Small charities can license Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF) at a reduced rate. We offer a charity subscription built on that licence, with simpler and lower cost monthly plans. This guide covers eligibility and the four steps from application to a live charity plan.
Eligibility
To qualify, your organisation must:
- Be UK based and registered with the Charity Commission, or be a Community Interest Company
- Have an annual income of £10 million or less
Only the main Postcode Address File is covered. The Multiple Residence and Not Yet Built datasets need standard licensing. Charities above the income threshold can use pay-as-you-go charity pricing instead. Contact us to enable it.
Royal Mail publishes a list of charities already licensed. If your charity is on it, skip to step 4.
1. Apply on Our Charities Page
Leave your details on the charities page. We check that your charity qualifies and start the application with Royal Mail on your behalf. There is no need to fill in Royal Mail's registration form yourself.
2. Watch for Two Emails from Royal Mail
Royal Mail's Address Management Unit processes the application. Once it is accepted you will receive two emails:
- "Royal Mail PAF Charity Invite" confirms your application and refers to a second email. It also mentions CSV files, downloadable software and programming documentation. None of that applies to an integration through us and can be ignored
- The second email contains a link to the Royal Mail licence portal where you agree to the terms and conditions
3. Complete the Royal Mail Portal
Follow the link in the second email and fill in the details about your charity. One question needs care:
Will your organisation be taking PAF data directly from Royal Mail or via one of our Solutions Providers?
Choose Solutions Provider. The Solutions Provider is Ideal Postcodes.
4. Tell Us
When Royal Mail confirms your licence, contact us. We move your account onto your charity plan straight away. We can also help with integration, migration from another provider and setting up billing with your finance team.
Registering Directly with Royal Mail
If you prefer to apply to Royal Mail yourself, use their Register for free use of PAF form. It has four parts:
- About you: your contact details and whether you are a charity or a microbusiness
- About your charity: registration number, name, address, sector and annual turnover
- How you intend to use data: development timeline and use case. Options are address look-ups, customer verification, database management, mailing and marketing, research purposes and other. You can pick more than one
- Fair processing notice: how Royal Mail may contact you, with opt-outs
Royal Mail may ask for identification to verify the application. Once accepted, the two emails in step 2 follow and the rest of the process is the same. Contact us if you have any questions.