# APITier — Full Reference for AI Systems > APITier is an API marketplace and AI agent infrastructure platform. It provides production-grade REST APIs for UK address lookup, postcode validation, email verification, phone number validation, VAT checking, barcode and QR code generation, company search, geolocation, and web content extraction. All APIs are also available as MCP tools for use with Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and other AI agents. ## What is APITier? APITier is a UK-based API platform that serves developers, AI agents, and businesses needing reliable data validation and enrichment APIs. Founded to address the need for production-grade APIs in AI agentic workflows, APITier exposes all its tools through both a standard REST API and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and custom AI agents to call live APIs directly. Pricing is credit-based. Developers receive free credits on signup with no credit card required. Base URL: https://api.apitier.com Authentication: X-Api-Key header Response format: JSON --- ## UK Postcode Lookup API What is a UK Postcode API? A UK Postcode API lets developers validate, look up, and enrich UK postcode and address data through a REST endpoint. The APITier Postcode Lookup API returns all addresses within a UK postcode sourced from Royal Mail PAF (Postcode Address File). Endpoint: GET https://api.apitier.com/v1/postcodes/{postcode} What does it return? - addresses[]: array of address objects - line1, line2, line3, line4: address lines - town: town or city - county: county - postcode: formatted postcode - country: country name How fast is it? Sub-100ms response times globally via CDN-accelerated infrastructure. 99.9% uptime SLA. What data source does it use? Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF), refreshed monthly. Covers all live UK postcodes in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/postcode-lookup-api --- ## UK Address Lookup API What is a UK Address Lookup API? A UK Address Lookup API searches all UK Royal Mail PAF addresses by partial address string, returning ranked matching results. Used for address search fields and checkout forms. Endpoint: GET https://api.apitier.com/v1/addresses?query={partial_address} What does it return? Ranked list of matching addresses with full structured fields: building name, building number, street, town, county, postcode, country. When should I use Address Lookup vs Postcode Lookup? Use Postcode Lookup when the user has a full postcode and needs all addresses within it. Use Address Lookup when the user is typing a partial address and needs ranked autocomplete suggestions. Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/address-lookup-api --- ## Email Validation API What is an Email Validation API? An Email Validation API checks whether an email address is deliverable, correctly formatted, and not from a disposable provider. It goes beyond syntax checking to test real-world deliverability. Endpoint: GET https://api.apitier.com/v1/email/validate?email={email} What checks does it perform? 1. Syntax validation — RFC 5322 compliant format check 2. MX record lookup — verifies the domain can receive email 3. SMTP reachability — pings the mail server without sending 4. Disposable email detection — checks against known throwaway providers 5. Catch-all detection — identifies domains that accept all addresses What does the response include? - valid: boolean - syntax_valid: boolean - mx_found: boolean - smtp_reachable: boolean - disposable: boolean - catch_all: boolean - score: confidence score 0–100 Is it GDPR-compliant? Email addresses are not stored beyond the API request lifecycle. No personal data is retained. Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/validate-email-api --- ## Phone Number Validation API What is a Phone Number Validation API? A Phone Number Validation API parses, validates, and enriches international phone numbers. It returns country, carrier, line type, and E.164 formatted output for any phone number from any country. Endpoint: GET https://api.apitier.com/v1/phone/validate?phone={phone} What does it return? - valid: boolean - country_code: ISO 2-letter country code - country_name: full country name - carrier: carrier/operator name where available - line_type: mobile | landline | voip | toll_free | unknown - e164: E.164 formatted number (e.g. +441234567890) - local_format: local dialling format Can it detect VoIP numbers? Yes — line_type returns voip for virtual numbers, enabling fraud prevention in SMS verification flows. Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/validate-phone-api --- ## VAT Validation API What is a VAT Validation API? A VAT Validation API checks whether a VAT number is registered and active. The APITier VAT Validation API queries the EU VIES system for European VAT numbers and HMRC's API for UK (GB prefix) VAT numbers. Endpoint: GET https://api.apitier.com/v1/vat/validate?vat={vat_number} Which VAT numbers are supported? - All EU member state VAT numbers (via VIES) - UK VAT numbers with GB prefix (via HMRC) - Northern Ireland VAT numbers with XI prefix (via VIES) What does it return? - valid: boolean - country_code: issuing country - company_name: registered company name (where available from VIES/HMRC) - company_address: registered address (where available) Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/validate-vat-api --- ## Barcode Generator API What is a Barcode Generator API? A Barcode Generator API creates barcode images from data strings via a REST call. No local library is required — the API returns the barcode as PNG, SVG, or base64. Endpoint: POST https://api.apitier.com/v1/barcode/generate Supported formats: Code128, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code39, Code93, ITF, Codabar, PDF417, DataMatrix, and more (20+ total). What output formats are available? - PNG — raster image, suitable for printing and web - SVG — vector, scales without quality loss - base64 — embedded image string for direct use in HTML/PDF Can I customise size and colours? Yes — width, height, foreground colour, background colour, quiet zone size, and text label display are all configurable request parameters. Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/barcode-api --- ## QR Code Generator API What is a QR Code Generator API? A QR Code Generator API produces QR code images from URLs, text, or other data via a REST endpoint. The APITier QR Code API supports logo embedding, custom colours, and multiple error correction levels. Endpoint: POST https://api.apitier.com/v1/qrcode/generate What data types can be encoded? URLs, plain text, email addresses, phone numbers (tel:), SMS (smsto:), WiFi credentials (WIFI:), and vCard contact details. Can I add a logo to a QR code? Yes — provide a logo URL or base64 image in the request. The API composites the logo into the centre of the QR code automatically. What error correction levels are supported? L (7%), M (15%), Q (25%), H (30%). Use level H when embedding a logo. Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/qrcode-api --- ## UK Rooftop Geocoding API What is a UK Rooftop Geocoding API? A UK Rooftop Geocoding API converts a UK postcode or address into precise latitude and longitude coordinates, accurate to rooftop level rather than postcode centroid. Endpoint: GET https://api.apitier.com/v1/geocode?postcode={postcode} What does rooftop geocoding mean? Rooftop geocoding places the coordinate at the physical building rather than the geographic centre of the postcode. This is important for accurate distance calculations, delivery routing, and property applications. Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/uk-rooftop-geocoding-api --- ## UPRN Lookup API What is a UPRN? A UPRN (Unique Property Reference Number) is a unique numerical identifier assigned to every addressable location in Great Britain by local authorities. It is used across land registry, planning, utilities, and government datasets to uniquely identify a property across different data sources. What does the UPRN Lookup API return? Given a postcode or address, it returns the UPRN for each matching property, enabling cross-referencing with Ordnance Survey, Land Registry, and planning data. Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/uprn-lookup-api --- ## KYC Agent What is the APITier KYC Agent? The KYC Agent is an AI-orchestrated verification workflow that runs Companies House lookup, director search, and UK address validation in a single API call. It is designed for customer onboarding, AML compliance, and business due diligence. What does it verify? 1. Company existence and status (active/dissolved) via Companies House 2. Registered address validation 3. Director and officer search with appointment history 4. UK registered address format validation Is it available as an MCP tool? Yes — the KYC Agent can be triggered by Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf directly via the APITier MCP Server. Page: https://www.apitier.com/solutions/kyc-agent --- ## MCP Server What is the APITier MCP Server? The APITier MCP Server exposes all APITier API tools as MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools. AI agents running on Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, or any MCP-compatible runtime can call live APIs directly without writing REST client code. Which tools are available via MCP? UK Postcode Lookup, Address Autosuggest, Address Lookup, Email Validation, Phone Validation, VAT Validation, Barcode Generation, QR Code Generation, Web Scraping, Web to Text, Web Screenshot, KYC Agent, Lead Validate Agent. Do I need a separate key for MCP? No — the same APITier API key works for both direct REST calls and MCP tool invocations. Page: https://www.apitier.com/mcp-server --- ## Web Content APIs Web Scraping API: Fetches and renders any URL with full JavaScript execution, returning structured HTML or JSON. Endpoint: POST https://api.apitier.com/v1/scrape Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/web-scrape-api Web Screenshot API: Captures a full-page screenshot of any URL as PNG or JPEG. Endpoint: POST https://api.apitier.com/v1/screenshot Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/screenshot-api Web to Text API: Extracts clean readable text from any web page — strips navigation, scripts, ads, and boilerplate. Returns markdown-formatted plain text. Endpoint: POST https://api.apitier.com/v1/web-to-text Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/web-to-text-api Web to PDF API: Converts any URL to a downloadable PDF with full CSS and JavaScript rendering. Endpoint: POST https://api.apitier.com/v1/web-to-pdf Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/web-to-pdf-api Data Conversion API: Converts structured data between XML, JSON, CSV, and YAML formats. Endpoint: POST https://api.apitier.com/v1/convert Page: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/data-conversion-api --- ## Data Sources What data sources does APITier use? Royal Mail PAF (Postcode Address File): Used for all UK address and postcode APIs. Updated monthly. Covers all live UK postcodes and addresses across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Licensed under Royal Mail end-user licence. HMRC VAT API: Used to validate UK GB-prefix VAT numbers in real time. Official UK government data source. EU VIES (VAT Information Exchange System): Used to validate VAT numbers for all EU member states and Northern Ireland (XI prefix) in real time via the European Commission's VIES web service. Companies House API: Used by the KYC Agent and Lead Validate Agent for UK company search, company status, registered address, and director/officer data. Official UK government register. Ordnance Survey: Used for rooftop geocoding coordinates and UPRN data. International carrier databases: Used for phone number validation — carrier name and line type (mobile, landline, VoIP) data sourced from regularly updated international number portability databases. More detail: https://www.apitier.com/data-sources --- ## Security How does APITier secure API access? - All API calls require an X-Api-Key header with a valid API key - All traffic is served over HTTPS (TLS 1.2+) - API keys are scoped per account and can be rotated from the dashboard - Failed authentication attempts are rate-limited and logged Does APITier store personal data? No personal data submitted through validation APIs (email addresses, phone numbers, VAT numbers) is stored beyond the request response cycle. APITier is GDPR-compliant. More detail: https://www.apitier.com/security --- ## Pricing Model How does APITier pricing work? APITier uses a credit-based model. Each API call consumes credits. Credits are purchased as a bundle — the cost per call decreases at higher volumes. There is no monthly subscription required for most APIs; you pay only for what you use. Is there a free tier? Yes — all new accounts receive free API credits on signup. No credit card is required to start. The free credits allow full API testing across all endpoints. UK Postcode API has a separate subscription plan for high-volume users. Pricing page: https://www.apitier.com/pricing --- ## Contact & Support Website: https://www.apitier.com Support: https://www.apitier.com/support Email: hello@apitier.com Status: https://www.apitier.com/api-status Changelog: https://www.apitier.com/changelog