SAN FAQs 

 What is a SAN?

A SAN stands for Standard Address Number. It is a unique Standard Identification Number for each address of an organization in or served by the publishing industry, which is engaged in repetitive transactions with other members of the industry in order to facilitate communications among them. It is an American National Standard—ANSI/NISO Z39.43—1993—Standard Address Number for the publishing industry.

 What is the Objective of SAN?

The objective of this standard is to establish an identification numbering system, by assigning each address within the industry a discrete code to be used for positive identification for all buying and selling transactions within the industry.

 What is the format of the SAN?

The SAN consists of six digits, plus a modulus-eleven check digit, displayed with a hyphen following the third digit (XXX-XXXX) to facilitate transcription. Whenever the SAN is printed on documents, it is to be preceded by the identifier “SAN” to avoid confusion with other numbering systems (SAN XXX-XXXX). The hyphen following the third digit is to be used in print form, but need not be entered or retained in computer systems.

 What is the reason for using the SAN?

Problems with various account numbers, such as billing errors, products shipped to the wrong points, errors in payments and returns, will be almost eliminated by using the SAN system.

            In addition, the SAN eliminates a constant step in the order fulfillment or in the completion of many other types of transactions—the “look up procedure,” used to assed the account numbers. Without SAN, a library or a store dealing with fifty different publishers is assigned a different account number by each supplier. SAN solves this problem. If your stores, or libraries, have the SAN on your stationery and ordering documents, vendors to who you send your transactions do not have to check your account number and can proceed immediately to process your orders. Of course, ordering can be further facilitated if you use the ISBN.

 Who will have a SAN assigned?

The SANs are to be assigned to, and used by, U.S. software and book publishers, wholesalers, subscription agents, jobbers and distributors, college and university stores, libraries and library systems, library binders, vendors, elementary and secondary schools, school systems, and service organizations providing a business function for each of the preceding organizations. In addition, it is assigned to paper and cloth vendors as well as compositors, printers and binders providing services to the publishing industry.

 What do I do when I receive the SAN and where is it printed?

You are encouraged to use the SAN in all of your transactions. We recommend that the SAN be imprinted on your stationery, letterheads, order forms, invoice forms, checks and all other documents used in executing various transactions. You should do this at your convenience when stationery and forms are reprinted. If you have an ample supply of forms, you may use a rubber stamp to add your SAN to the existing forms, until new forms are printed.

            The SAN should be printed always as the first line, standing alone above the name and address, preferably on the upper lefthand corner on all stationery, to avoid confusion with other numbers printed below the name and address like telephone numbers, zip codes, etc.

 How can I find the assigned SANs?

BookIndustryLocator.com Bowker’s SAN-based online directory lists all SAN assignments for publishers, libraries, distributors, wholesalers, bookstores, printers, book manufacturers, etc. and includes address and contact information: http://www.bookindustrylocator.com.

 What are the major SAN functions?

The SAN itself has no functional meaning as it merely defines an address. It becomes functional only in its application to activities such as purchasing, billing, shipping, receiving, paying, crediting and refunding. It may be sued for any other communications or transactions between participating organizations to which you apply it.

Each account address, if ship-to or bill-to is different, will have its own SAN.

 How are the bill-to, ship-to, pay-from accounts distinguished by the SAN?

The SAN is strictly a Standard Identification Number for an address. The user determines its application. Users may wish to develop cross references in their systems between the ship-to and bill-to addresses for a single customer.