One of the things the UK's postcodes do that US ZIP codes don't do is they're alphanumeric but all the confusables are eliminated, so e.g. SS2 5QF exists, this means S52SQF, 5525QF, SS2SQF and so on are just misreadings of SS2 5QF - so both a machine and a (suitably knowledgeable) human can just correct them automatically.
The use of alphanumerics is much more common everywhere in UK systems than many foreign systems and I think they're almost always a benefit. Postcodes, National Insurance numbers (~ tax IDs), Map references, Car number plates ... In many of these systems the initial introduction of alphanumerics substantially predates automation, so perhaps other countries figured numbers would be easier for machines, but this was a very fleeting benefit.
You do need to eliminate confusables though, having 1I1Il and I1l1I both be valid and signify different things is clearly an enormous problem.
The use of alphanumerics is much more common everywhere in UK systems than many foreign systems and I think they're almost always a benefit. Postcodes, National Insurance numbers (~ tax IDs), Map references, Car number plates ... In many of these systems the initial introduction of alphanumerics substantially predates automation, so perhaps other countries figured numbers would be easier for machines, but this was a very fleeting benefit.
You do need to eliminate confusables though, having 1I1Il and I1l1I both be valid and signify different things is clearly an enormous problem.