Transliteration

Edited

What is Transliteration?

Transliteration allows any non-Latin languages/scripts to be returned in Latin script. This also allows users to search using either the non-Latin or Latin script which will still return the same options.

Transliteration is not translation.  If we take the word улица in a Russian address above, this translates into English as street but is transliterated as ulitsa.  

English, French, Spanish, German, and similar languages utilize the Latin character set. With a Latin keyboard, one can input characters from any of these languages.

66 of our 251 supported countries have addresses in a language that uses a non-Latin character set, as illustrated by the examples below:

Language

Example Address

Transliterated Address

Greek

Θεσσαλονίκης 12
57004 Θερμαϊκός
GREECE

Thessalonikis 12
57004 Thermaikos
GREECE

Russian

Анненская улица 1
Москва
127521
RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Annenskaya ulitsa 1
Moskva
127521
RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Chinese

康麗花園第一座
129, 屯門鄉事會路
屯門區
HONG KONG

KangLiHuaYuanDiYiZuo
129, TunMenXiangShiHuiLu
TunMenQu
HONG KONG

Japanese

JAPAN
〒120-0015
東京都足立区
足立 1-9-12

1-9-12
Adachi, Adachi Ward
Tokyo 120-0015
JAPAN

Many software applications are incapable of handling non-Latin characters.   To overcome this issue addresses are transliterated, letters are swapped in a predictable way with Latin characters.

How do I enable Transliteration?

Navigate to your integration → Select Settings then choose the Advanced tab.

You'll find the transliteration setting in the Character sets and substitutes section. Toggle this on and off as needed.

Note: Transliteration is turned on by default for an integration.