Care Of Letter
℅ is the “care of” symbol used in addresses to indicate routing via another person or organization.
U+2105
The symbol ℅ is commonly read as “care of.” It’s used in postal addresses and labels to show that mail should be delivered through someone else. Below you’ll find practical uses and copy-ready ways to insert it.
Care Of Letter Meaning
℅ (Unicode U+2105, “CARE OF”) is a typographic symbol that stands for “care of,” often abbreviated as “c/o” in plain text. In an address, it indicates that the recipient’s mail should be handled by an intermediary person, business, or institution—who then forwards it to the intended recipient. This is most common in postal and mailing contexts, such as apartment delivery instructions, business mail routing, and document “attention” workflows. Use it when you want a compact, consistent symbol instead of writing “care of” or “c/o.”
Common uses
- •Postal addresses to route mail via an intermediary (e.g., c/o a building manager)
- •Business correspondence where documents are handled “care of” a specific office or person
- •Shipping labels indicating the package should be delivered through a carrier or service location
- •Directory listings that format recipient lines using a consistent symbol
- •Printed forms where space is limited and “c/o” or “care of” is replaced by ℅
Examples
℅ Care of Symbol (Copy & Unicode Details)
- ℅Jane Doe ℅ Acme Office, 123 Main St, Springfield
- ℅Attn: Accounts Payable ℅ Harbor Logistics, Dock 4, Bay City
- ℅John Smith ℅ Residence Services, 55 Oak Ave, Lakeside
- ℅Maria Chen ℅ City Library, 10 Center Rd, Metrotown
- ℅Document delivery ℅ Legal Affairs Office, 200 Market St, Capital City
Variations
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+2105 | |
| HTML Entity | ℅ | |
| HTML Code | ℅ | |
| CSS | \2105 | |
| Alt Code | Alt + 8453 | |
| Decimal | 8453 |
How to type Care Of Letter (℅)
On Windows
Hold Alt and type 8453 on the numeric keypad. In Word, type 2105 then press Alt + X.
On Mac
Switch to the Unicode Hex Input keyboard, then hold Option and type 2105. Or press Control + Command + Space and search.
On Linux
Press Control + Shift + U, type 2105, then press Enter or Space.
Anywhere
Copy ℅ with the button above and paste it wherever you need it — this works on every device and in every app, with no keyboard shortcut to remember.
FAQ
What does the symbol ℅ mean?
℅ means “care of” (Unicode U+2105). It indicates mail or documents should be delivered via an intermediary, similar to “c/o.”
Where should I use ℅?
You can use it in postal addresses, shipping labels, and business correspondence where “care of” formatting is needed.
How do I copy ℅ into HTML or CSS?
Use the HTML entity ℅ or the CSS escape \2105. (Unicode code point is U+2105.)
Is ℅ the same as “c/o”?
Yes—℅ is the typographic symbol equivalent commonly read as “care of,” the same concept as “c/o” in addresses.