> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.os.uk/more-than-maps/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.os.uk/more-than-maps/os-ngd-migration/comparison-of-code-point-and-os-ngd-postcodes.md).

# Comparison of Code-Point and OS NGD Postcodes

Comparing the Code-Point and Code-Point with Polygons products to corresponding new features in OS NGD Postcodes.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Code-Point and Code-Point with Polygons will become End of Life in March 2028. As of this date, Ordnance Survey will cease to maintain or publish updates, and access to the product will be removed from the OS Data Hub.

* [End of Life notice for Code-Point with Polygons](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/resources/product-resources/end-of-life-product-notices/end-of-life-notice-code-point-with-polygons)
* [End of Life notice for Code-Point](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/resources/product-resources/end-of-life-product-notices/end-of-life-notice-code-point)

From October 2026, dual running licenses for Code-Point with Polygons will cover both Postcode Unit Area and Postcode Unit Point.

For the latest updates and information on this and other products, please refer to our [End of Life Product Notices pages](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/resources/product-resources/end-of-life-product-notices).
{% endhint %}

## Overview

This page compares the two upcoming End of Life **Code-Point products** with their **OS National Geographic Database (OS NGD)** equivalents and explains key changes.

The following products are covered: 

* **End of Life Code-Point products:** [Code-Point](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/products/areas-and-zones-portfolio/code-point) and [Code-Point with Polygons](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/products/areas-and-zones-portfolio/code-point-with-polygons)
* **New OS NGD postcodes products:** [OS GB Postcodes Collection](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/gb-postcodes) and [OS NI Postcodes Collection](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/ni-postcodes)

This page will help support migration to the OS NGD equivalents from the two Code‑Point products approaching End of Life, highlighting differences in coverage, geometry, methodology and behaviour. It also describes data supply and formats and compares attribution across the products.

## Product migration pathway 

The table below illustrates which OS NGD feature types are relevant for each migration pathway from the two Code-Point products:

<table><thead><tr><th width="226.4000244140625">Code‑Point Product</th><th>Equivalent Feature Types in the OS NGD</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Code‑Point </td><td><a href="https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/gb-postcodes/postcode-unit-point">Postcode Unit Point</a> (in the OS GB Postcodes Collection) <br><a href="https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/ni-postcodes/postcode-unit-point">Postcode Unit Point</a> (in the OS NI Postcodes Collection)</td></tr><tr><td>Code‑Point with Polygons </td><td><p><a href="https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/gb-postcodes/postcode-unit-area">Postcode Unit Area</a> (in the OS GB Postcodes Collection)</p><p><a href="https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/gb-postcodes/postcode-unit-point">Postcode Unit Point</a> (in the OS GB Postcodes Collection) <br><a href="https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/ni-postcodes/postcode-unit-point">Postcode Unit Point</a> (in the OS NI Postcodes Collection)</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Transforming postcode products

OS has transformed its postcode product offering to improve how postcode unit areas align with underlying topographic features. The aim is to create a more accurate and consistent spatial representation that better reflects real-world geography. \
&#x20;\
The OS GB Postcodes and OS NI Postcodes Collections sit alongside the suite of new features in the OS NGD, making them interoperable with the new era of products. &#x20;

## End of Life products &#x20;

[Code-Point](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/products/areas-and-zones-portfolio/code-point) is a point dataset that contains postcode units for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, each having a notional geographical location.

[Code-Point with Polygons](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/products/areas-and-zones-portfolio/code-point-with-polygons) is a dataset that contains the notional area of postcode units in Great Britain, designed to allow customers to display and analyse any data collected at the postcode level.

## OS NGD equivalents&#x20;

The [OS GB Postcodes Collection](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/gb-postcodes) is a complete, analytical and authoritative postcode dataset for Great Britain. It's designed to provide a detailed view of postcodes. It contains the following feature types:&#x20;

* [Postcode Unit Point](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/gb-postcodes/postcode-unit-point) is a point representation of a postcode, calculated from the average positions of addresses which share a postcode.&#x20;
* [Postcode Unit Area](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/gb-postcodes/postcode-unit-area) is an area representation of the notional extents of areas containing addresses which share a common postcode unit&#x20;

The [OS NI Postcodes Collection](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/ni-postcodes) is a complete, analytical and authoritative postcode dataset for Northern Ireland. It is designed to provide a detailed view of postcodes. It contains the following feature type:  &#x20;

* [Postcode Unit Point](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units/ni-postcodes/postcode-unit-point) is a point representation of a postcode, calculated from the average positions of addresses which share a postcode.&#x20;

## Additional benefits&#x20;

In response to customer feedback OS has:&#x20;

* Removed 'vertical streets' and replaced them with coincident geometries, simplifying how postcode areas relate to mapped features. &#x20;
* Introduced interoperable attribution between Postcode Unit Points and Postcode Unit Areas to ensure consistency across datasets.&#x20;
* Implemented related entities containing Local Government and NHS codes to improve usability as codes change. &#x20;

## Product comparison map

{% embed url="<https://osonline.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/compare/index.html?appid=ab0dea609f4f406f826541d3e5fb2217>" %}

Please note, NHS codes and Local Government Codes are linked via the ‘related entities table’. &#x20;

## Key attribute comparison table &#x20;

<table data-header-hidden="false" data-header-sticky><thead><tr><th>Attribute Type</th><th>Code‑Point</th><th>OS NGD Postcode Unit Point</th><th>Code‑Point with Polygons</th><th>OS NGD Postcode Unit Area</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Postcode (Full – with space) </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Postcode (Full – without a space) </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Postcode Area </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Postcode District </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Postcode Sector </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Postcode Type  </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Positional Quality Information </td><td>Yes (PQI) </td><td>Replaced by <code>inputAddressAccuracy</code> </td><td>Yes (PQI) </td><td>Not applicable* </td></tr><tr><td>Version Date Information  </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Local government codes </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (via related entities) </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (via related entities) </td></tr><tr><td>NHS codes </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (via related entities) </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (via related entities) </td></tr><tr><td>PO Box indicator </td><td>Yes  <br>(<code>po_box_ind</code>) <br> </td><td>Yes  <br>(<code>ispobox</code>) </td><td>Yes  <br>(<code>po_box_ind</code>) <br> </td><td>Yes  <br>(<code>ispobox</code>) </td></tr><tr><td>Delivery Point Total </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes  </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Domestic delivery points per postcode unit </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (residential) </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (residential) </td></tr><tr><td>Non‑domestic delivery points per postcode unit </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (commercial) </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (commercial) </td></tr><tr><td>Postcode delivery points matched / unmatched </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Vertical street look‑up table </td><td>No </td><td>Not applicable* </td><td>Yes </td><td>Not applicable* </td></tr><tr><td>Coincident Geometries (replacing Vertical Streets) </td><td>No </td><td>No </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td></tr><tr><td>Northern Ireland coverage </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes (separate NI dataset) </td><td>No </td><td>No </td></tr><tr><td>Polygon geometry </td><td>No </td><td>No </td><td>Yes </td><td>Yes  </td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Added benefits and supporting notes&#x20;

* *Not applicable\** in the table above indicates that the concept is not required in the OS NGD due to changes in data modelling.
* The Positional Quality Indicator (PQI) used in Code‑Point products is replaced by the `inputAddressAccuracy` attribute in the OS NGD, which provides clearer and more descriptive information about positional confidence.&#x20;
* Postcode Unit Point provides complete postcode coverage, including low accuracy and PO Box cases.&#x20;
* Postcode Unit Area is only created where sufficient positional accuracy exists, so not all postcodes have a polygon representation.&#x20;
* The vertical street lookup table used in Code‑Point with Polygons is no longer required. The OS NGD uses coincident geometries to represent overlapping postcode areas.&#x20;
* The OS NGD introduces versioning and lifecycle attributes, enabling customers to understand when features change over time.&#x20;

## Currency

Code‑Point products are updated quarterly, with each release provided as a full resupply of the dataset.

OS NGD postcodes data is updated on a monthly cycle. Data is updated on the 17th of each month. Updates are provided as:

* Daily Change‑Only Updates (COU), with data only appearing on the monthly update day &#x20;
* Monthly full or COU supply, delivered at the start of the following month &#x20;

| Aspect                         | Code‑Point Products    | OS NGD Postcode Products                            |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Update frequency               | Quarterly              | Monthly (17th of each month)                        |
| Update model                   | Periodic batch updates | Continuous updates with scheduled monthly release   |
| Change‑only updates (COU)      | Not available          | Available (daily feed, populated monthly)           |
| Full supply updates            | Periodic full refresh  | Available monthly or on demand                      |
| Temporal views (historic data) | Not supported          | Supported (snapshot and temporal filtering)         |
| Consistency of dataset         | Fixed at each release  | Consistent monthly snapshot with controlled updates |

## Data supply &#x20;

### File formats &#x20;

| Attribute                         | Code‑Point                      | Code‑Point with Polygons                                                   | OS NGD Postcode Unit Point         | OS NGD Postcode Unit Area          |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| File formats                      | CSV, GPKG                       | Esri® SHP, GPKG, MapInfo® MID/MIF, MapInfo® TAB, or Vector Tiles (MBTiles) | CSV, GPKG, GeoJSON (API)           | CSV, GPKG, GeoJSON (API)           |
| Access method                     | Download only                   | Download only                                                              | API and download (OS Select+Build) | API and download (OS Select+Build) |
| API access                        | No                              | No                                                                         | Yes                                | Yes                                |
| Custom extract (area of interest) | No                              | No                                                                         | Yes                                | Yes                                |
| National coverage dataset         | <p>UK wide <br>(GB and NI) </p> | GB                                                                         | <p>GB  <br>NI separate </p>        | GB                                 |

## Download data ordering options  &#x20;

### OS NGD Postcodes

For OS NGD Postcodes data, all OS NGD download data is supplied through OS Select+Build in the [OS Data Hub](https://osdatahub.os.uk/). OS Select+Build is the bespoke download service for OS NGD data and it offers a much more tailored experience to ordering and downloading OS data, with an improved range of options, including:&#x20;

* True areas of interest can be defined, enabling customers to extract only the data relevant to a specific geographic area, rather than fixed national datasets. Data can be supplied as:&#x20;
  * Full Great Britain coverage&#x20;
  * Predefined areas (OS polygons)&#x20;
  * Customer-defined areas of interest &#x20;
* In addition to updates being delivered as full refreshes, it is also possible to take COUs in CSV format for full Great Britain coverage, so you receive only the updated features. &#x20;
* A range of ordering options is available, including:&#x20;
  * One‑off full supply&#x20;
  * Regular full supply refresh (monthly, annual)&#x20;
  * COUs (daily, monthly)&#x20;
* The OS NGD also supports temporal filtering, enabling you to request data as it existed at a specific point in time. &#x20;

## Supporting links

The [OS NGD Documentation site](https://docs.os.uk/osngd) has further information that you may find useful. Some particularly relevant sections that may aid you with migration are:&#x20;

* [OS NGD Fundamentals](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/getting-started/os-ngd-fundamentals)&#x20;
* [OS NGD Administrative and Statistical Units Theme](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/data-structure/administrative-and-statistical-units)

Further guidance on downloading with OS Select+Build (the bespoke download service for OS NGD data) and using and loading OS NGD data in both CSV and GeoPackage formats:&#x20;

* [Downloading with OS Select+Build](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/getting-started/downloading-with-os-select+build)
* [Getting Started with CSV](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/getting-started/downloading-with-os-select+build/getting-started-with-csv)
* [Getting Started with GeoPackage](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/getting-started/downloading-with-os-select+build/getting-started-with-geopackage)

Further guidance on the differing formats for OS NGD data: &#x20;

* [OS NGD file formats and naming](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/getting-started/os-ngd-fundamentals/file-formats-and-naming)

Further guidance on OS NGD data ordering and currency:

* [Data ordering and currency](https://docs.os.uk/osngd/getting-started/os-ngd-fundamentals/os-ngd-data-ordering-and-currency)

End of Life notices for Code-Point and Code-Point with Polygons:

* [End of Life notice for Code-Point](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/resources/product-resources/end-of-life-product-notices/end-of-life-notice-code-point)
* [End of Life notice for Code-Point with Polygons](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/resources/product-resources/end-of-life-product-notices/end-of-life-notice-code-point-with-polygons)


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