Improve checkout and delivery with Address Validation API in Google Maps Platform

Addresses are necessary to help find people and places, deliver goods, and sometimes even open bank accounts. A recent study revealed that most online orders with address typos or misspellings were preventable if an address validator had been in place.

On the surface, addresses can seem straightforward because we see and use them almost daily. But the reality shows that addresses that need to be corrected and formatted to local standards can lead to failed deliveries, and costly extensive customer support.

What is address validation?

On November 9, 2022, Google announced the general availability release of Address Validation. Address Validation API is a new Google Maps product that can help improve user experiences by removing friction at account sign-up or checkout and save time and money for your business by helping reduce the impact of invalid addresses on your operations.

Google Address Validation identifies address components, fixes errors, and augments addresses with missing data, which helps prevent canceled orders, customer support tickets, and refunds. It’s powered by the global coverage of Google Maps Platform’s Places data, our breadth of local address knowledge data, and postal data in the United States for extended address coverage.

Address Validation: How does it work?

Address Validation helps developers detect inaccurate addresses by identifying missing or unconfirmed address components. That said, the API:

• Standardizes the input. Address Validation standardizes the information using Google Maps Platform’s Places data and knowledge of localized address formats, providing everything from typo corrections to street name completion, appropriate locality-specific formatting, and more. Thus, it becomes possible to identify address components, fix errors, and enrich addresses with missing data.
• Returns valuable metadata. It also returns valuable metadata about the processed address, such as individual address components with an accuracy confirmation level and Plus Code, geocode, and Place ID for the address. In specific geographies, Address Verification API can also differentiate a residential address from a commercial address, which is essential when delivering packages during business hours.
• Aggregates data from multiple sources. Here, the postal service data is already included. Address Validation aggregates data from numerous sources, including postal service data. Address Validation API is CASS CertifiedTM from USPS® so developers can match against U.S. Postal Service® data.

When a user enters the street number, route, and locality, the API takes an address and region as input. It displays the response as visualized content — and as a JSON object.

Benefits of using Address Validation

The authentication of addresses may be extremely beneficial to enterprises, e-commerce companies, and professionals. Here are some of the advantages:

1. Improved customer experience and brand reputation. Have you ever ordered something, and it arrived considerably later than expected? You most likely questioned ordering from that company again. Arriving on time makes customers happy and inclined to buy from you again. It is vital to provide a great client experience, which begins with exact addresses for on-time deliveries.
2. Increased delivery speed. An incorrectly formatted address may reach its destination, but it will most likely take longer to process and route to the right distribution facilities. Address validation standardizes address forms, allowing delivery companies to handle parcels in less time. 
3. Economy. Address validation helps your company save money. For example, a legitimate address is delivered to the proper address the first time, saving you money on reshipping an item to the correct location.
4. Save time. When a package is returned to your organization, you spend valuable time altering the address and reshipping the items. If you employ address validation, you won’t have to deal with angry customers who are wondering why they haven’t received their purchases. Finally, your staff will not have to update address information or remove duplicate listings manually.
5. Easier data analysis and management. Using updated, managed, and verified databases helps make strategic plans in fast and secure timeframes. Once the database has been validated, analyzing the market and conducting data analysis for short-, medium-, and long-term goals is feasible. So Google address validation API integration gives the business a competitive advantage. 

Use Cases

Address Validation can provide benefits to several different use cases across industries. Here are a few examples:

E-commerce. Frequently, online businesses exclusively distribute things by mail. As a result, client addresses must be precise. You may have customers from all over the world and need to validate international addresses to guarantee correct formatting. Doing so can help reduce failed or misdeliveries or other costly complications like canceled orders and chargebacks.

Professional business services. Suppose you, as a business, engage with other organizations, such as a bank or a lawyer. In that case, you must validate the address to ensure you deliver critical papers and files to the correct location. Company address validation operates the same way as residential address validation, utilizing the most recent company address data.

Service providers. Plumbers, cleaning, and on-site computer repair providers rely on precise addresses to be on time for customer appointments. With address validation, service business owners can be sure that their workers will arrive at the correct location each time they respond to a service request.

Restaurants. Many restaurants are now offering delivery as an additional dining option. Real-time address validation ensures that you obtain the correct address from the start, ensuring that your deliveries are always fresh.

Financial Services. Using a proof of address to help authenticate new account holders. Companies can detect fraudulent sign-ups by verifying that a customer’s address exists at account creation.

With functionality like that and products like Geocoding and Place Autocomplete, Address Validation makes the Google Maps Platform a complete address and delivery point validation service.

Google Address Validation API: how to get started 

To start using Google’s address validation API, you’ll need to follow these steps:

• Set Up Your Project:

• • • Go to the Google Cloud Console and create a new project or choose an existing one.

• Activate the Address Validation Feature:

• • • In the Cloud Console, find the “Address Validation” feature and turn it on for your project.

• Generate Access Credentials:

• • • Create an “API key” in the Cloud Console. This is like a special passcode that allows your system to use the Address Validation service.

• Integrate the Address Validation in Your System:

• • • Add the Address Validation feature to your business application. 

• Test the Integration:

• • • Make sure the Address Validation works correctly within your application.

• Keep an Eye on Usage and Costs:

• • Monitor how often the Address Validation is being used. This helps you stay within any limits and keeps track of any charges.

If you have any questions or run into any issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to Cloudfresh that specializes in Google Maps API integration.We would be delighted to assist you in enhancing your operations with Google Address Validation and seamlessly integrating it into your business. 

Need help with Address Validation implementation?

Cloudfresh is a unique hub of expertise for Google Maps Platform, Google Cloud, Zendesk, Asana, and Gitlab. To find out more information about Google Maps API for business, you are welcome to get in touch with our Google Maps certified product specialists.

What do we offer?

1. Consultations and API integration, including address validation.
2. Google Maps Platform-based development services;
3. Technical teams’ training;
4. Technical support.

 By cooperating with us, you will receive:

• Access to a seven-level discount system which is possible only with a Google Maps partner;
• Payment by invoice to a legal entity in EU, USD, CKZ, PLN, UAH, or any other currency;
• Personalized multilingual communication. Our team speaks English, Ukrainian, Czech, Polish and Russian;
• Professional support throughout the process of using the services.

Contact our team and get the chance to take your customers’ location-based experience to the next level with Google Maps solutions.