Care Of Symbol (℅)
The care of symbol ℅ is Unicode U+2105, a postal abbreviation symbol indicating that mail is addressed to a recipient via an intermediary person or organization. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.
- Unicode
U+2105- HTML
℅- Word
2105 Alt+X
How to type the care of symbol (℅)
The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ℅ yourself, use the method for your device below.
Windows
- In Word or Outlook, type 2105 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
- Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Care of, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.
Mac
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for care of and double-click it.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2105.
Linux & ChromeOS
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2105, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
iPhone & iPad
- Copy ℅ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;care. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.
Android
- Copy ℅ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.
Microsoft Word
- Type 2105, then press Alt + X.
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2105 in “Character code” and click Insert.
Google Docs
- Insert → Special characters, then search for “care of” or draw it in the box.
Excel & Google Sheets
- Enter
=UNICHAR(8453)in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.
HTML
- Write
℅or℅in your HTML.
What does ℅ mean?
The care of symbol ℅ (Unicode name CARE OF) is a specialized typographical glyph representing the postal instruction "in care of" or "c/o". It indicates that an envelope or parcel is being delivered to an intermediary party—such as an employer, hotel, hospital, landlord, or family member—who is responsible for passing the correspondence to the intended final recipient. Encoded in Unicode within the letterlike symbols block, the character merges a lowercase "c" and "o" separated by a diagonal slash, mirroring historical accounting abbreviations. While modern typists often type three separate characters ("c/o"), the dedicated symbol preserves compact spacing in formal addressing, legal notices, and official postal records alongside standard punctuation symbols and registered corporate addresses under legal symbols.
Common uses
- Mailing addresses directing letters to individuals via an organization: ℅ Department of Engineering
- Correspondence addressed to hotel guests or hospital patients during temporary stays
- Corporate legal notices delivered via registered agent services
- Banking and trust management correspondence handled by an executor
Care Of Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming
Every code below produces ℅. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.
| Unicode code point | U+2105 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML entity (named) | ℅ | |
| HTML decimal | ℅ | |
| HTML hex | ℅ | |
| CSS content | content: "\2105"; | |
| JavaScript | "\u2105" | |
| Python | "\u2105" | |
| Python (by name) | "\N{CARE OF}" | |
| Java / C# | "\u2105" | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 84 85 | |
| UTF-16 | 2105 | |
| URL encoded | %E2%84%85 |
℅ vs look-alike characters
These characters look similar to ℅ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.
| Char | Name | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
C + Solidus + Latin Small Letter OU+0063 U+002F U+006F | Three separate ASCII characters (c, slash, o) typed sequentially. | |
PercentU+0025 | Percent sign (U+0025), a mathematical symbol representing parts per hundred. | |
Account ofU+2100 | Account of symbol (U+2100), an archaic accounting ligature for "account of". |
Symbols similar to ℅
Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full punctuation symbols collection.
℅ character properties
- Official Unicode name
- CARE OF
- Also known as
- c/o symbol, care of sign, in care of symbol
- Code point
- U+2105
- Unicode block
- Letterlike Symbols (U+2100–U+214F)
- General category
- Other symbol (So)
- Added in
- Unicode 1.1 (1993)
- Plane
- Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
- Emoji
- No, it is a text symbol
Frequently asked questions
When should I use the care of symbol ℅?
Use ℅ when sending mail to someone who is residing temporarily at another person’s address or receiving mail through an organization or employer.
Can I just type c/o instead of ℅?
Yes. Most people type the three characters "c/o" because it is easier to find on standard keyboards, but ℅ is the single typographic character designed specifically for postal layout.
Where does ℅ go on an envelope?
Place ℅ on the second line of the address block, directly beneath the recipient’s name, followed by the name of the intermediary person or company.
Is there an alt code for the care of symbol?
No. ℅ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2105 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.
How do I type the care of symbol on a Mac?
There is no single Option shortcut for ℅ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “care of” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code for the care of symbol?
Use the named entity ℅ or the numeric reference ℅ (hex ℅). All three display ℅ in every browser.
What is the Unicode for the care of symbol?
℅ is U+2105, officially named CARE OF, in the Letterlike Symbols block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).