Field guide

ZIP Code vs Postal Code

A ZIP Code is the U.S. postal routing code. Postal code is the broader international term used by many countries. Forms that label every field as ZIP Code may confuse users outside the United States.

Examples by country

• United States: 10001 or 90210.
• Canada: M5V 1Z7.
• United Kingdom: SW1A 1AA.
• Germany and France: five digits.
• Singapore and India: six digits.

Form design advice

Use country-aware labels such as ZIP Code for the United States, postcode for the UK and Australia, PIN code for India, and postal code as a neutral fallback.

QA notes

Test letters, spaces, hyphens, leading zeros, four-digit postcodes, five-digit postal codes, and six-digit codes. Avoid a single numeric-only rule for every country.