivery Centre. RG1 1AA gets
their main Reading depot. However, RG3 1AA is invalid, so it is
luck of the draw!
Click to expand...


1AA may be a good fake although it doesn't work on sites like the LIDL
one where you search for Specials inyour area.

I think there is an "official" second part which makes for a valid full
post code but which refers only to a general area.

This page seems to suggest an old wildcard might have been "0AA" in the
second half:

http://www.govtalk.gov.uk/gdsc/html/frames/PostCode.htm
 
Kerrank said:
Sadly, many web pages will insist on the full postcode rather than just
the first part.
Click to expand...

The numeric part of the post code is one of the security checks on credit
card payments for internet purchases. An incomplete or wrong code will flag
the transaction as potentially fraudulent. If the card is being processed
manually, the operator may have the option to accept the payment despite
that. Depending on the rules being applied, automated third party card
handling systems may reject it.

Colin Bignell

Colin Bignell
 
ISTR there is a sort of wildcard entry which can be used as the last
part of a postcode to refer to an area.
Click to expand...

If you don't know your own postcode :-} try finding yourself on multimap
- click on where you live to centralise the location properly

http://www.multimap.co.uk

Scroll below the map, and it will give you XY co-ordinates - make a note
of them

Then go to...

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/gridconvert.html

....and enter the co-ords seperated by a "," and tick the radio button
for OS Grid below - hit the "convert" button, and it will return a page
of info which also includes the nearest postcode :-)
 
ISTR there is a sort of wildcard entry which can be used as the last
part of a postcode to refer to an area.

It can usually be used when a web page needs a full postcode.


For example, if I had a post code of
BS49 4ER
then I could use the wildcard to refer to only
BS49
by entering something like
BS49 ZZZ

Does anyone know what that "ZZZ" should be?
Click to expand...
Running a query against a Postcode look up file used for House Insurance
gave the following 25 incoming parts:

3DB, 3DA, 4DA, 3AH, 9HA, 9EA, 4EA, 3EH, 4HH, 3LD, 3EL, 3HA, 2LA, 3LA, 3EN,
3AS, 2HA, 3HT, 3EE, 3LL, 3AP, 8DA, 8BA, 3HN and 4HA

There are in descending order of frequency and range from 659 for 3DB down
to 635 occurrences of 4HA (This is out of valid household 1,437,144
postcodes that have exactly 4,000 different incomings)

Hope this is of some help.

Richard
Web pages: http://www.caravanningnow.co.uk/ - caravanning,
http://www.rcole.org/ - personal web site and http://www.homeindorset.co.uk
because I loves the domain name for email.
 
"nightjar
The numeric part of the post code is one of the security checks on credit
card payments for internet purchases. An incomplete or wrong code will flag
the transaction as potentially fraudulent. If the card is being processed
manually, the operator may have the option to accept the payment despite
that. Depending on the rules being applied, automated third party card
handling systems may reject it.
Click to expand...

And postodes are semi-secret! If that is the expression. Royal Mail have
copyrighted their postcodes so they can sell this information to users.
However, you are allowed to look up postcodes on their web site at a
maximum of 12 postcodes within 24 hours, and you have to register at
their site.

I find such restrictions rather odd, given that postcodes helps the correct
delivery and their past advertising of "always use postcode". But postcodes
aren't always checked by Royal Mail, I've had misdeliveries with the same
road name but obviously in a different area and different postcode to mine!
 
I've had misdeliveries with the same road name but obviously in
a different area and different postcode to mine!
Click to expand...

Think yourself lucky - we regularly get post for a different business,
with different postcode and sorting office.
 
Johannes said:
And postodes are semi-secret! If that is the expression. Royal Mail have
copyrighted their postcodes so they can sell this information to users.
However, you are allowed to look up postcodes on their web site at a
maximum of 12 postcodes within 24 hours, and you have to register at
their site.
Click to expand...

Try this
http://www.hopewiser.com/products/online_demos/

;¬)
 
Johannes wrote:
[snip]>
And postodes are semi-secret! If that is the expression. Royal Mail have
copyrighted their postcodes so they can sell this information to users.
However, you are allowed to look up postcodes on their web site at a
maximum of 12 postcodes within 24 hours, and you have to register at
their site.
Click to expand...
[snip]

Your local post office should have a book of post codes for you to
examine. In our post office in London it was tied to the counter with a
bit of string! Our village post office staff keep it under the counter.

rgds
Alex.
 
Johannes said:
And postodes are semi-secret! If that is the expression. Royal Mail have
copyrighted their postcodes so they can sell this information to users.
However, you are allowed to look up postcodes on their web site at a
maximum of 12 postcodes within 24 hours, and you have to register at
their site.

I find such restrictions rather odd, given that postcodes helps the correct
delivery and their past advertising of "always use postcode". But postcodes
aren't always checked by Royal Mail, I've had misdeliveries with the same
road name but obviously in a different area and different postcode to mine!
Click to expand...

You can't copyright postcodes, just as you can't copyright any other
facts. You can, however, copyright the way they are presented. Thus,
the BT phone book can be copyright but anyone can produce a phone
directory so long as they do not infringe the copyright in the way the
information is presented.

MBQ
 
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