The shipping industry contains unique terms and acronyms that can be confusing to those who are not full-time members of the industry. Additionally, the SaaS (Software as a Service) industry and EasyPost have their own unique terms and cultures, which can add to the complexity. To assist, a glossary of commonly used terms and acronyms has been created.
See also: USPS: List of Acronyms/Abbreviations and Postal Terms
| Term | Definition |
| Address Verification Service (AVS) | EasyPost offers an AVS to ensure packages are delivered to the correct destination. |
| Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) | An electronic notification sent to a customer detailing shipment information and expected delivery time. |
| Airway Bill (AWB) | Synonymous with “tracking number.” |
| Application Programming Interface (API) | An interface that enables data transfer between applications, distinct from a User Interface (UI). |
| Army Post Office (APO) | USPS: List of Acronyms/Abbreviations |
| Automatic Pricing File (APF) | A file used to share pricing information/updates. |
| Batch | Enables operations on multiple shipments simultaneously through the Batch object. |
| Bill of Lading (BOL) | For fulfillment, it’s a required document that lists all products and quantities a vendor is sending to a fulfillment center. |
| Black Box | A system, device, or process whose internal workings are not visible or accessible to the user. |
| Bound Printed Matter (BPM) | USPS: Postal Terms |
| Bring Your Own Account (BYOA) | Allows users to connect their own carrier accounts using their own credentials, enabling them to use their negotiated rates and billing preferences. |
| Business to Business (B2B) | Any business that is conducted with other businesses. |
| Business to Consumer (B2C) | The process of selling products and services directly between a business and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services. |
| Carrier | A term used for the kind folks who get mail from point A to point B. Typically "carrier" references the shipping company itself. (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) |
| Carrier Account (CA) | EasyPost carrier account. |
| Client Success Manager (CSM) | Client Success Manager |
| Client URL (cURL) | A computer software project providing a library (libcurl) and a command-line tool (curl) for transferring data using various network protocols. macOS supports cURL in its "terminal" command-line tool without extra set up or configuration needed. |
| Consignee | The entity or person who is receiving the shipment. This term is used because the word “consign” means to deliver some goods. |
| Core API | Suite of APIs created to handle shipping, tracking, rating and buying labels |
| Data Protection Officer (DPO) | Data Protection Officer - an appointment that’s part of EU GDPR compliance. |
| Default Carrier | A Default Carrier is a Carrier that EasyPost offers customers to easily enable in their EasyPost Account without having to create an account with the carrier directly. In these situations, EasyPost tends to own the carrier relationship; be in the payment chain (receive payments from the shippers directly); have advantageous rates compared to the basic rate offerings from the carrier, and make more revenue when labels are purchased on these carriers. |
| Deliver at Place (DAP) | Deliver at Place (see also Incoterm) |
| Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) | Delivered Duty Unpaid - an Incoterm (Deprecated and replaced by DAP. See also Incoterm) |
| Delivery Duties Paid (DDP) | International trade term indicating that the seller is responsible for making a safe delivery of goods to a named destination, paying all transportation expenses, and assuming all risks during transportation. |
| Destination Distribution Unit (DDU) | USPS distribution center for last-mile distribution. 33k such facilities across the US (a fancy acronym for Post Office). |
| Destination Network Distribution Center (DNDC) | USPS facility that covers the broadest range of USPS DC’s, there are 21 such facilities in the US. |
| Destination Sectional Carrier Facility (DSCF) | USPS service station for a range of DDU’s or a “section”, there are 350 such facilities in the US. |
| Digital Access Program (DAP) | Digital Access Program (UPS program) |
| Dimensional Weight (DIM) | A pricing technique for commercial transport (including courier and postal services) of larger packages with a lighter weight. |
| Distribution Center | A key part of the distribution chain for products, order fulfillment, and storing produced goods prior to their shipment to wholesale, retail, or customers. |
| Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) | The mailing standards of the United States Postal Service. |
| Driver Summary Manifest (DSM) | A document that a shipper must supply to a DHL driver upon pickup. |
| Drop-shipping | Shipping wherein the online store doesn’t keep the product it sells in its own inventory. Instead, the store partners with a wholesale supplier and passes the order details to them, so the supplier ships the product directly to the customer. |
| Dynamic Parcel Distribution (DPD) | A French courier company that offers a variety of services, including domestic and international shipping, next-day delivery, and online tracking. |
| eCommerce Platforms | Low code website builders like Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, WooCommerce, etc. |
| Employer Identification Number (EIN) | Also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, an EIN is used to identify a business entity. Businesses need an EIN to conduct business in the United States. An EIN is required for any shipments sent to EasyPost from an international origin. |
| End of Day (EoD) | Commonly used to set a deadline for a task that should be completed by the end of the business day. |
| Endpoint | For APIs, an endpoint can include a URL of a server or service. Each endpoint is the location from which an application can access the resources it needs to carry out its function. |
| EndShipper | The EndShipper API is for platforms purchasing postage on behalf of their users, the EndShipper. Endshippers are typically responsible for what is in the box. |
| Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) | A type of business management software. |
| ePacket | An inexpensive commercial international service. |
| European Article Number (EAN) | A type of barcode that also works in the United States. |
| eXtensible Markup Language (XML) | XML is a markup language much like HTML. XML was designed to store and transport data and is still used by many of the carriers that EasyPost interfaces with. |
| First-Class Package International Service (FCPIS) | First-Class Package International Service for USPS |
| Fleet Post Office (FPO) | Fleet Post Office, Navy post office |
| FOOBAR | A specific word or set of words identified as a placeholder in computer science. |
| Fulfillment | The receipt, processing, packaging, and shipping of orders made through an online store. |
| Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) | A service offered by Amazon as a means for third-party sellers to automate their order fulfillment and shipping services. |
| Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit (FNSKU) Code | A unique identifier used by Amazon to identify products and sellers. |
| Full Truckload (FTL) | Refers to a shipment that takes up all of the space on a truck. Essentially, the whole truck is dedicated to transporting the shipment alone without any other shipments sharing space on the trailer. Starting at around 12 pallets is when shipments reach the volume where they can be considered a FTL. |
| General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) | EU data privacy regulations which came into effect May 2018 |
| Global Standards 1 (GS1) | A globally recognized barcode that identifies products and companies. |
| Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) | Used to indicate the total volume of sales in dollars. For EasyPost, this is the total value of all sales through our systems, inclusive of the payments that flow directly to carriers which never pass through our payments system (e.g. if a DHL label is purchased for $10 and $9.99 of that goes straight to DHL without being processed through our system, we would count the full $10 as part of GMV). |
| Gross Shipping Value (GSV) | The total monetary value of all shipments processed through a platform before any discounts, refunds, or adjustments. The GSV represents the sum of shipping costs, including base rates, surcharges, and additional fees, across all shipments within a given period. |
| Harmonized System (HS) Code | A code associated with your product for shipping internationally. |
| Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) | A cryptographic technique used to verify the integrity and authenticity of a message by hashing it with a secret key. Commonly used in webhooks to ensure data security and prevent tampering. |
| Idempotent Requests |
Safely retrying requests without accidentally performing the same operation twice. |
| Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) | An electronic portal that helps simplify the process of paying and declaring value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods into the European Union (EU). |
| Indicia Stamp | An indicia stamp refers to the pre-printed mark on mail that acts as proof of postage payment. |
| Integration | The process of combining multiple components into a single unit that functions more efficiently. |
| International Commercial Terms (INCOTERM) | A set of internationally recognized rules that define the responsibilities of buyers and sellers in the export of goods. |
| International Priority Airmail (IPA) | International Priority Airmail for USPS. |
| International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) | International Surface Air Lift for USPS |
| Inventory Management System (IMS) | A software application or system used to track, manage, and control inventory levels, locations, and movements within a warehouse or supply chain, providing real-time visibility and data-driven decision-making capabilities. |
| Java | A programming language and computing platform first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995. EasyPost helps to maintain an open-source Java client library to help developers get started with EasyPost fast. |
| JavaScript | Not to be confused with Java! JavaScript is a scripting or programming language that allows you to implement complex features on web pages, but it has also been adapted as a server-side language (see also Node.js). |
| JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) | A standard text-based format for representing structured data based on JavaScript object syntax. |
| JSON Web Token (JWT) | A compact URL-safe means of representing claims to be transferred between two parties. Pronounced jot. |
| Just In Time (JIT) | An inventory system, and a management strategy that aligns raw-material orders from suppliers directly with production schedules. Companies employ this inventory strategy to increase efficiency and decrease waste by receiving goods only as they need them for the production process, which reduces inventory costs. |
| Kilograms (KG) | Unit of mass (equivalent to approximately 2.205 lb), first introduced as a unit of mass for the metric system. |
| Less than Truckload (LTL) | Refers to how much truck space the shipment takes up. Quite literally, the shipment takes less space than the truck has available. Generally, if your shipment is palletized with the standard 40” x 48” dimensions, anything less than 12 pallets will be an LTL shipment. |
| Letterbox Tracked (LBT) | In a Royal Mail context, this means “LetterBox”. |
| Mailstream | The total live mail at any time in a USPS mail processing function. |
| Manifest | As a noun, a manifest is a document, typically an XML, that contains a list of references and barcodes to labels that we have generated, that we intend to use, and thus get charged for by the carriers. The total number of labels that get manifested is a subset of the total number of labels that are generated. As a verb, “to manifest” means to generate this document. |
| Marketplace | A platform that allows third-party vendors to sell their goods or services. |
| Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) | A document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. |
| Metadata | The information that describes and explains data. |
| Minimum Viable Product (MVP) | A version of a product with just enough features to satisfy early users and gather feedback for future development. |
| Monolith | A software architecture where all components of an application are integrated into a single, unified system. |
| Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) | Typically this references a special service agreement between the USPS and a large volume shipper, but could also apply to agreements with other entities. |
| Nexus | A connection or series of connections linking two or more things. |
| Node.js | A JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. EasyPost helps to maintain a Node Client Library so that JavasScriptorians can easily get started with EasyPost in Minutes! |
| Norton Shopping Garuntee | Product purchased by Simpler Postage that offers a widget on ecommerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce) to allow customers to purchase EP insurance that is branded with Norton branding |
| Omnichannel | A business strategy that provides a consistent customer experience across all channels, including in-store, mobile, and online. |
| Online Business Account (OBA) | A Royal Mail term for their business user accounts. |
| Open Authorization (OAuth) | A way for internet users to grant access to their information on other websites without providing passwords. |
| Order | In the EasyPost API context orders refers to Multi-parcel Shipment (MPS) orders which is a service offered by some carriers such as DHL Express, UPS, and FedEx. MPS orders are basically shipments to the same destination, containing multiple parcels. These carriers can track and invoice these shipments as grouped MPS orders and EasyPost hooks into this functionality for these carriers. |
| Order Discrepancy (OD) | An order than has been prepped for longer than 24 hours. |
| Order Management System (OMS) | Software that helps users manage online customer orders. |
| Other Regulated Materials for Domestic Transport Only (ORM-D) | Other Regulated Materials for Domestic Transport Only (aka hazardous materials). |
| Pagination | Method used to divide large sets of data into manageable pages or chunks. Records are returned in descending order (most recent first), and the has_more attribute indicates whether or not additional pages can be requested. |
| Pallet | A pallet (sometimes called a skid) is a portable platform, usually made of wood or plastic. Goods are placed on a pallet and secured to it so that transporting them is easier. Most standard pallets are 40”L x 48”W. |
| Parcel | Synonymous with "package". A box, packet, or other contraption that wraps your items to protect them in transit through the carrier network. |
| Payload | That data sent within a request or response body during an API call. |
| A file format that provides an electronic image of text or text and graphics that looks like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically transmitted. | |
| Pick List | A document that tells you the number of items needed to fulfill one or more orders. |
| PNG | Portable Network Graphics is a raster-graphics file format that supports lossless data compression. PNG was developed as an improved, non-patented replacement for Graphics Interchange Format (GIF). |
| Poster | Royal Mail or English term for “sender of parcels” |
| Pre-registration scheme (PRS) | A system where individuals can sign up or register for something, like a course, event, or program, before the official registration period opens. |
| Preadvice | For Royal Mail. Often used in relation to manifests. The process for generating and submitting Preadvice Files. See Preadvice Files. |
| Preadvice Files | For Royal Mail. Often used in relation to manifests. Files we submit to tell Royal Mail that we’ve created labels. When we manifest, we call the OBA service with data about the shipments that were manifested, so that RM can bill the customer. |
| Price Tables | See Rate Tables. |
| Priority Mail International (PMI) | Priority Mail International (also for USPS) |
| PRO Number | A unique number that carriers use to track and organize freight shipments. |
| Proof of Delivery (POD) | Documentation or confirmation that a shipment was delivered to its intended recipient. |
| Quantity (QTY) | The amount or number of a material or immaterial thing not usually estimated by spatial measurement. When shipping internationally you will need to declare the quantity of a given item. |
| Quick Response (QR) Code | A type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode). It is sometimes used on carrier shipping labels. |
| Rate Limiting | The act of limiting how many API calls a user can make in a given period of time to a server. |
| Rate Tables | The rating data stored in a database. Also called "price tables". |
| Ready to Ship | When the product arrives at the warehouse, nothing needs to be done to protect the product before shipping it. |
| Salesforce (SF) | A cloud-based software company that provides customer relationship management (CRM) products to help businesses manage their sales and marketing operations. |
| ScanForm | A ScanForm can be created to speed up and simplify the carrier pickup process. The ScanForm is one document that can be scanned to mark all included tracking codes as "Accepted for Shipment" by the carrier. |
| Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) | An open standard that allows for the exchange of authentication and authorization data between parties. It's an XML-based markup language that's used for security assertions, which are statements that service providers use to make access-control decisions. Used in many SSOs that integrate with Active Directory (see also: OAuth, JWT) |
| Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) | Service on Amazon.com. |
| Serial Tracking | Electronics products mostly, specific number outside of the barcode, each actual unit number, only supported by custom API integration. |
| Service Level Agreement (SLA) | A contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the level of service to be provided and the metrics used to measure performance. |
| Sharding | A database architecture technique that splits a large dataset into smaller, more manageable pieces, called "shards," which are stored across multiple servers. This helps improve performance and scalability. |
| Shipment | Typically a shipment is a parcel or crate being transferred to a new destination. Shipment within the EasyPost world can also refer to the "shipment object" within the EasyPost API. The shipment object contains all of the information EasyPost needs for a given shipment (parcel) such as destination, origin, parcel size/weight, etc. |
| Shipper | The entity or person who is providing the freight goods to the carrier for shipment. |
| Small and Medium-sized Business (SMBs) | Small medium businesses that do less than 10,000 monthly labels. |
| SmartRate | The SmartRate API provides shippers with highly accurate, shipment-level transit time predictions. Users can leverage this data to make informed decisions about shipping strategies to save money, improve on-time delivery, and get reliable estimated delivery dates. |
| Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) | Helps track items for inventory. EasyPost treats these as barcodes. |
| Subject Matter Expert (SME) | A person who has a high level of knowledge and experience in a specific topic or field. |
| Support Engineer (SE) | Support Engineer |
| Tea | A drink with jam and bread. |
| Time in Transit (TinT) | Refers to the Time in Transit for a shipments from the moment the package is acknowledged by the carrier to the first out for delivery attempt. This value is typically in number of days. |
| Third-Party Logistics (3PL) | A service that allows businesses to outsource various parts of their distribution, warehousing, and fulfillment operations. |
| TL;DR | Too long; didn't read |
| Tracking | The service provided by carriers and EasyPost to update customers and shippers on the status of their shipment (parcel) as it moves through the carrier network to its destination. |
| UN Number | UN numbers are four-digit numbers that identify hazardous materials. If you are shipping any hazardous materials, please provide the UN number so the appropriate course of action can be taken. |
| United Postal Service (UPS) | The guys in brown trucks dropping off boxes in your neighborhood. |
| United States Postal Service (USPS) | United States Postal Service. The only mail carrier service guaranteed by the constitution of the United States. They put stuff in your mailbox. |
| Universal Hours Worked | The period of time that a person spends at paid labor. |
| Universal Picks Per Hour (UPH) | The number of items that are picked every hour in a warehouse. |
| Universal Product Code (UPC) | A barcode. |
| User Interface (UI) | The point of contact between humans and computers. |
| Value-Added Tax (VAT) | A consumption tax assessed on the value added in each production stage of a good or service. |
| Warehouse Management System (WMS) | Multiple WMS providers have partnered with EasyPost to help deliver shipping solutions to their end-users. |
| Webhook | A callback function that allows two application programming interfaces (APIs) to communicate with each other in an event-driven way. |
| White Label | A product or service that is produced by one company but rebranded and sold by another company as its own. |
| YAML | YAML is a human-readable data serialization standard that can be used in conjunction with all programming languages and is often used to write configuration files. |
| Zebra | A type of exotic animal found in Madagascar and other magical lands. |
| Zebra Programming Language (ZPL) | A programming language authored by scoundrels to give thermal printers instructions on how to render and print a label. |