Licensing Royal Mail PAF directly means paying licence fees and maintaining raw data files yourself, while an API like AutoPostcode delivers the same PAF data pre-hosted, auto-updated and query-ready — usually cheaper and far less work for most businesses.
Should I license PAF directly or use an API?
For most businesses, an API wins. Direct Royal Mail PAF access requires licensing the full file — roughly 31 million UK delivery-point addresses across about 1.8 million postcodes — then hosting, indexing and continuously updating it. AutoPostcode's Royal Mail PAF API bundles all of that into a single per-lookup price.
DIY PAF licence vs the AutoPostcode API
| AutoPostcode API | Royal Mail PAF direct | |
|---|---|---|
| Data source | Royal Mail PAF | Royal Mail PAF |
| Licence admin | Included | You manage it |
| Hosting & indexing | None — hosted for you | You build & run it |
| Data updates | Automatic | You ingest each refresh |
| Time to live | Same day | Weeks of engineering |
| Cost shape | Per-lookup, no minimum | Annual licence + infra |
What are the real costs of DIY PAF?
The licence fee is only the start. You also pay for database hosting, search indexing, ongoing ingestion of PAF refreshes, monitoring and developer time. Explore how the data is supplied in our PAF data access guide, then compare live API pricing on the pricing page.
Best of both: PAF accuracy, none of the maintenance
AutoPostcode's UK address validation API gives you the same official PAF accuracy for live checkout and forms, without running any infrastructure yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What is Royal Mail PAF direct access?
Royal Mail PAF direct access means licensing the Postcode Address File data files straight from Royal Mail (or a solutions provider) and hosting, indexing and maintaining them yourself, rather than querying a ready-made API.
Is it cheaper to license PAF directly or use an API?
For most businesses an API is cheaper overall. Direct PAF licensing carries annual licence fees plus the engineering cost of hosting, indexing and updating roughly 31 million addresses. An API like AutoPostcode bundles the licence, hosting and updates into a simple per-lookup price.
How often is PAF updated, and who handles it with an API?
Royal Mail updates PAF regularly (typically daily/rotational refreshes consolidated for licensees). With direct access you must ingest each update yourself; with AutoPostcode the data is refreshed for you, so lookups always hit current PAF data.
Do I still need a PAF licence if I use AutoPostcode?
No separate end-user PAF licence administration is needed for standard lookup usage — AutoPostcode operates under the appropriate PAF licensing so you consume address data through the API without managing the raw licence yourself.
What are the hidden costs of DIY PAF?
Beyond the licence fee: database hosting, search indexing, ongoing data ingestion, monitoring, uptime and developer time. These recurring costs often exceed API fees, especially at low to moderate lookup volumes.
When does licensing PAF directly make sense?
Direct licensing can make sense for very high-volume, specialised use cases with a dedicated data team and offline processing needs. For live checkout and form lookups, an API is almost always faster to ship and cheaper to run.
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