What is the difference between a residential and a postal address?

TL;DR

• Residential address is where you live; postal address is where you receive mail.
• Postal address can differ from your residential address.
• Residential deliveries may incur extra fees if access is limited.
• Choose postal addresses for business; residential for private deliveries.

Before we tackle the differences between residential and postal addresses, let’s first check each term individually.

What is a residential delivery address?

The residential address is the private location of an individual. In simple words, it is the registered location where one (or more) people live temporarily or permanently.

Read how to write the address to ensure safe delivery.

What is a postal delivery address?

The postal address is where an individual or business would want their mail or packages to be delivered. The postal address can be different from the residential delivery address.

Here is how to write the address if you are sending an envelope.

Read more about:

• Can I handwrite the shipping labels?
• Can I send gifts anonymously?
• All about shipping labels

Now, the difference between a residential and a postal address

The differences between residential and postal or mailing addresses are the following:

• The mailing address can be a chosen location, while the residential address is always the address the individual lives at.
• Mailing addresses are typically used to receive business mail or smaller packages, while residential addresses are used for private deliveries.
• It sometimes happens that not all deliveries can be done to residential addresses. What does it mean? It means if the parcel is a non-standard item transported in larger vehicles, it may be delivered to an agreed location if the home address doesn’t have the right access requirements. Read further down the blog to find out more about it.

Can the residential and postal addresses be the same?

Individuals typically receive mail and packages at the same (residential) address. Even smaller business owners without other physical locations can use their residential address as their preferred mailing address.

You may also be interested to read more about:

• Shipping to residential addresses
• Pallet delivery to a residential address
• Residential delivery fee

Will the courier charge me extra for delivering to a residential address?

Some courier companies may charge a little bit extra for door-to-door deliveries. But not when you are shipping through our platform! At Eurosender we want the best for our customers, so our door-to-door residential delivery is free of charge!

However, if the shipment is larger and delivered with a large vehicle, the courier will charge an extra residential fee. And this is when the difference between a postal or mailing address and a residential address is important. The residential delivery fee is paid when there is a lack of unloading space in the designated area. In such situations, the rest of the logistics operation can be further disturbed and cause delays, which is an additional cost to the carrier.

Then comes the question. Where is it most convenient to unload shipments of greater volume?

Shipping pallets – Should I choose a residential or other shipping address?

It really depends on the volume of the shipment, as well as the type of residential address. Let’s see this in more detail:

• You can choose the residential address if it is not on a crowded street and is easily accessible by different types of vehicles. The rule of thumb is that the street should be 3m wide, which is often the case if the trash collector truck is able to come to your street
• Always choose a different shipping address from the residential address if there is no space to unload the shipment at the ground floor.
• Choose a different shipping address from the residential address if the shipment requires storage and your home address is limited.

Shipping packages – Can you choose the residential address?

You can choose the residential address as the preferred delivery location when shipping smaller shipments. In such cases, you will not be charged an extra fee. But, if you live in a remote location, you should read this article dedicated to delivery in isolated areas.

If you will be shipping to a student accommodation, make sure you check the address carefully. The courier can deliver to student dorms as long as you provide all the information required, including the room number and the doorbell. Read more about shipping to student dorms.

Shipping envelopes – Can I receive residential address for my business?

Yes, you can choose your residential address as the delivery location for your business envelopes, too.

Shipping to residential and other addresses with Eurosender!

When it comes to organising deliveries, Eurosender is the right choice for you as we do not make any difference between residential and postal addresses, and you can:

• Choose any delivery address you wish.
• No extra fees applicable for door-to-door standard residential deliveries.
• We can organise the transport for any type of shipment, from documents to large truck deliveries.
• You can get the cheapest shipping option, as our network of carriers is rather extensive, and we always choose the most fitting solution for your specific case.
• Our logistics experts can also help you anytime, either directly by reaching them on our chat or by making a request.

Are you wondering what the price is for your route? Check it out now; most routes have up to a 70% reduction in price!

Still have questions?

Check our articles that answer the most common questions about shipping addresses.