Postal Address Matching
Use this guide to match postal addresses with MailPoint, interpret DPID diagnostics, and request a barcode.
MailPoint matches an Australian postal address against the Australia Post Postal Address File (PAF). A match can return a Delivery Point Identifier (DPID), a postal address, and a 4-State barcode for mail preparation. Use this workflow when you need postal matching rather than a location alone.
The Address Matching Approval System (AMAS) is Australia Post's certification program for address-matching software. Postal discount eligibility also depends on Australia Post's mailing requirements. A returned DPID alone does not establish eligibility. See the Australia Post Data Guide.
Before you begin
Use a Geoscape Hub application with Addresses API access on an eligible paid plan. Send the Consumer Key directly in the Authorization header.
Match a postal address
Code
Choose an input format:
- A single-line
address. - Multi-line input starting with
addressLine1, with optionaladdressLine2andaddressLine3. - Structured address components. For postal delivery input, use
postalDeliveryTypeCodeandpostalDeliveryIdentifier, such asPO BOXand its number.
See the MailPoint parameter reference for the full input contract.
Choose the accepted postal match level
For delivery-address matching, use matchType=address to require an address-level DPID match. MailPoint accepts a single value, unlike the geocoder's comma-separated category filter. Broader levels allow less detailed matches. See the MailPoint parameter reference.
Read the returned matchType to see the actual level. A street or locality match does not confirm a specific delivery address.
Read the response
A processed request returns 200 and a JSON GeoJSON Feature. Check these fields:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
properties.dpid | Australia Post Delivery Point Identifier. Keep it as a string. |
properties.formattedAddress | Matched postal address label |
properties.barcode | String of bar-state digits 0–3, rather than a barcode image |
matchType | Actual postal match level: address, street, or locality |
matchDiagnostic | Diagnostic code for the match |
matchDiagnosticMessage | Human-readable explanation of the diagnostic |
matchScore | Postal match score (0 for no match) |
pafVersion and pafExpiry | PAF release and expiry date |
Review the formatted address, match level, and diagnostics before using the DPID. MailPoint scores are postal-matching metadata. Do not apply the geocoder's quality labels or score assumptions to them.
By default, a no-match result has:
matchScore: 0.messages: ["No address could be matched"].- No matched
properties,geometry, or postal match diagnostics.
Handle missing fields before reading a DPID or barcode. A 200 response means the request was processed, not that a postal address matched.
Choose a barcode format
Choose 37Bar when you need the DPID alone, or a longer format when you need to encode customer data. The default is 67Bar. Customer data beyond the selected format’s capacity is truncated. See the barcode parameters for lengths and input limits.
Barcode generation does not turn an unmatched postal address into a valid DPID match.
Geometry and related attributes
Geometry is added when the postal address can be linked to a physical address. Postal-only addresses, such as PO boxes, can have a valid postal match without geometry. Do not use geometry presence as the success test for MailPoint.
When geometry is available, additionalProperties can retrieve linked attributes. Premium properties require paid-plan access and can incur surcharges. See Additional Properties. Use Accept-Crs to select the response geometry's CRS. The default is GDA94.
Costs and failures
MailPoint uses 2 base credits per processed MailPoint request, including no-match results. Returned solar, parcel, or property bundles can add credit costs. See Additional Properties for surcharge calculations.
Follow Error Handling for request failures and retries, Rate Limiting for request rates, and Attribution for data notices.