Where is Your Shipping Address?

When you write someone a letter, the address that you usually write on the envelope is called the mailing address. This mailing address is composed of that person's complete address plus the P.O. Box number. This is important because the postman needs the recipient's correct address if he or she is to deliver to mail the right person. But sometimes you also send more than just letters and postcards. Let's say you've just bought a bicycle over Ebay. Of course, the Ebay postal service is going to want to deliver the item right directly at your doorstep, and to do that they will need more than just your mailing address. They'll need your shipping address.

The shipping address is basically the address you provide when you're expecting a mail delivery and you want to bypass the services of your local post office. This is especially crucial when dealing with door-to-door deliveries, or when you're using international courier delivery services such as UPS or FedEx.

Let's show the difference between a mailing address and a shipping address: (Note that the address used below is not a real address.)

Mailing address:

Metropolitan State University of California

P.O. Box 324846

California, CO 95415-6658

Shipping address:

Include here name of Department, building name and room number (if applicable)

Metropolitan State University of California

1201 7th Street

California, CO 241147

Attn: Contact Person

From the above example, you only need to glance to see the difference between the two address. The shipping address is much more detailed, much more complete than its mailing counterpart. And if your package is for a business establishment, be sure to indicate the name of the authorized recipient plus department name and specific room number, if applicable.

For more information about shipping address, you may consult with other print sources such as textbooks, manuals or the encyclopedia. Or