How address correction works
Understanding Pirate Ship's address correction feature: In your Settings > General Settings, you can choose how you would like Pirate Ship to handle the addresses you input. You can toggle between three settings:
Confirm address correction
Automatically correct addresses
Disable address correction
Here's how that drop-down menu looks in your General Settings:
What each of these settings mean
Confirm address correction: When you enter an invalid recipient address, a pop-up window will appear with a corrected address suggestion. This window will appear after you click the “Get Rates” button when creating a single label.
Disable address correction: Selecting will toggle off address correction. Our software won't prompt you to confirm recipient addresses and won't automatically correct any errors. Your labels will be purchased with no change to the recipient addresses you provide.
Automatically correct addresses: Choosing this setting will automatically correct recipient addresses without a pop-up window asking for confirmation.
Pirate Ship validates addresses through the USPS Address Database
USPS address database validation: When you enable either "Confirm address correction" or "Automatically correct addresses" in your Settings, our system runs the addresses you input through the USPS address database for validation purposes 👍
If the address isn't a direct match, we will automatically correct it using the suggestions USPS makes.
This usually results in small changes, like fixing a spelling error, or changing "Street" to "Drive." However, it isn't uncommon for street names, city names, or ZIP Codes to change either!
Doublecheck autocorrections: The best way to doublecheck the autocorrections you're seeing on your label is by using the Look Up a ZIP Code tool on the USPS website. Here, you can:
Search for the entire address, and view any corrections
If the ZIP Code changed, search by city/state to see the recommended zipcodes
If the city changed, search by the ZIP Code to see what cities it covers
Unvalidated addresses: If USPS is unable to find the address in their database AND has no suggestions, they'll assume you know best and accept the address anyway 😉
In this case, the package should still make its way to your recipient's local Post Office...but it's up to their local mail carrier to deliver it to the right place.
What if Pirate Ship says my address is invalid, but it's correct in the USPS database?
Invalid addresses in Pirate Ship that exist with USPS: This situation most frequently happens when the address in the database does not contain a ZIP+4 code.
Missing ZIP+4: When a ZIP+4 is missing, USPS does not recognize it as an address they deliver mail to directly 🙈 This can happen when they don't have street delivery in that area, or if it's a brand new building that hasn't been added to the database yet.
In this case, you'll need to see if your recipient has an alternate address you can use, like a PO Box. Alternatively, UPS services may be available.
Why does Google Maps say the original version of the address is correct?
Google Maps & USPS don't align: Google Maps sometimes shows addresses that USPS simply doesn't deliver mail to. USPS relies solely on its own database and address validation system to deliver a package successfully, not Google 🙁
Can I add or change an address in the USPS database?
Add or change an address with USPS: You can change or add an address with USPS by visiting your local Post Office or finding your local Address Management System Office.
I want to use the address I was provided. Can I turn off the autocorrections?
Disabling automatic address correction: If you wish to disable address corrections entirely, head to your Settings > General Settings, and select "Disable address correction" from the drop-down menu in the Address Correction section.
Remember, the address correction features are there to ensure that USPS considers the address deliverable, and will help correct any spelling mistakes! Disable this setting at your own risk 😜
Pro Pirate Tip: Though you can toggle off address correction, we recommend at least keeping "confirm address correction" enabled! With this setting, you can always stick with the original address you provided instead of choosing the suggested address correction.
Just remember: if the address you provided doesn't match what's in the USPS database, there's a chance the package will be returned to you.
Additional resources