Postcode Address File (PAF®)
Introduction
PAF® is licensed using two licences.
- USE of PAF® data is covered by the Data Licence Agreement
- SUPPLY of PAF® data is covered by the Data Supply Agreement
On this webpage we can only summarise briefly these Agreements, but they are covered in more detail within the PAF® Compliance Centre.
On 1 April 2010 we changed a number of terms & conditions, and changed our pricing structure, so that both are now more reflective of use. The definitions and prices below apply from the 1 April 2010.
Principles
Both licences work on the following principles:
- Each direct End-User signs a licence
- A direct End-user is a single legal entity, which may have a number of Users
- A User is not a person, but a terminal or device, so those sharing a terminal are treated as just one User.
The Data Licence Agreement
There are many ways in which PAF® adds value to a business. This is why the Data Licence Agreements offer different licensing options.
The majority of users want to use PAF® just in their own companies. Companies vary in the amount of use they make of PAF®. Here is how we license different levels of use:
-
Regular, unlimited usage: We license on a User basis for unlimited use at £75 per User per year (a User being one terminal, e.g. one PC or handheld device, etc.). This is ideal for regular, unlimited usage of PAF® .
-
Extensive PAF® usage: To reduce costs for companies with many Users of PAF® , we group numbers of Users into ‘Multiple User Blocks’. Here’s what this means:
- One Multiple User Block costs £4,125 per year and covers up to 300 Users (this is 55 Users at £75 each but, for every 55 Users, a further 245 Users are licensed free).
- There is a cap – for more than 900 Users the price is capped at £12,375 per legal entity (per End-User).
- If User numbers flex during the licensed year, then exact numbers of User licences may not be required.
The table below shows the pricing band principles for internal use per legal entity.
| Basis of Calculating Licence Fee | Fee per complete UK version of the Data (per annum) | Fee per Postcode Area or per Limited Record Selection (per annum) |
|---|---|---|
| User | £75 per Low Volume User £75 per High Volume User | £2 per Low Volume User £2 per High Volume User |
| Multiple User Block (up to 300 Users) | £4,125 per Multiple User Block (subject to paragraphs 3.6 to 3.8 of Annex 5) | £50 per Multiple User Block (subject to paragraphs 3.6 to 3.8 of Annex 5) |
| Unlimited Multiple User Blocks (Per End-User other than in respect of Extended Use Solutions, Associate Groups and Broker Groups) | £12,375 | £150 |
| Unlimited Multiple User Blocks for Associate Groups (Per Associate Group) | £24,750 | £300 |
| Unlimited Multiple User Blocks for Broker Groups and Extended Use Solutions (Per Broker Group and per Extended Use Solution) | £49,500 | £600 |
| Transaction (Internal Transaction Solutions, Extended Use Solutions, Associate Group Solutions and Broker Group Solutions ) * | 100 Transactions - £8 | N/A |
| Transaction (External Transaction Solutions and Look Up Solutions) * | 100 Transactions - £1 | N/A |
| Unlimited Transactions (External Transaction Solutions only) | £4,000 | N/A |
* Please note that you cannot licence these products directly from Royal Mail. To find a licensed PAF® Solutions Provider please visit: www.poweredbypaf.com
All prices attract VAT at the prevailing rate.
The Data Supply Agreement
The table below shows the prices for internal use per legal entity.
| Data Supply Medium Option | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | CD | ||
| The Annual Package | |||
| 1 | 1 x Complete Edition | £300 | £400.00 |
| The Updates Package | |||
| 2 | 2 x Half-Yearly Complete Editions | £600 | £800.00 |
| 3 | 4 x Quarterly Complete Editions | £750 | £1,000.00 |
| 4 | 12 x Monthly Complete Editions | £900 | £1,200.00 |
| The Changes Package | |||
| 5 | 1 Complete Edition* and 3 x Quarterly Updates (Changes) | £750.00 | £1,000.00 |
| 6 | 1 x Complete Edition* and 11 x Monthly Updates (Changes) | £900.00 | £1,200.00 |
| 7 | 1 x Complete Edition* and Daily Updates (Changes) | £2,250.00 | N/A |
| 8 | 4 x Quarterly Updates (Changes) - not obtainable in year one | £750.00 | £1,000.00 |
| 9 | 12 x Monthly Updates (Changes) - not obtainable in year one | £900.00 | £1,200.00 |
| 10 | Daily Updates (Changes) - not obtainable in year one | £2,250.00 | N/A |
All prices attract VAT at the prevailing rate.
Next steps
You’ll need to consider what's right for your company; you may have questions or need more detail. In the PAF® Compliance Centre you will find a range of resources to help you learn more about licensing.
You may also contact us on 08456 066 854 (option 2) to discuss anything licence related.
What to do next
To buy PAF® raw data, you'll need to complete and sign four documents which are contained within the 'Resources' section of the PAF® Compliance Centre.
All these documents need to be completed before we can sell you any data.
