# Address validation in the Shopify checkout

Pakkeshopper checks that the shipping address has a house number before the customer can pay. Fewer failed deliveries and no carrier penalty fees.

A missing house number is one of the most common address errors in a Shopify checkout. The carrier cannot deliver, the parcel comes back, and you pay a fee. Pakkeshopper stops the error before the order is placed.

## The problem: Shopify accepts a street without a number

The Shopify checkout accepts 'Nørregade' as a full address. The customer pays, you print the label, and the carrier discovers too late that the parcel cannot be delivered. The result is a delay, a return or a manual correction, and the customer blames your store. Many merchants only notice the problem when the carrier's invoice arrives.

## Why carriers charge penalty fees

An incomplete address means extra work for the carrier: a manual correction, a failed delivery attempt or a return to sender. Carriers pass that cost on to you as a penalty fee per parcel, on top of the normal shipping price. The size of the fee depends on your carrier and your agreement, but it is always a cost you cannot bill to the customer afterwards.

## How the house number check works

When the customer enters a shipping address, Pakkeshopper checks whether the street line contains a house number. If it does not, the checkout shows a message and blocks the order until the address is corrected. The customer cannot pay with an incomplete address.

### What the customer sees

- 'Nørregade' gives the hint 'Add a house number'.
- 'Nørregade 12, 2nd floor' passes as a valid address.

The hint appears in the checkout, so most customers correct the address in a few seconds and continue to payment.

## Apple Pay, Google Pay and partial addresses

Apple Pay and Google Pay only share a partial delivery address before payment. Pakkeshopper quotes shipping rates from the country and the zip code alone, so customers who pay with a wallet still see the right shipping methods. Address validation works alongside your [shipping rules](https://pakkeshopper.com/features/shipping-rules/) and pickup points in the same checkout.

## If a parcel still comes back

Address validation removes the most common cause of returns, but a parcel can still be refused or go uncollected. The [tracking dashboard](https://pakkeshopper.com/features/tracking/) lists shipments that are on the way back, and the Shopify Flow trigger 'Parcel returned' lets you act on them automatically.

## How to turn it on

1. Install Pakkeshopper from the Shopify App Store and make sure Carrier Calculated Rates is active on your store. The [Carrier Calculated Rates guide](https://pakkeshopper.com/guides/carrier-calculated-rates/) explains how.
2. Open Settings in the Pakkeshopper dashboard and turn on address validation.
3. Test the checkout with a street name without a house number. Shopify caches shipping rates for up to 24 hours, so change the house number or the cart contents to get fresh results.

## Included in every plan

Address validation is part of Starter, which is free for the first 100 orders per month, and of Pro, Max and Enterprise. You do not need a paid plan to stop bad addresses. Pakkeshopper handles more than 3 million shipments a year. See the [pricing section](https://pakkeshopper.com/#priser) for what else each plan includes. Questions? Write to hej@pakkeshopper.dk, support is in Danish and English.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does the address validation check?

It checks that the street line of the shipping address contains a house number. If the number is missing, the checkout shows a message and waits until the customer corrects the address.

### Can the customer still pay with an incomplete address?

No. The checkout is blocked until the address has a house number. The customer sees a short hint and corrects the address in the same step.

### Does address validation cost extra?

No. Address validation is included in every plan, also in Starter, which is free for the first 100 orders per month.

### How do I turn address validation on?

Open Settings in the Pakkeshopper dashboard and turn on address validation. Then test the checkout with an address without a house number.