Postcode lookup integration

[Slime101]

What/who do you guys use for UK postcode lookup integration into websites?

 

[GravyMonster]

What level of detail do you need for the postcode? If you just need regional, eg. to SE1, there's a free CSV file you can download from here.

It gives latitude/longitude co-ordinates from which you can calculate the distance.

 

[Slime101]

I mean for addresses not for lat/long sorry.

So the idea is a user goes to register to purchase and they look up their address from their postcode

 

[Immsy]

Think I read once that Royal Mail do an API that links to their database but thats run under license I think.

 

[Immsy]

Something like this: http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/...rs&pageId=shp_prddetails&product=prod36370097

 

[MrMagoo]

Hi,

Have clients that have used http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/ quite a few times

 

[Slime101]

Cool thanks, we use the royal mail one internally at the moment through a reseller but either look suited to websites

 

[roid]

My company buy postcode data quarterly from bph. They give you some csv files which we then process into a db on our server(s).

 

[sist_si]

i use postcode anywhere at the moment. their api is very good.
also integrated with "postcoder" as well which is also good. Both would be great for address lookups. It'd just be a matter on integrating with their api's.
Both use the Royal Mail PAF database but costs can vary depending on what level on info you need to get.

 

[Slime101]

Hmm, interesting.

Thanks for the input

 

[Goksly]

We use ePostCode; easy to implement (web service) and good for us as we don't do many look ups (can buy small amount of credits).
All of them get the same data from Royal Mail so all good... doesn't RM have to start giving the data for free soon?

 

[Slime101]

Free.....cant see that happening!

 

[Goksly]

Don't think it was their idea.... one of those 'opening the market to competition' or something...? Can't remember but swear that was the gist!

 

[s-p]

Free.....cant see that happening!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8402327.stm

 

[Slime101]

Well whilst it says in the article they were looking at it, and its planned for april 2010 the article is over a year old and for something that is meant to start in 4 days we have not had a peep out of royal mail despite large monthly bills, a recent price increase letter and lots of other crap!

I'd love it to happen but as yet there is no sign of it actually happening.

 

[Slime101]

I can now say with almost certainty there is NO free postal lookup files from royal mail - they have just today sent up a brochure detailing their new 2010 PAF licences, and costs!!

 

[brainchylde]

We use QuickAddress by Experian. It has a web service interface so is easy to integrate.

 

[Moredhel]

Knocked up something for a friend of mine a while back that used the Google Maps API to do postcode - coordinate lookups. Don't know how accurate they are, but it'll certainly get you to within a few houses the majority of the time.