I would like a Lifetime Postal Address (LPA) that I could give to the 50+ organisations that send me items in the post. I would be happy to pay Australia Post $100 per year for the opportunity to never have to change my postal address – ever.
Given the mobility of the Australian popupation, this is a marketing opportunity for Australia Post. Australian PO Box holders can get a similar service today by a/ renting a PO Box and then b/ paying for redirection. The LPA simplifies and streamlines the service.
Here is a few more details on how this could work.
- Subscribers update their actual delivery addresses, as often as necessary, at a secure website run by Australia Post
- LPA’s are globally unique
- LPA’s could be formed like airline booking references 6 alphanumeric digits.
- The last character in an LPA is a check-character that ensures that different LPAs always differ by more than one character
- If a LPA subscriber let their subscription lapse, then their mail is “Returned to Sender LPA not active”
- Once allocated, LPA’s are only returned to the available pool 20 years after they have lapsed.
- LPA subscribers could be offered discounts on bundled PO Box rental
Addendum. The Lifetime Addressing Inc. was formed in 1998 to promote this idea.