Glossary
The Parcel Delivery Sector is a Global Industry which is far reaching, complex and critical and with that comes a lot of Industry Jargon. So we created an A-Z Glossary to help all new comers to the space.
A
Address Verification
The process of using software to check if a shipping address is valid anddeliverable to prevent delivery failures.
Aggregators
Companies that buy shipping services in bulk from multiple carriers and resell them to businesses, often at a discounted rate.
AI Workers (Agents)
AI-powered systems designed to automate complex, human-led processes in the delivery sector, such as carrier integrations or technical support.
API
A software intermediary that allows two applications to communicate with each other, essential for connecting a business's systems to a carrier's for rating, booking, and tracking.
APM (Automated Parcel Machine)
Self-service kiosks that allow users to send and receive packages.
B
B2B
A business model where goods are shipped from one company to another.
B2C
A business model where goods are shipped from a company directly to an individual customer.
Barcode
A machine-readable code of parallel lines printed on a shipping label, used to identify and track a parcel throughout its journey.
Big and Bulky
A freight classification for items that are too large or heavy to be handled by standard parcel networks, requiring special handling.
Bill of Lading
A legally binding document issued by a carrier to a shipper that details the type, quantity, and destination of goods being shipped.
Blended Rate
An average shipping price created by combining different rates, such as those from various services or delivery zones, into a single price.
Bottlenecks
Points of congestion in a supply chain, such as slow carrier integrations or warehouse processes, that delay the entire delivery timeline.
Bulk Transport
The movement of large quantities of goods, often shipped on pallets rather than as individual parcels.
C
Carrier API
API provided by a carrier (e.g., DHL, FedEx and Evri) allowing integration for rates, labels, and tracking.
Carrier Brings Label
Service where the courier brings a pre-printed shipping label, so sender does not need a printer (often for returns).
Carrier Data
Information provided by a carrier, including tracking, service availability, rates, and transit times.
Carrier Network (Delivery Network)
Combination of different carriers used to fulfill shipping needs across regions and service levels.
Cash on Delivery
Payment method where the recipient pays upon delivery (common in the CEE region).
Checkout
Final stage of online shopping where customer enters shipping info and pays.
C2C
Consumer-to-consumer business model where goods are shipped between private individuals.
Claims & Insurance
Process of filing for compensation from a carrier for lost, damaged, or stolen parcels.
Click & Collect
Order fulfillment method where customers buy online and pick up items at physical stores or locations.
Consignment
A batch of goods destined for or delivered to a recipient.
Consolidation
Combining multiple smaller shipments into one larger shipment to reduce costs and complexity.
Courier
Company delivering parcels, often faster or more localized than national postal services.
Collections (Pick-Up)
Service where a carrier collects parcels from the sender’s location.
Cross-Border
Shipping goods from one country to another.
Customs
Government agency controlling goods flow in/out of a country and collecting duties/taxes.
Customs Declaration
Official document listing goods being imported or exported, required for legal clearance.
D
DTC (Direct-to-Consumer)
Business model where brands sell and ship directly to customers, bypassing retail intermediaries.
Delivery Attempt
A single instance of a carrier trying to deliver a parcel.
Delivery Density
Number of deliveries within a geographic area, key for last-mile efficiency and cost.
Delivery Options
Different delivery choices offered to customers at checkout (standard, express, same-day, etc.).
Delivery Management System
Software to manage and automate shipping across multiple carriers from one platform.
Digital Label (Paperless Return)
Shipping label in digital format (e.g., QR code) scanned at drop-off points, eliminating printer need.
DIMS (Dimensions)
Physical measurements (length, width, height) used to calculate volumetric weight and cost.
Dimension Limits
Maximum size and weight restrictions imposed by carriers for specific services.
Direct Injection
Strategy bypassing domestic sorting hubs to inject parcels directly into a carrier's destination network.
Dispatched
Status indicating parcel has left sender's warehouse or sorting facility.
Domestic Shipping
Shipping goods within a single country.
E
E-Commerce
Buying and selling goods or services online.
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Traditional standard for exchanging business documents electronically.
End-to-end
Service/process covering all stages from start to finish (e.g., end-to-end tracking).
End-of-Day
Closing out all shipments for the day and transmitting manifest data to the carrier.
Endpoint
Specific URL in an API to perform actions like creating labels or requesting tracking data.
ETA / ETD (Estimated Time of Arrival / Departure)
Predicted time a shipment will arrive or leave a location.
Express Delivery
Premium, fast shipping service guaranteeing faster delivery (often next-day or within 48 hours).
F
First Mile
Initial stage of logistics moving goods from seller to carrier's sorting hub.
First-Time Delivery Success
Metric measuring percentage of deliveries completed on first attempt.
Fuel Surcharges
Additional fees by carriers to cover fuel costs, calculated as a percentage of base rate.
Fulfillment
Complete process of receiving, processing, and delivering orders to customers.
Free Express Delivery
Marketing incentive offering express delivery at no extra cost.
Freight
Goods transported in bulk by truck, train, ship, or aircraft.
FTL (Full Truckload)
Shipping mode where entire truck is dedicated to one shipment.
G
Gazetteer File (Route Table)
Data file used by carriers containing routing information defining depot coverage by postcode.
Geographic Testing
Testing carrier integration across all intended geographical areas and postcodes.
Global Supply Chains
Worldwide network of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources moving products from supplier to customer.
H
Hand-over (Forwarded)
Point in shipment journey where parcel passes from one carrier or agent to another.
Hardware Agnostic Software
Software capable of functioning on any hardware type (e.g., label printers, scanners).
Harmonisation (Tracking Event)
Standardising tracking event data from multiple carriers into a single unified format.
Harmonised System (HS)
Internationally standardised system to classify traded products for customs.
Home Delivery
Standard service delivering parcels directly to residential addresses.
Hub (Sortation Centre or Depot)
Central facility where parcels are sorted and redirected to next destination.
Hub and Spoke
Distribution model moving parcels from local spokes to central hub for processing then back to spokes for delivery.
HTTP Request
Technical method used by APIs to request or send data to servers.
I
International Shipping
Shipping goods from one country to another, involving customs clearance.
J
Jiffy Bag
Padded mailing envelope for sending smaller, semi-fragile items.
L
Label Printers
Specialised thermal printers designed for printing self-adhesive shipping labels.
Landing Cost
Total cost of product at buyer’s door including item price, shipping, insurance, duties, and taxes.
Latency
Time delay in API between making a request and receiving a response.
Last Mile
Final and often most expensive delivery stage, from local hub to customer doorstep.
LIT (Lost-in-Transit)
Status indicating parcel can no longer be located within carrier’s network and is considered lost.
Line Haul
Movement of freight between major cities or sorting hubs.
Local Deployment
Running software on company’s own local servers instead of the cloud.
Local Label Design
Creating shipping label design and barcode on shipper’s own system instead of carrier API.
Logistics/Shipping
Overall management of acquiring, storing, and transporting resources to final destination.
Locker Network
Network of secure automated lockers (e.g., InPost, Bloq.it) for convenient parcel pick-up/drop-off.
LTL (Less than Truck Load)
Shipping mode for freight too large for parcel but not large enough for full truck, consolidating smaller shipments.
M
Manifesting
Creating document or electronic file summarising all parcels handed over to carrier for collection.
Middle-mile
Logistics stage moving goods between two facilities (e.g., large distribution center to regional hub).
Multi-parcel (Multi-consignment)
Single shipment consisting of multiple parcels to the same address.
Multi-carrier Strategy
Using multiple carriers to optimize cost, speed, and service quality across regions and delivery types.
Mis-scan
Error occurring when barcode is scanned incorrectly or at wrong journey stage causing inaccurate tracking.
N
Network Configurations
Specific setup and combination of carriers, services, and routes used for delivery strategy.
O
O2O (Online to Offline)
Strategy drawing customers from online to make purchases in physical stores (e.g., Click & Collect).
Open Network
Delivery network open for multiple retailers and carriers rather than exclusive use.
OHH (Out of Home)
Delivery options not direct to customer home, e.g., lockers, parcel shops, PUDO points.
On-Demand Delivery
Very fast delivery service allowing near-instant product receipt after ordering.
Outbound
Process of goods leaving warehouse or fulfillment center for delivery.
Orderline (Item or Product)
Single item/product within a customer’s order.
OMS (Order Management System)
Platform tracking sales, orders, inventory, and fulfillment.
Oversized Surcharges
Additional fees for parcels exceeding carrier’s standard size or weight limits.
P
Parcel Delivery
Service transporting and delivering individual parcels.
Parcel
Single box or item wrapped or boxed for shipping.
Parcel Shop
Local store partnering with carriers for parcel drop-off and pick-up points.
Parcel Profile
Typical characteristics of parcels shipped, including average weight, dimensions, and destinations.
Payload
Essential data contained within an API request.
Pick & Pack
Warehouse process of gathering items (picking) and placing them in a box (packing).
Piece (Parcel or Item)
Single unit within a shipment.
Postal Consolidator
Company aggregating large volumes of mail/parcels and handing over to national postal service for final mile.
Postal Service
National entity responsible for mail and parcel delivery (e.g., Royal Mail, USPS).
Pre-Checkout
Stage in online shopping before payment page showing delivery options and costs.
Production Calls
API requests made to live carrier systems to create real shipping labels.
PUDO
Location where customers can pick up or drop off parcels or returns.
Pull Requests
Method where one system actively requests data from another.
Push Requests
Method where one system automatically sends data to another upon events (e.g., webhook).
Q
Quality Assurance
Testing system or carrier integration to ensure proper functioning before going live.
Quoting
Process of providing a price for delivery services.
QR (Quick Response Code)
Two-dimensional barcode often used for digital labels and paperless returns.
R
Rate Cards
Document or data file listing prices for different shipping services based on weight, destination, and service level.
Rates and Pricing
Costs associated with shipping parcels.
Rate Shopping
Using software to compare shipping rates from multiple carriers to find the best option.
Regional Carrier
Courier serving a specific geographic area (e.g., South East England).
Retail/Retailer
Business selling goods directly to consumers.
Rest API
Modern, flexible API style commonly used by carriers for simplicity and scalability.
Returns
Process of customers sending purchased items back to sellers.
Return Label
Pre-paid shipping label provided for customers to return items.
Return Instructions
Step-by-step guidance for customers on how to complete returns.
Return Fraud
Deceptive return practices, e.g., returning a different, cheaper item.
RTS (Return to Sender)
Parcel status for undeliverable items being sent back to original shipper.
S
Same Day Delivery
Premium service delivering parcels the same day order is placed.
Shipment
One or more parcels sent from sender to receiver at the same time.
Shipping Label
Label affixed to parcel containing recipient, sender info, barcode, and service selected.
Single Piece / Single Consignment
Shipment consisting of only one parcel.
SLAs (Service Level Agreements)
Commitments defining expected service levels like delivery times.
Smart Locker
Automated locker system for secure 24/7 parcel drop-off and collection.
Services
Different delivery products offered by carriers (Next Day, Standard, Timed, OOH).
Service Availability
Information on which delivery services are available for a specific postcode.
SOAP API
Older, more rigid API protocol used by some legacy carrier systems.
Sortation
Process of separating parcels by destination within hubs or depots.
Status Code
Code/message indicating current tracking status (e.g., "In Transit," "Delivered").
T
TMS (Transport Management System)
Software managing transportation logistics, including planning, execution, and optimization. (Like Shipsy or Blue Yonder)
Tracking
Monitoring parcel journey from sender to receiver via unique tracking ID.
Tracking Events (Information)
Updates on parcel status and location as it moves through carrier network.
Tracking ID
Unique number assigned to parcel for tracking.
Tracking Range (Seed or Number)
Block of tracking numbers allocated by carrier to shipper.
Transit Time
Time parcel spends in carrier’s possession from collection to delivery.
Transport
Movement of goods from one location to another.
U
Undeliverable (RTS)
Status given when parcel cannot be delivered due to reasons like incorrect address or refused delivery.
V
Vendors
The person or company offering something for sale.
Vendor Lock-in
A situation in which a customer using a product or service cannot easily transition to a competitor without substantial switching costs.
Volumetric Weight
A pricing technique used by carriers that calculates a parcel's billable weight based on its size (length × width × height) rather than its actual weight.
W
Z
Zebra – (ZPL)
Zebra Programming Language (ZPL) is a page description language from Zebra Technologies, used by many label printers.
Zone Grid
A system used by carriers to define different geographical areas (zones) for pricing purposes.
Other
24 Hour Delivery
A service that aims to deliver a parcel within 24 hours of dispatch (often called Next-Day Delivery).
2 Hand Service
A delivery service for large or heavy items that requires two people to handle it.
3PL – (Third-Party Logistics)
An outsourced provider that manages a company's warehousing, transportation, and other logistics services (Like WeGrow or ShipBob).
30 Minute Delivery
An ultra-fast, on-demand delivery service.
4 Hand Service
A specialised delivery service for extremely large or complex items requiring four people.
48 Hour Delivery
A service that aims to deliver a parcel within two working days.
72 Hour Delivery
A service that aims to deliver a parcel within three working days.
