General Terms and Conditions - Use of the Address Validation and Formatting Services

A. bpost has developed an online application that Customers are able to use to easily integrate their system with that of bpost so that addresses coming from the customer's system can be formatted and then validated (as defined in point B below).

B. This online application offers the following functions:

  • formatAddresses: an interface which receives components of a given address and puts the lines of this address in the right order ("Formatting Service");
  • validateAddresses: an interface that gives information on whether a submitted address has been recognised by the bpost system and whether any errors have been found, and provides a corrected version of the address that can be recognised by the bpost system, in so far as such an address is available ("Validation Service").

C. The Formatting Service is available as a package with the Validation Service or as a standalone service. It formats and orders the various components in an address. The Formatting Service may be used for individual addresses or for batches of 100 addresses per transfer.

D. The Validation Service is available as a package with the Formatting Service or as a standalone service. It may be used for individual addresses or batches of 100 addresses per transfer. The Validation Service checks whether an address is precise and unambiguous, that is whether it can be recognised by bpost's system. The reference framework is a bpost database containing all addresses in Belgium to which mail (including parcels) is delivered. This database does not include streets where there are no addresses to which mail is delivered. This database is constantly updated drawing on in situ observations by bpost. It may vary in time and differ from other public or private databases.

E. bpost grants the Customer the right to integrate the Formatting and Validation Services into its systems and to use them in accordance with the conditions stipulated in these General Terms and Conditions.