ShippingEasy Glossary of Terms

Here you will find a collection of terms and definitions related to ShippingEasy integrated partners and the common feature terms for selling channels and carriers.

Shipping and Integration Terms

Glossary

A summary of common shipping and integration-specific terms.

Accessibility (ADA)

Websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so people with disabilities can use them. There are no degrees of accessibility. A facility, website, or tool is either accessible or is not accessible. The goal is to meet or exceed the Federal accessibility standards and guidelines requirements to be 504-compliant and ADA-compliant.

Acquisition Marketing

Acquisition marketing refers to bringing in new customers - or convincing people to buy your products. It is a process used to bring consumers down the marketing funnel from brand awareness to making a purchase decision.

Affiliate Marketing

A three-party marketing process is when a publisher and an advertiser join forces to market to the consumer.

A publisher company or website takes on the task of promoting a service or a specific product. They use forms like banners, ads, or links and creatively market the product or service to the user or the consumer. The advertiser is the party with the product. They pay the publisher, which is often a marketing firm, a fee or an arranged commission from everything sold.

Application Programming Interface (API)

A set of clearly defined communication methods for an interface between two or more systems. Pulls and pushes data under user interfaces, providing building blocks to enable you to access ecommerce application functions without requiring a hard-coded integration. Examples include adding an add-to-basket button to blog pages hosted on a third-party CMS like WordPress.

Automated Package Verification (APV)

The United States Postal Service (USPS) built the Automated Package Verification APV System to manage postage discrepancies (underpaid and overpaid postage labels) in an automated fashion. The USPS APV program considers postage paid on every domestic package based on weight, dimensions, package type, mailing service, and origin and destination ZIP codes.

Automatic Tracking

When tracking is available, ShippingEasy will automatically track the shipment status and update the tracking status on the SHIPMENT HISTORY page. This feature allows for other advanced ShippingEasy features like delayed notifications and Branded Tracking.

Average Order Value (AOV)

An ecommerce metric that measures the average total of every order placed with a retailer over a defined period. The formula for calculating AOV is revenue divided by the number of orders.

AOV is one of the most important metrics for online stores to be aware of, driving key business decisions such as advertising spending, store layout, and product pricing.

Average Selling Price (ASP)

Refers to the price a product is sold for across distribution channels or markets.

Back-End

Focused on how the site works (functionality).

Bounce Rate

The percentage of visitors that leave a webpage without taking an action, such as clicking on a link, filling out a form, or making a purchase.

Brand Management

A series of techniques are used to increase a product's perceived value.

Brand Marketing

Brand marketing promotes your products or services in a way that highlights your overall brand. Brand marketing aims to link your identity, values, and personality with communications to your audience.

Business to Business (B2B)

Business-to-Business refers to any business that is conducted with other businesses. ShippingEasy is a B2B company. A transaction between businesses, such as a manufacturer and wholesaler, or a wholesaler and a retailer, rather than between a company and an individual consumer.

Business to Consumer (B2C)

Refers to selling products and services directly between a business and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services. Most companies that sell directly to consumers can be referred to as B2C companies.

Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO)

A type of promotion for sellers.

Cart Abandonment

Abandonment describes a visitor on a web page who leaves that page before completing the desired action. Cart abandonment is when customers add items to their online shopping cart but exit the website without making a purchase.

Catalog Page

A landing page for products.

Chargeback

A reversal of a completed credit card transaction—typically because a customer disputes a charge and the merchant’s bank refunds the value of the transaction.

Churn Rate

The percentage of customers or subscribers who cut ties with the company or from the services in the given period. So it is the revenue or customers lost during a specific period (typically a month) by unsubscribing from the services. Churn Rate is also called Attrition Rate.

Clickstream

The pathway that a user takes through their online journey. It usually focuses on a single website and generally shows how the user progressed from search to purchase.

Click-to-open rate (CTOR)

A measure that reflects the effectiveness of the message and content in your email in getting recipients to click through and find out more about your business or offer. Here’s a formula to calculate click-to-open rate: [Unique Clicks] / [Unique Opens] x 100 = Click-to-Open Rate

client_id

A unique number is part of an API call that lets apps identify one another as legitimate for sharing information. For example, ShippingEasy may use a client_id with a carrier to retrieve and share shipping rates.

Closed-Loop Marketing

Closed-loop marketing is an effective method for analytics purposes to achieve better insights into marketing campaigns that lead to ROI. This method involves collecting customer data from multiple channels, analyzing this data, and using the information to create appropriate content for targeted groups of customers. This data involves information from marketing campaigns, including your website, content offers, blogs, SEO tactics, emails, etc. It is a data-driven approach connecting the results of every campaign to the marketing initiative, which in turn helps to understand its effectiveness.

CN22 Form (CN22)

A customs declaration form is required for international shipping, especially for packages coming from or destined outside the EU. These forms contain information about the goods you are shipping, including which goods are packaged inside your parcel, their value, names of the shipper and receiver, and any parties involved in the shipping. Customs authorities use these forms to determine taxation, import duties, security, public health, and environmental protection.

These documents are scanned, and if descriptions inaccurately relate to the contents, you may be fined up to 100% of the merchandise value.

Check with your national tax authority for an overview of all EU countries. Also, take note of any regions where exceptions may apply. Some regions within the EU are not part of the EU customs zone, but shipments to these regions are still subject to customs control. Thus, you must always include a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration with them.

See the US Customs and Border Protection page for Determining Duty Rates.

NOTE: You can substitute a CN23 for a CN22, but not the other way around.

CN23 Form (CN23)

A customs declaration form is required for international shipping, especially for packages coming from or destined outside the EU. These forms contain information about the goods you are shipping, including which goods are packaged inside your parcel, their value, names of the shipper and receiver, and any parties involved in the shipping. Customs authorities use these forms to determine taxation, import duties, security, public health, and environmental protection.

These documents are scanned, and if descriptions inaccurately relate to the contents, you may be fined up to 100% of the merchandise value.

Check with your national tax authority for an overview of all EU countries. Also, take note of any regions where exceptions may apply. Some regions within the EU are not part of the EU customs zone, but shipments to these regions are still subject to customs control. Thus, you must always include a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration with them.

See the US Customs and Border Protection page for Determining Duty Rates.

NOTE: You can substitute a CN23 for a CN22, but not the other way around.

Cohort Analysis

An analysis of customer behaviors, during a specified time frame, of a subset of your ecommerce customers segmented from all your visitors based on shared characteristics.

Commercial Invoice

A commercial invoice details the agreement between the shipper and receiver. This includes who’s responsible for the shipment and the duties and taxes (and whether or not they’ve already been paid).

Consumer Insights

Carefully evaluated information about your current and potential customers. They come from a combination of quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis.

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)

Items used daily by average consumers that require routine replacement or replenishment, such as food, beverages, beauty, and household products.

Conversion

When the recipient of a marketing message performs a desired action. Conversion is a very important metric in the marketing funnel, but it does not always mean a purchase. Conversions can also happen before a sale and indicate that a prospect has moved down the sales funnel.

Conversion Funnel

The conversion funnel is a set of pages (like the checkout process or registration form) that leads to your conversion goal (like a product purchase or subscription). Most web analytics tools can be configured to allow you to visualize where your visitors are leaking from your conversion funnel.

Conversion Path

A step-wise approach involves converting an anonymous website visitor into a known lead. The typical conversion path begins when a user arrives on the landing page, browses through a series of page transitions, and reaches the final state, either a purchase or an abandoned session.

Conversion Rate

Businesses want visitors to take action (also called a conversion) on their website, and the rate at which a site can drive this is called its “conversion rate.”

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Enhancing the user experience of a website improves the chances of convincing visitors to complete their online goals.

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

The cost of goods sold refers to the direct production costs of the goods sold by a company. In simple terms, it describes how much it costs to produce a product that is being sold. COGS include direct raw material and labor expenses but exclude indirect cost components, such as marketing expenses and shipping fees.

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)

A marketing metric measures the aggregate cost to acquire one paying customer on a campaign or channel level.

Cost Per Lead (CPL)

A digital marketing pricing model whereby the advertiser pays a pre-established price for each lead generated. In ecommerce, CPL is often utilized by businesses that sell subscription services or high-value products.

Cross-sells

Introducing similar items to customers viewing a product on the site or already adding it to their shopping cart encourages sales.

Curbside pickup

Curbside pickup is a service that enables customers to place an order in advance and pick up said order without having to get out of their vehicles or without going inside the business itself. Not only is this method convenient, but it’s also a contactless or low-contact way for consumers to patronize businesses.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

The average amount of money you spend in obtaining a customer. CAC is calculated by adding the marketing & sales spend for a given period and dividing that by the number of customers gained during that period.

Customer Experience (CX)

The quality of interaction between your customers and your company. The impressions you leave with your ecommerce website visitors will largely determine whether they will return, how much they spend with you, and how long they'll remain your customers. The customer experience goes beyond your ecommerce storefront and encompasses every touchpoint across the customer journey, from the shopping experience to checkout and on through communications about shipping and delivery.

Customer Journey

Describes the stages of a customer's experience with an online business, from the moment they first become aware of its products through the moment they complete a purchase.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Technology for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. The goal is simple: Improve business relationships to grow your business. A CRM system helps companies stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability.

Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)

When a shipment is shipped as DDP, the shipper is responsible for the shipment and paying the taxes associated with the shipment. DDP and DDU/DAP are incoterms.

The opposite of DDU and DAP. See INCOTERM.

Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU)

The shipper is responsible for the transportation costs but not for paying the shipment's taxes. Customs agents will use the contact information provided on the invoice and customs declarations to settle the charges.

The opposite of DDP. See similar DAP. See also INCOTERM.

Detail Page Views (DPV)

A metric showing the number of impressions of a single detail page.

Digital Assets

A digital asset is anything used to represent your brand, from product photos and stock photos you incorporate into your website to videos and GIFs you use on social media. A digital asset is your font libraries in branded materials, your brand guide, and your brand’s mission statement, pillars, and copy.

Digital Shelf

The digital shelf is how and where a brand’s product is displayed online, whether on a product description page on a retailer’s site, third-party marketplace, mobile app, personal website, or any other eCommerce channel. This is where digital consumers browse, discover, and purchase products, similar to a physical retail shelf. For most retailers, the primary digital shelf is the search results page. This is where most consumers look for items to purchase after inputting their direct inquiries into a search bar or filtering product choices based on their requirements. Other digital shelves are category pages, curated product lists, and new product release email campaigns.

dimensional weight (DIM)

Dimensional weight, also known as volumetric weight, is a pricing technique for commercial transport (including courier and postal services) of larger packages with a lighter weight. DIM weight uses an estimated weight calculated from a package's length, width, and height divided by a specific divisor determined by the carrier.

If DIM weight applies to your package, the carrier will compare the DIM weight and actual weight and charge the higher of the two for the label.

Direct Integration

This store or carrier integration is built directly into ShippingEasy. These integrations have a branded tile in either the store or carriers lists.

direct-to-consumer (DTC)

Direct-to-consumer is a term that means when brands sell directly to their end customers without selling through a retailer, distributor, wholesaler, or other outlets.

Direct Traffic

It consists of visitors who visit your website by typing the URL into their browser rather than from another website, such as a search engine or social media.

Display Advertising

A display ad, also known as a banner ad, is a form of online paid advertising that is typically a designed image or a photo and copy. Viewers can then click on the promotion image to be taken to the corresponding landing page.

Distributed Commerce

Distributed commerce is when potential customers can purchase products embedded within existing ecommerce content. Customers can buy what they see without leaving the platform/page they were browsing.

Distribution Center

Distribution centers are a key part of the distribution chain for products, order fulfillment, and storing produced goods before shipment to wholesale, retail, or customers.

Drop-shipping

A type of shipping wherein the online store doesn’t keep the product it sells in its 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.

ShippingEasy can help you to use drop-shipping in two ways:

  • Add the drop shipper as a user to your ShippingEasy account, so the drop shipper has access to create labels for those orders with your carrier accounts.

  • The drop shipper adds your selling channel to the drop shipper's ShippingEasy account, so the merchant’s orders import, and the drop shipper uses their carrier account to create labels.

Earned Media

All the content and conversation around your brand or product is created by somebody else and published somewhere other than your owned channels. Earned media can include press coverage, social media mentions, shares and retweets, product or company reviews, and blog posts authored outside your company.

Economic Operator Registration And Identification Number (EORI)

An ID code is used to track and register customs information in the EU. All businesses importing or exporting goods from countries outside the EU need an EORI number.

Effective Cost Per Mille (eCPM)

Stands for effective cost per thousand impressions (technically, “effective cost per mille”).; eCPM helps compare media with different pricing methods by converting everything to a common metric. This can be helpful when you have a mix of ad buys denominated in cost per impression, cost per click, cost per lead, cost per action, fixed-price sponsorship, or other pricing methods. Sometimes, eCPM refers to revenue per thousand impressions on the publisher’s side.

Electronic Advance Data (EAD)

A customs requirement is that information about the sender, receiver, and parcel contents are gathered digitally and sent to Customs in the destination country. China and the US have passed legislation introducing this requirement to bolster border protection, and more countries are likely to follow suit in the coming years.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

A communication method and standard for exchanging data (often customs information) by electronic means.

Electronic Trade Document (ETD)

A method to transmit customs documents electronically, used primarily by FedEx. The letters "ETD" will be printed on FedEx labels to indicate your data has been submitted electronically. For FedEx International Ground, the letters "ETD" will appear in a black box under the shipping service icon.

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

The IRS uses an Employer Identification Number (EIN), a Federal Tax Identification Number, to identify a business entity. Generally, businesses need an EIN. You can apply online for this free service at the IRS Employee ID Numbers page, and you should check with your state government to see if you also need a state number or charter.

Endless Aisle

A brand's ability to present its full catalog of products and access content online. Consumers can order products from any business at any time. In response, retailers want to host the widest array of product selections to provide consumers with an endless aisle of products on their retail site rather than risk losing the sale to another website with the content.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integrates and manages a company’s main business processes in real time. This technology connects a large organization's different software systems into one, yet it still helps each department to manage its system. 

Enterprise resource planning often integrates accounts payable, order tracking, stock monitoring, and customer management systems to be accessed through one application with one interface.

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)

Fast-moving consumer goods are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost.

Fulfillment

Fulfillment is the receipt, processing, packaging, and shipping of orders made through your online store.

Full Truck Load (FTL)

Full Truck Load shipping is transporting goods in a shipment that fills an entire truck's space or weight capacity. FTL shipments get contracted to one customer, so the shipment typically goes to one location and travels on a more flexible schedule.

Geo-targeting

Targeting advertisements to specific regions helps online merchants improve ROI.

Gift with Purchase (GWP)

An item intended as a gift with a larger purchase. GWPs are typically sample-sized products offered by large retailers in the cosmetics and beauty industries.

Harmonized System Codes (HS Codes, HS Numbers)

An internationally standardized system of names and numbers used to classify globally traded products. The codes are required on customs declaration forms CN22 and CN23 for goods sent to other countries. A six-digit code identifies each commodity group to identify the duty and tax rates for specific types of products. The World Customs Organization developed the system, and over 200 countries use it as a basis for their customs tariffs.

Headless ecommerce

Headless ecommerce is where ecommerce services are provided by the ecommerce application, but the presentation layer is delivered by a separate system, e.g., CMS. ecommerce platforms that expose application functionality via APIs and services can be used in a headless setup. Headless enables front-end developers to present content using any framework they like without disrupting the backend ecommerce functionality.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Studies on computer technology design and use focused on the interfaces between people and computers. Researchers in the field of HCI observe how humans interact with computers and design technologies that let humans interact with computers in novel ways.

Inbound Link

A link on third-party websites that points to your website.

Inbound Marketing

An approach that uses content marketing, social media marketing, and SEO to attract qualified prospects and build trust and credibility for online businesses.

Influencer Marketing

The strategy of identifying individuals that create high-impact contact for a retailer's target audience and building relationships with these individuals to promote a brand's products.

International Commercial Terms (INCOTERM)

Incoterms or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms that relate to international commercial law. Published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), these terms are widely used in international commercial transactions or procurement processes. Their use is encouraged by trade councils, courts, and international lawyers. The terms exist as an international standard to protect buyers and sellers and to regulate the payment terms for the receiver of the goods.

See DDP, DDU, and DAP for examples of INCOTERMs.

International Transaction Number (ITN)

The number assigned to a shipment confirms that the Automated Export System (AES) accepted the Electronic Export Information (EEI) and has it on file. Every AES shipment must have a unique ITN.

For AES filing, a shipment is all goods (regardless of the number of packages) tendered to the USPS on the same day from one US Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) to one addressee. The USPS defines the USPPI as “the person or legal entity in the United States that receives the primary benefit, monetary or otherwise, from the export transaction.” (Source: USPS)

Kitting

The assembly of separate pieces into a single offering is often pre-built in batches. The point of creating kits is to have a ready-to-ship set once a customer places an order to expedite the retail fulfillment process. Unlike a regular order, where you can’t predict what all a customer will order before they complete a purchase, kitting is used when a certain combination is known ahead of time.

Less Than Truck Load (LTL)

Less Than Truck Load shipping is transporting goods in a shipment that shares a truck's space or weight capacity with other shipments. LTL shipments are contracted to multiple customers, so the shipments typically go to several locations and travel on a more rigid schedule. These shipments often stop at a distribution center for sorting.

Lookalike Audience

A way to reach new people who are likely to be interested in your business because they're similar to your best existing customers.

Programmatic Advertising

The process of automating the buying and selling of ad inventory in real-time through an automated bidding system. Programmatic advertising enables brands or agencies to purchase ad impressions on publisher sites or apps within milliseconds through a sophisticated ecosystem.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

The commitment between a supplier and a customer defines which service will be provided, how the service will be measured, and what remedies or penalties (if any) may arise should the service fail, change, or be unmet.

Short Message Service (SMS)

Text messages are sent via a traditional cellular network and are limited to 160 characters, including spaces. Most carrier services chain messages together when SMSs exceed this limit. Now often includes Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), the media-enhanced version of an SMS message (built on the same technology as SMS ) that allows users to send images, videos, or audio.

Third-Party Logistics (3PL, TPL)

A firm that provides outsourced supply chain management and logistics services to its customers. Services generally include inventory, picking, packing, shipping, and returns management, among other functions. The terms 3PL and fulfillment often get used interchangeably.

Token

A token is an authentication method for an API service or integration. In most cases, the term refers to a username, password, or access key that grants ShippingEasy access to your order information.

For some channels, tokens will expire and have to be refreshed. When this occurs, in most cases, you will need to reconfigure your store connection in ShippingEasy. Review this guide's specific articles for your selling channel if you need further information.

Value-Added Tax (VAT)

Value-Added Tax - also known as a goods and services tax (GST) - is a consumption tax based on the value of goods and implemented as a destination-based tax. VAT usually comes into play when shipping internationally to countries that charge customs fees and taxes recipients on imported goods. VAT may be recovered for commercial shipments only by a VAT registered recipient; VAT ranges from 5% to 25%, depending upon the country. VAT is generally charged only in the European Union, China, Mexico, and Thailand.

Selling Channels - Common Features Terms

Definitions for the Common ShippingEasy Features table on each Selling Channel's help article.

Carrier

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of the shipping carrier that was selected to create a label.

Carrier Fee

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of carrier fees when a label is created.

Combine Orders

ShippingEasy allows you to consolidate multiple orders from a customer when they go to the same address.

Customer Emails

ShippingEasy will import the customer's email address with the order and can send customer shipment confirmation and delivery emails, which are configured in your Store Settings.

Customer Notes

ShippingEasy will import notes left by the customer at checkout or added to the order once it has been imported to ShippingEasy.

Customer Phone Numbers

ShippingEasy will import the customer's phone number.

Custom Statuses

This integration allows you to define the Status Mappings for the store connection.

Discounts

ShippingEasy will import discount and coupon information for the order.

Edit Order Address

Order addresses can be modified after the order syncs to ShippingEasy.

Edit Order Weight

Order weights can be modified after the order syncs to ShippingEasy.

Identifies Gift Orders

ShippingEasy can determine if an order was placed as a gift.

Internal Notes

Notes and comments can only be viewed in ShippingEasy.

Item Information

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of the items sent in a shipment.

Note to Buyer

ShippingEasy will display notes left in a shipment once a label is created.

Payment Method

ShippingEasy will import the payment method used to pay for the order.

Requested Service

ShippingEasy will import the shipping method chosen by the customer at the time of checkout.

Service

The carrier-selected service will display in the selling channel once a label is created for an order.

Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice (SCAN)

A SCAN form is a single form containing a master barcode. The barcode links all the printed labels for packages ready for drop-off or pick-up service.

Split Orders

ShippingEasy can split an order to accommodate changes in stock, different shipping locations, or multiple packaging needs.

Status Update

The shipment status will update in the selling channel once a label is created.

Tracking

Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.

Carriers - Common Features Terms

Definitions for Common ShippingEasy Features table on each Carrier's help article.

Additional Handling

A carrier can apply a surcharge or fee if the package requires extra effort to process and transport. Overweight and oversized packages are examples.

Adult Signature Confirmation

A service ensures that the recipient of the mail items is at least 21 years of age or above. The recipient or a resident of the recipient's address must show a photo identification form to the delivery employee for age confirmation. Learn more about confirmation options.

Alcoholic Beverages

The United States Postal Service (USPS) prohibits sending alcoholic beverages. Still, you can ship alcohol via couriers, such as FedEx or UPS, if you're a licensed alcohol shipper. Learn more about shipping alcohol.

Branded Label Options

A branded logo can be added in your ShippingEasy Store Settings that will print on your label. Learn how to manage your logo.

Custom Label Options

ShippingEasy allows you to customize labels with shipment options. Learn more about customizing shipping labels.

Declared Value

The declared value of a package represents our maximum liability in connection with the shipment of that package, including, but not limited to, any loss, damage, delay, or misdelivery relating to that shipment.

Delivery Confirmation

A service when you send a letter or parcel, in which the person receiving it must sign a document showing that it has arrived.

Direct Signature

The carrier integration requires someone at the recipient's address to sign for the delivery. Direct signature deliveries are made to the address on the mailing label, not to an individual recipient. The carrier may reattempt the delivery if no one is at the address.

End of Day Forms (PLD)

ShippingEasy can perform an End of Day process for the carrier and creates an End of Day PDF or electronic file. The End of Day process can be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. PDF files will be printed and provided to the carrier. Electronic files will be submitted to the carrier electronically.

Estimated Delivery Dates

ShippingEasy will display estimated shipping dates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.

Handguns

The carrier integration supports shipping handguns in ShippingEasy. Learn more about shipping firearms.

Indirect Signature

The carrier integration will obtain a signature from someone at the delivery address or somebody nearby, such as a neighbor or building manager. The recipient can authorize the shipment to be released without anyone present.

Multi-Box Shipments

The carrier integration can create multi-package shipments, where multiple individual packages are linked into a single shipment record with a master tracking number.

On-Call Pick Ups

The carrier integration allows you to have your shipment picked up at your home or office by scheduling your pickup online or by calling the carrier.

Paperless

The carrier integration automatically sends commercial invoices and customs forms electronically.

Pay-On-Use Returns

Also known as pay-on-scan. You are not charged for these labels until the carrier scans them into the mail stream. This means you do not need to void them to get a refund if they are unused.

Personal Customs Clearance Codes (PCCC)

The carrier integration supports Personal customs clearance codes (PCCC). PCCC is used by the Korea Customs Service when handling import declarations of personal items.

Prescription Medications

The carrier integration allows for the shipment of prescription medications.

Recurring Pick Ups

Some carriers offer pickup or collection services that you can schedule so your carrier will collect your shipments at a specified time and place. A pickup service can often be scheduled as needed or, in some cases, as a recurring service.

Return Labels

The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels. The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels.

Saturday Delivery

The carrier integration will deliver a shipment on Saturday for an extra fee.

Saturday Pickup

The carrier integration will pick up a shipment on Saturday for an extra fee.

Schedule Pick Ups

The carrier integration offers a pick-up service that can be scheduled on the website or when creating a shipment in ShippingEasy

Signature Confirmation

Signature Confirmation provides shippers with the recipient's name and the delivery date, time, and location; a copy of the recipient's signature will also be faxed, mailed, or e-mailed to you upon request.

Simple Rate (UPS)

The carrier integration offers UPS® Simple Rate, UPS's version of flat rate shipping. This courier service lets you ship to anywhere in the US for a flat fee based on package size. The maximum weight for UPS® Simple Rate packages is 50 lbs. You can also use your packaging for UPS® Simple Rate.

Smart Pickup (UPS)

The carrier integration offers UPS Smart Pickup®, a service that combines the convenience of a recurring pickup with the flexibility of an on-demand pickup. The carrier will come to your business only when you have a package to ship.

Sub Accounts

The carrier integration supports Sub Accounts. Sub Accounts provide a convenient method for using ShippingEasy with multiple carrier accounts.

Third-Party Billing

The carrier integration supports billing postage costs to a third party.

Tobacco or Vape Products

The carrier international offers shipping for tobacco and vape products using ShippingEasy.

Websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so people with disabilities can use them. There are no degrees of accessibility. A facility, website, or tool is either accessible or is not accessible. The goal is to meet or exceed the Federal accessibility standards and guidelines requirements to be 504-compliant and ADA-compliant.

Acquisition marketing refers to bringing in new customers - or convincing people to buy your products. It is a process used to bring consumers down the marketing funnel from brand awareness to making a purchase decision.

A three-party marketing process is when a publisher and an advertiser join forces to market to the consumer.

A publisher company or website takes on the task of promoting a service or a specific product. They use forms like banners, ads, or links and creatively market the product or service to the user or the consumer. The advertiser is the party with the product. They pay the publisher, which is often a marketing firm, a fee or an arranged commission from everything sold.

When tracking is available, ShippingEasy will automatically track the shipment status and update the tracking status on the SHIPMENT HISTORY page. This feature allows for other advanced ShippingEasy features like delayed notifications and Branded Tracking.

A set of clearly defined communication methods for an interface between two or more systems. Pulls and pushes data under user interfaces, providing building blocks to enable you to access ecommerce application functions without requiring a hard-coded integration. Examples include adding an add-to-basket button to blog pages hosted on a third-party CMS like WordPress.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) built the Automated Package Verification APV System to manage postage discrepancies (underpaid and overpaid postage labels) in an automated fashion. The USPS APV program considers postage paid on every domestic package based on weight, dimensions, package type, mailing service, and origin and destination ZIP codes.

An ecommerce metric that measures the average total of every order placed with a retailer over a defined period. The formula for calculating AOV is revenue divided by the number of orders.

AOV is one of the most important metrics for online stores to be aware of, driving key business decisions such as advertising spending, store layout, and product pricing.

Refers to the price a product is sold for across distribution channels or markets.

Focused on how the site works (functionality).

A type of promotion for sellers.

The percentage of visitors that leave a webpage without taking an action, such as clicking on a link, filling out a form, or making a purchase.

A series of techniques are used to increase a product's perceived value.

Brand marketing promotes your products or services in a way that highlights your overall brand. Brand marketing aims to link your identity, values, and personality with communications to your audience.

Business-to-Business refers to any business that is conducted with other businesses. ShippingEasy is a B2B company. A transaction between businesses, such as a manufacturer and wholesaler, or a wholesaler and a retailer, rather than between a company and an individual consumer.

Refers to selling products and services directly between a business and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services. Most companies that sell directly to consumers can be referred to as B2C companies.

Abandonment describes a visitor on a web page who leaves that page before completing the desired action. Cart abandonment is when customers add items to their online shopping cart but exit the website without making a purchase.

A landing page for products.

A reversal of a completed credit card transaction—typically because a customer disputes a charge and the merchant’s bank refunds the value of the transaction.

The percentage of customers or subscribers who cut ties with the company or from the services in the given period. So it is the revenue or customers lost during a specific period (typically a month) by unsubscribing from the services. Churn Rate is also called Attrition Rate.

The pathway that a user takes through their online journey. It usually focuses on a single website and generally shows how the user progressed from search to purchase.

A measure that reflects the effectiveness of the message and content in your email in getting recipients to click through and find out more about your business or offer. Here’s a formula to calculate click-to-open rate: [Unique Clicks] / [Unique Opens] x 100 = Click-to-Open Rate

A unique number is part of an API call that lets apps identify one another as legitimate for sharing information. For example, ShippingEasy may use a client_id with a carrier to retrieve and share shipping rates.

Closed-loop marketing is an effective method for analytics purposes to achieve better insights into marketing campaigns that lead to ROI. This method involves collecting customer data from multiple channels, analyzing this data, and using the information to create appropriate content for targeted groups of customers. This data involves information from marketing campaigns, including your website, content offers, blogs, SEO tactics, emails, etc. It is a data-driven approach connecting the results of every campaign to the marketing initiative, which in turn helps to understand its effectiveness.

A customs declaration form is required for international shipping, especially for packages coming from or destined outside the EU. These forms contain information about the goods you are shipping, including which goods are packaged inside your parcel, their value, names of the shipper and receiver, and any parties involved in the shipping. Customs authorities use these forms to determine taxation, import duties, security, public health, and environmental protection.

These documents are scanned, and if descriptions inaccurately relate to the contents, you may be fined up to 100% of the merchandise value.

Check with your national tax authority for an overview of all EU countries. Also, take note of any regions where exceptions may apply. Some regions within the EU are not part of the EU customs zone, but shipments to these regions are still subject to customs control. Thus, you must always include a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration with them.

See the US Customs and Border Protection page for Determining Duty Rates.

NOTE: You can substitute a CN23 for a CN22, but not the other way around.

A customs declaration form is required for international shipping, especially for packages coming from or destined outside the EU. These forms contain information about the goods you are shipping, including which goods are packaged inside your parcel, their value, names of the shipper and receiver, and any parties involved in the shipping. Customs authorities use these forms to determine taxation, import duties, security, public health, and environmental protection.

These documents are scanned, and if descriptions inaccurately relate to the contents, you may be fined up to 100% of the merchandise value.

Check with your national tax authority for an overview of all EU countries. Also, take note of any regions where exceptions may apply. Some regions within the EU are not part of the EU customs zone, but shipments to these regions are still subject to customs control. Thus, you must always include a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration with them.

See the US Customs and Border Protection page for Determining Duty Rates.

NOTE: You can substitute a CN23 for a CN22, but not the other way around.

An analysis of customer behaviors, during a specified time frame, of a subset of your ecommerce customers segmented from all your visitors based on shared characteristics.

A commercial invoice details the agreement between the shipper and receiver. This includes who’s responsible for the shipment and the duties and taxes (and whether or not they’ve already been paid).

Carefully evaluated information about your current and potential customers. They come from a combination of quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis.

Items used daily by average consumers that require routine replacement or replenishment, such as food, beverages, beauty, and household products.

When the recipient of a marketing message performs a desired action. Conversion is a very important metric in the marketing funnel, but it does not always mean a purchase. Conversions can also happen before a sale and indicate that a prospect has moved down the sales funnel.

The conversion funnel is a set of pages (like the checkout process or registration form) that leads to your conversion goal (like a product purchase or subscription). Most web analytics tools can be configured to allow you to visualize where your visitors are leaking from your conversion funnel.

A step-wise approach involves converting an anonymous website visitor into a known lead. The typical conversion path begins when a user arrives on the landing page, browses through a series of page transitions, and reaches the final state, either a purchase or an abandoned session.

Businesses want visitors to take action (also called a conversion) on their website, and the rate at which a site can drive this is called its “conversion rate.”

Enhancing the user experience of a website improves the chances of convincing visitors to complete their online goals.

The cost of goods sold refers to the direct production costs of the goods sold by a company. In simple terms, it describes how much it costs to produce a product that is being sold. COGS include direct raw material and labor expenses but exclude indirect cost components, such as marketing expenses and shipping fees.

A marketing metric measures the aggregate cost to acquire one paying customer on a campaign or channel level.

A digital marketing pricing model whereby the advertiser pays a pre-established price for each lead generated. In ecommerce, CPL is often utilized by businesses that sell subscription services or high-value products.

Introducing similar items to customers viewing a product on the site or already adding it to their shopping cart encourages sales.

Curbside pickup is a service that enables customers to place an order in advance and pick up said order without having to get out of their vehicles or without going inside the business itself. Not only is this method convenient, but it’s also a contactless or low-contact way for consumers to patronize businesses.

The average amount of money you spend in obtaining a customer. CAC is calculated by adding the marketing & sales spend for a given period and dividing that by the number of customers gained during that period.

The quality of interaction between your customers and your company. The impressions you leave with your ecommerce website visitors will largely determine whether they will return, how much they spend with you, and how long they'll remain your customers. The customer experience goes beyond your ecommerce storefront and encompasses every touchpoint across the customer journey, from the shopping experience to checkout and on through communications about shipping and delivery.

Describes the stages of a customer's experience with an online business, from the moment they first become aware of its products through the moment they complete a purchase.

Technology for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. The goal is simple: Improve business relationships to grow your business. A CRM system helps companies stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability.

When a shipment is shipped as DDP, the shipper is responsible for the shipment and paying the taxes associated with the shipment. DDP and DDU/DAP are incoterms.

The opposite of DDU and DAP. See INCOTERM.

The shipper is responsible for the transportation costs but not for paying the shipment's taxes. Customs agents will use the contact information provided on the invoice and customs declarations to settle the charges.

The opposite of DDP. See similar DAP. See also INCOTERM.

A digital asset is anything used to represent your brand, from product photos and stock photos you incorporate into your website to videos and GIFs you use on social media. A digital asset is your font libraries in branded materials, your brand guide, and your brand’s mission statement, pillars, and copy.

The digital shelf is how and where a brand’s product is displayed online, whether on a product description page on a retailer’s site, third-party marketplace, mobile app, personal website, or any other eCommerce channel. This is where digital consumers browse, discover, and purchase products, similar to a physical retail shelf. For most retailers, the primary digital shelf is the search results page. This is where most consumers look for items to purchase after inputting their direct inquiries into a search bar or filtering product choices based on their requirements. Other digital shelves are category pages, curated product lists, and new product release email campaigns.

Dimensional weight, also known as volumetric weight, is a pricing technique for commercial transport (including courier and postal services) of larger packages with a lighter weight. DIM weight uses an estimated weight calculated from a package's length, width, and height divided by a specific divisor determined by the carrier.

If DIM weight applies to your package, the carrier will compare the DIM weight and actual weight and charge the higher of the two for the label.

This store or carrier integration is built directly into ShippingEasy. These integrations have a branded tile in either the store or carriers lists.

It consists of visitors who visit your website by typing the URL into their browser rather than from another website, such as a search engine or social media.

A display ad, also known as a banner ad, is a form of online paid advertising that is typically a designed image or a photo and copy. Viewers can then click on the promotion image to be taken to the corresponding landing page.

Distributed commerce is when potential customers can purchase products embedded within existing ecommerce content. Customers can buy what they see without leaving the platform/page they were browsing.

Distribution centers are a key part of the distribution chain for products, order fulfillment, and storing produced goods before shipment to wholesale, retail, or customers.

A metric showing the number of impressions of a single detail page.

A type of shipping wherein the online store doesn’t keep the product it sells in its 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.

ShippingEasy can help you to use drop-shipping in two ways:

  • Add the drop shipper as a user to your ShippingEasy account, so the drop shipper has access to create labels for those orders with your carrier accounts.

  • The drop shipper adds your selling channel to the drop shipper's ShippingEasy account, so the merchant’s orders import, and the drop shipper uses their carrier account to create labels.

Direct-to-consumer is a term that means when brands sell directly to their end customers without selling through a retailer, distributor, wholesaler, or other outlets.

All the content and conversation around your brand or product is created by somebody else and published somewhere other than your owned channels. Earned media can include press coverage, social media mentions, shares and retweets, product or company reviews, and blog posts authored outside your company.

Stands for effective cost per thousand impressions (technically, “effective cost per mille”).; eCPM helps compare media with different pricing methods by converting everything to a common metric. This can be helpful when you have a mix of ad buys denominated in cost per impression, cost per click, cost per lead, cost per action, fixed-price sponsorship, or other pricing methods. Sometimes, eCPM refers to revenue per thousand impressions on the publisher’s side.

A brand's ability to present its full catalog of products and access content online. Consumers can order products from any business at any time. In response, retailers want to host the widest array of product selections to provide consumers with an endless aisle of products on their retail site rather than risk losing the sale to another website with the content.

An ID code is used to track and register customs information in the EU. All businesses importing or exporting goods from countries outside the EU need an EORI number.

A customs requirement is that information about the sender, receiver, and parcel contents are gathered digitally and sent to Customs in the destination country. China and the US have passed legislation introducing this requirement to bolster border protection, and more countries are likely to follow suit in the coming years.

A communication method and standard for exchanging data (often customs information) by electronic means.

A method to transmit customs documents electronically, used primarily by FedEx. The letters "ETD" will be printed on FedEx labels to indicate your data has been submitted electronically. For FedEx International Ground, the letters "ETD" will appear in a black box under the shipping service icon.

The IRS uses an Employer Identification Number (EIN), a Federal Tax Identification Number, to identify a business entity. Generally, businesses need an EIN. You can apply online for this free service at the IRS Employee ID Numbers page, and you should check with your state government to see if you also need a state number or charter.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integrates and manages a company’s main business processes in real time. This technology connects a large organization's different software systems into one, yet it still helps each department to manage its system. 

Enterprise resource planning often integrates accounts payable, order tracking, stock monitoring, and customer management systems to be accessed through one application with one interface.

Fast-moving consumer goods are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost.

Fulfillment is the receipt, processing, packaging, and shipping of orders made through your online store.

Full Truck Load shipping is transporting goods in a shipment that fills an entire truck's space or weight capacity. FTL shipments get contracted to one customer, so the shipment typically goes to one location and travels on a more flexible schedule.

Targeting advertisements to specific regions helps online merchants improve ROI.

An item intended as a gift with a larger purchase. GWPs are typically sample-sized products offered by large retailers in the cosmetics and beauty industries.

An internationally standardized system of names and numbers used to classify globally traded products. The codes are required on customs declaration forms CN22 and CN23 for goods sent to other countries. A six-digit code identifies each commodity group to identify the duty and tax rates for specific types of products. The World Customs Organization developed the system, and over 200 countries use it as a basis for their customs tariffs.

Studies on computer technology design and use focused on the interfaces between people and computers. Researchers in the field of HCI observe how humans interact with computers and design technologies that let humans interact with computers in novel ways.

Headless ecommerce is where ecommerce services are provided by the ecommerce application, but the presentation layer is delivered by a separate system, e.g., CMS. ecommerce platforms that expose application functionality via APIs and services can be used in a headless setup. Headless enables front-end developers to present content using any framework they like without disrupting the backend ecommerce functionality.

A link on third-party websites that points to your website.

An approach that uses content marketing, social media marketing, and SEO to attract qualified prospects and build trust and credibility for online businesses.

The strategy of identifying individuals that create high-impact contact for a retailer's target audience and building relationships with these individuals to promote a brand's products.

The number assigned to a shipment confirms that the Automated Export System (AES) accepted the Electronic Export Information (EEI) and has it on file. Every AES shipment must have a unique ITN.

For AES filing, a shipment is all goods (regardless of the number of packages) tendered to the USPS on the same day from one US Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) to one addressee. The USPS defines the USPPI as “the person or legal entity in the United States that receives the primary benefit, monetary or otherwise, from the export transaction.” (Source: USPS)

Incoterms or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms that relate to international commercial law. Published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), these terms are widely used in international commercial transactions or procurement processes. Their use is encouraged by trade councils, courts, and international lawyers. The terms exist as an international standard to protect buyers and sellers and to regulate the payment terms for the receiver of the goods.

See DDP, DDU, and DAP for examples of INCOTERMs.

The assembly of separate pieces into a single offering is often pre-built in batches. The point of creating kits is to have a ready-to-ship set once a customer places an order to expedite the retail fulfillment process. Unlike a regular order, where you can’t predict what all a customer will order before they complete a purchase, kitting is used when a certain combination is known ahead of time.

Less Than Truck Load shipping is transporting goods in a shipment that shares a truck's space or weight capacity with other shipments. LTL shipments are contracted to multiple customers, so the shipments typically go to several locations and travel on a more rigid schedule. These shipments often stop at a distribution center for sorting.

A way to reach new people who are likely to be interested in your business because they're similar to your best existing customers.

The process of automating the buying and selling of ad inventory in real-time through an automated bidding system. Programmatic advertising enables brands or agencies to purchase ad impressions on publisher sites or apps within milliseconds through a sophisticated ecosystem.

The commitment between a supplier and a customer defines which service will be provided, how the service will be measured, and what remedies or penalties (if any) may arise should the service fail, change, or be unmet.

Text messages are sent via a traditional cellular network and are limited to 160 characters, including spaces. Most carrier services chain messages together when SMSs exceed this limit. Now often includes Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), the media-enhanced version of an SMS message (built on the same technology as SMS ) that allows users to send images, videos, or audio.

A firm that provides outsourced supply chain management and logistics services to its customers. Services generally include inventory, picking, packing, shipping, and returns management, among other functions. The terms 3PL and fulfillment often get used interchangeably.

A token is an authentication method for an API service or integration. In most cases, the term refers to a username, password, or access key that grants ShippingEasy access to your order information.

For some channels, tokens will expire and have to be refreshed. When this occurs, in most cases, you will need to reconfigure your store connection in ShippingEasy. Review this guide's specific articles for your selling channel if you need further information.

Value-Added Tax - also known as a goods and services tax (GST) - is a consumption tax based on the value of goods and implemented as a destination-based tax. VAT usually comes into play when shipping internationally to countries that charge customs fees and taxes recipients on imported goods. VAT may be recovered for commercial shipments only by a VAT registered recipient; VAT ranges from 5% to 25%, depending upon the country. VAT is generally charged only in the European Union, China, Mexico, and Thailand.

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of the shipping carrier that was selected to create a label.

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of carrier fees when a label is created.

ShippingEasy will import the customer's email address with the order and can send customer shipment confirmation and delivery emails, which are configured in your Store Settings.

ShippingEasy allows you to consolidate multiple orders from a customer when they go to the same address.

ShippingEasy will import the customer's phone number.

This integration allows you to define the Status Mappings for the store connection.

ShippingEasy will import notes left by the customer at checkout or added to the order once it has been imported to ShippingEasy.

ShippingEasy will import discount and coupon information for the order.

Order addresses can be modified after the order syncs to ShippingEasy.

Order weights can be modified after the order syncs to ShippingEasy.

ShippingEasy can determine if an order was placed as a gift.

Notes and comments can only be viewed in ShippingEasy.

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of the items sent in a shipment.

ShippingEasy will display notes left in a shipment once a label is created.

ShippingEasy will import the payment method used to pay for the order.

ShippingEasy will import the shipping method chosen by the customer at the time of checkout.

A SCAN form is a single form containing a master barcode. The barcode links all the printed labels for packages ready for drop-off or pick-up service.

The carrier-selected service will display in the selling channel once a label is created for an order.

The shipment status will update in the selling channel once a label is created.

ShippingEasy can split an order to accommodate changes in stock, different shipping locations, or multiple packaging needs.

Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.

A carrier can apply a surcharge or fee if the package requires extra effort to process and transport. Overweight and oversized packages are examples.

A service ensures that the recipient of the mail items is at least 21 years of age or above. The recipient or a resident of the recipient's address must show a photo identification form to the delivery employee for age confirmation. Learn more about confirmation options.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) prohibits sending alcoholic beverages. Still, you can ship alcohol via couriers, such as FedEx or UPS, if you're a licensed alcohol shipper. Learn more about shipping alcohol.

A branded logo can be added in your ShippingEasy Store Settings that will print on your label. Learn how to manage your logo.

ShippingEasy allows you to customize labels with shipment options. Learn more about customizing shipping labels.

The declared value of a package represents our maximum liability in connection with the shipment of that package, including, but not limited to, any loss, damage, delay, or misdelivery relating to that shipment.

A service when you send a letter or parcel, in which the person receiving it must sign a document showing that it has arrived.

The carrier integration requires someone at the recipient's address to sign for the delivery. Direct signature deliveries are made to the address on the mailing label, not to an individual recipient. The carrier may reattempt the delivery if no one is at the address.

ShippingEasy can perform an End of Day process for the carrier and creates an End of Day PDF or electronic file. The End of Day process can be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. PDF files will be printed and provided to the carrier. Electronic files will be submitted to the carrier electronically.

ShippingEasy will display estimated shipping dates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.

The carrier integration supports shipping handguns in ShippingEasy. Learn more about shipping firearms.

The carrier integration will obtain a signature from someone at the delivery address or somebody nearby, such as a neighbor or building manager. The recipient can authorize the shipment to be released without anyone present.

The carrier integration can create multi-package shipments, where multiple individual packages are linked into a single shipment record with a master tracking number.

The carrier integration allows you to have your shipment picked up at your home or office by scheduling your pickup online or by calling the carrier.

The carrier integration automatically sends commercial invoices and customs forms electronically.

Also known as pay-on-scan. You are not charged for these labels until the carrier scans them into the mail stream. This means you do not need to void them to get a refund if they are unused.

The carrier integration supports Personal customs clearance codes (PCCC). PCCC is used by the Korea Customs Service when handling import declarations of personal items.

The carrier integration allows for the shipment of prescription medications.

Some carriers offer pickup or collection services that you can schedule so your carrier will collect your shipments at a specified time and place. A pickup service can often be scheduled as needed or, in some cases, as a recurring service.

The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels. The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels.

The carrier integration will deliver a shipment on Saturday for an extra fee.

The carrier integration will pick up a shipment on Saturday for an extra fee.

The carrier integration offers a pick-up service that can be scheduled on the website or when creating a shipment in ShippingEasy

Signature Confirmation provides shippers with the recipient's name and the delivery date, time, and location; a copy of the recipient's signature will also be faxed, mailed, or e-mailed to you upon request.

The carrier integration offers UPS® Simple Rate, UPS's version of flat rate shipping. This courier service lets you ship to anywhere in the US for a flat fee based on package size. The maximum weight for UPS® Simple Rate packages is 50 lbs. You can also use your packaging for UPS® Simple Rate.

The carrier integration offers UPS Smart Pickup®, a service that combines the convenience of a recurring pickup with the flexibility of an on-demand pickup. The carrier will come to your business only when you have a package to ship.

The carrier integration supports Sub Accounts. Sub Accounts provide a convenient method for using ShippingEasy with multiple carrier accounts.

The carrier integration supports billing postage costs to a third party.

The carrier international offers shipping for tobacco and vape products using ShippingEasy.

Websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so people with disabilities can use them. There are no degrees of accessibility. A facility, website, or tool is either accessible or is not accessible. The goal is to meet or exceed the Federal accessibility standards and guidelines requirements to be 504-compliant and ADA-compliant.

Acquisition marketing refers to bringing in new customers - or convincing people to buy your products. It is a process used to bring consumers down the marketing funnel from brand awareness to making a purchase decision.

A three-party marketing process is when a publisher and an advertiser join forces to market to the consumer.

A publisher company or website takes on the task of promoting a service or a specific product. They use forms like banners, ads, or links and creatively market the product or service to the user or the consumer. The advertiser is the party with the product. They pay the publisher, which is often a marketing firm, a fee or an arranged commission from everything sold.

When tracking is available, ShippingEasy will automatically track the shipment status and update the tracking status on the SHIPMENT HISTORY page. This feature allows for other advanced ShippingEasy features like delayed notifications and Branded Tracking.

A set of clearly defined communication methods for an interface between two or more systems. Pulls and pushes data under user interfaces, providing building blocks to enable you to access ecommerce application functions without requiring a hard-coded integration. Examples include adding an add-to-basket button to blog pages hosted on a third-party CMS like WordPress.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) built the Automated Package Verification APV System to manage postage discrepancies (underpaid and overpaid postage labels) in an automated fashion. The USPS APV program considers postage paid on every domestic package based on weight, dimensions, package type, mailing service, and origin and destination ZIP codes.

An ecommerce metric that measures the average total of every order placed with a retailer over a defined period. The formula for calculating AOV is revenue divided by the number of orders.

AOV is one of the most important metrics for online stores to be aware of, driving key business decisions such as advertising spending, store layout, and product pricing.

Refers to the price a product is sold for across distribution channels or markets.

Focused on how the site works (functionality).

A type of promotion for sellers.

The percentage of visitors that leave a webpage without taking an action, such as clicking on a link, filling out a form, or making a purchase.

A series of techniques are used to increase a product's perceived value.

Brand marketing promotes your products or services in a way that highlights your overall brand. Brand marketing aims to link your identity, values, and personality with communications to your audience.

Business-to-Business refers to any business that is conducted with other businesses. ShippingEasy is a B2B company. A transaction between businesses, such as a manufacturer and wholesaler, or a wholesaler and a retailer, rather than between a company and an individual consumer.

Refers to selling products and services directly between a business and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services. Most companies that sell directly to consumers can be referred to as B2C companies.

Abandonment describes a visitor on a web page who leaves that page before completing the desired action. Cart abandonment is when customers add items to their online shopping cart but exit the website without making a purchase.

A landing page for products.

A reversal of a completed credit card transaction—typically because a customer disputes a charge and the merchant’s bank refunds the value of the transaction.

The percentage of customers or subscribers who cut ties with the company or from the services in the given period. So it is the revenue or customers lost during a specific period (typically a month) by unsubscribing from the services. Churn Rate is also called Attrition Rate.

The pathway that a user takes through their online journey. It usually focuses on a single website and generally shows how the user progressed from search to purchase.

A measure that reflects the effectiveness of the message and content in your email in getting recipients to click through and find out more about your business or offer. Here’s a formula to calculate click-to-open rate: [Unique Clicks] / [Unique Opens] x 100 = Click-to-Open Rate

A unique number is part of an API call that lets apps identify one another as legitimate for sharing information. For example, ShippingEasy may use a client_id with a carrier to retrieve and share shipping rates.

Closed-loop marketing is an effective method for analytics purposes to achieve better insights into marketing campaigns that lead to ROI. This method involves collecting customer data from multiple channels, analyzing this data, and using the information to create appropriate content for targeted groups of customers. This data involves information from marketing campaigns, including your website, content offers, blogs, SEO tactics, emails, etc. It is a data-driven approach connecting the results of every campaign to the marketing initiative, which in turn helps to understand its effectiveness.

A customs declaration form is required for international shipping, especially for packages coming from or destined outside the EU. These forms contain information about the goods you are shipping, including which goods are packaged inside your parcel, their value, names of the shipper and receiver, and any parties involved in the shipping. Customs authorities use these forms to determine taxation, import duties, security, public health, and environmental protection.

These documents are scanned, and if descriptions inaccurately relate to the contents, you may be fined up to 100% of the merchandise value.

Check with your national tax authority for an overview of all EU countries. Also, take note of any regions where exceptions may apply. Some regions within the EU are not part of the EU customs zone, but shipments to these regions are still subject to customs control. Thus, you must always include a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration with them.

See the US Customs and Border Protection page for Determining Duty Rates.

NOTE: You can substitute a CN23 for a CN22, but not the other way around.

A customs declaration form is required for international shipping, especially for packages coming from or destined outside the EU. These forms contain information about the goods you are shipping, including which goods are packaged inside your parcel, their value, names of the shipper and receiver, and any parties involved in the shipping. Customs authorities use these forms to determine taxation, import duties, security, public health, and environmental protection.

These documents are scanned, and if descriptions inaccurately relate to the contents, you may be fined up to 100% of the merchandise value.

Check with your national tax authority for an overview of all EU countries. Also, take note of any regions where exceptions may apply. Some regions within the EU are not part of the EU customs zone, but shipments to these regions are still subject to customs control. Thus, you must always include a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration with them.

See the US Customs and Border Protection page for Determining Duty Rates.

NOTE: You can substitute a CN23 for a CN22, but not the other way around.

An analysis of customer behaviors, during a specified time frame, of a subset of your ecommerce customers segmented from all your visitors based on shared characteristics.

A commercial invoice details the agreement between the shipper and receiver. This includes who’s responsible for the shipment and the duties and taxes (and whether or not they’ve already been paid).

Carefully evaluated information about your current and potential customers. They come from a combination of quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis.

Items used daily by average consumers that require routine replacement or replenishment, such as food, beverages, beauty, and household products.

When the recipient of a marketing message performs a desired action. Conversion is a very important metric in the marketing funnel, but it does not always mean a purchase. Conversions can also happen before a sale and indicate that a prospect has moved down the sales funnel.

The conversion funnel is a set of pages (like the checkout process or registration form) that leads to your conversion goal (like a product purchase or subscription). Most web analytics tools can be configured to allow you to visualize where your visitors are leaking from your conversion funnel.

A step-wise approach involves converting an anonymous website visitor into a known lead. The typical conversion path begins when a user arrives on the landing page, browses through a series of page transitions, and reaches the final state, either a purchase or an abandoned session.

Businesses want visitors to take action (also called a conversion) on their website, and the rate at which a site can drive this is called its “conversion rate.”

Enhancing the user experience of a website improves the chances of convincing visitors to complete their online goals.

The cost of goods sold refers to the direct production costs of the goods sold by a company. In simple terms, it describes how much it costs to produce a product that is being sold. COGS include direct raw material and labor expenses but exclude indirect cost components, such as marketing expenses and shipping fees.

A marketing metric measures the aggregate cost to acquire one paying customer on a campaign or channel level.

A digital marketing pricing model whereby the advertiser pays a pre-established price for each lead generated. In ecommerce, CPL is often utilized by businesses that sell subscription services or high-value products.

Introducing similar items to customers viewing a product on the site or already adding it to their shopping cart encourages sales.

Curbside pickup is a service that enables customers to place an order in advance and pick up said order without having to get out of their vehicles or without going inside the business itself. Not only is this method convenient, but it’s also a contactless or low-contact way for consumers to patronize businesses.

The average amount of money you spend in obtaining a customer. CAC is calculated by adding the marketing & sales spend for a given period and dividing that by the number of customers gained during that period.

The quality of interaction between your customers and your company. The impressions you leave with your ecommerce website visitors will largely determine whether they will return, how much they spend with you, and how long they'll remain your customers. The customer experience goes beyond your ecommerce storefront and encompasses every touchpoint across the customer journey, from the shopping experience to checkout and on through communications about shipping and delivery.

Describes the stages of a customer's experience with an online business, from the moment they first become aware of its products through the moment they complete a purchase.

Technology for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. The goal is simple: Improve business relationships to grow your business. A CRM system helps companies stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability.

When a shipment is shipped as DDP, the shipper is responsible for the shipment and paying the taxes associated with the shipment. DDP and DDU/DAP are incoterms.

The opposite of DDU and DAP. See INCOTERM.

The shipper is responsible for the transportation costs but not for paying the shipment's taxes. Customs agents will use the contact information provided on the invoice and customs declarations to settle the charges.

The opposite of DDP. See similar DAP. See also INCOTERM.

A digital asset is anything used to represent your brand, from product photos and stock photos you incorporate into your website to videos and GIFs you use on social media. A digital asset is your font libraries in branded materials, your brand guide, and your brand’s mission statement, pillars, and copy.

The digital shelf is how and where a brand’s product is displayed online, whether on a product description page on a retailer’s site, third-party marketplace, mobile app, personal website, or any other eCommerce channel. This is where digital consumers browse, discover, and purchase products, similar to a physical retail shelf. For most retailers, the primary digital shelf is the search results page. This is where most consumers look for items to purchase after inputting their direct inquiries into a search bar or filtering product choices based on their requirements. Other digital shelves are category pages, curated product lists, and new product release email campaigns.

Dimensional weight, also known as volumetric weight, is a pricing technique for commercial transport (including courier and postal services) of larger packages with a lighter weight. DIM weight uses an estimated weight calculated from a package's length, width, and height divided by a specific divisor determined by the carrier.

If DIM weight applies to your package, the carrier will compare the DIM weight and actual weight and charge the higher of the two for the label.

This store or carrier integration is built directly into ShippingEasy. These integrations have a branded tile in either the store or carriers lists.

It consists of visitors who visit your website by typing the URL into their browser rather than from another website, such as a search engine or social media.

A display ad, also known as a banner ad, is a form of online paid advertising that is typically a designed image or a photo and copy. Viewers can then click on the promotion image to be taken to the corresponding landing page.

Distributed commerce is when potential customers can purchase products embedded within existing ecommerce content. Customers can buy what they see without leaving the platform/page they were browsing.

Distribution centers are a key part of the distribution chain for products, order fulfillment, and storing produced goods before shipment to wholesale, retail, or customers.

A metric showing the number of impressions of a single detail page.

A type of shipping wherein the online store doesn’t keep the product it sells in its 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.

ShippingEasy can help you to use drop-shipping in two ways:

  • Add the drop shipper as a user to your ShippingEasy account, so the drop shipper has access to create labels for those orders with your carrier accounts.

  • The drop shipper adds your selling channel to the drop shipper's ShippingEasy account, so the merchant’s orders import, and the drop shipper uses their carrier account to create labels.

Direct-to-consumer is a term that means when brands sell directly to their end customers without selling through a retailer, distributor, wholesaler, or other outlets.

All the content and conversation around your brand or product is created by somebody else and published somewhere other than your owned channels. Earned media can include press coverage, social media mentions, shares and retweets, product or company reviews, and blog posts authored outside your company.

Stands for effective cost per thousand impressions (technically, “effective cost per mille”).; eCPM helps compare media with different pricing methods by converting everything to a common metric. This can be helpful when you have a mix of ad buys denominated in cost per impression, cost per click, cost per lead, cost per action, fixed-price sponsorship, or other pricing methods. Sometimes, eCPM refers to revenue per thousand impressions on the publisher’s side.

A brand's ability to present its full catalog of products and access content online. Consumers can order products from any business at any time. In response, retailers want to host the widest array of product selections to provide consumers with an endless aisle of products on their retail site rather than risk losing the sale to another website with the content.

An ID code is used to track and register customs information in the EU. All businesses importing or exporting goods from countries outside the EU need an EORI number.

A customs requirement is that information about the sender, receiver, and parcel contents are gathered digitally and sent to Customs in the destination country. China and the US have passed legislation introducing this requirement to bolster border protection, and more countries are likely to follow suit in the coming years.

A communication method and standard for exchanging data (often customs information) by electronic means.

A method to transmit customs documents electronically, used primarily by FedEx. The letters "ETD" will be printed on FedEx labels to indicate your data has been submitted electronically. For FedEx International Ground, the letters "ETD" will appear in a black box under the shipping service icon.

The IRS uses an Employer Identification Number (EIN), a Federal Tax Identification Number, to identify a business entity. Generally, businesses need an EIN. You can apply online for this free service at the IRS Employee ID Numbers page, and you should check with your state government to see if you also need a state number or charter.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integrates and manages a company’s main business processes in real time. This technology connects a large organization's different software systems into one, yet it still helps each department to manage its system. 

Enterprise resource planning often integrates accounts payable, order tracking, stock monitoring, and customer management systems to be accessed through one application with one interface.

Fast-moving consumer goods are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost.

Fulfillment is the receipt, processing, packaging, and shipping of orders made through your online store.

Full Truck Load shipping is transporting goods in a shipment that fills an entire truck's space or weight capacity. FTL shipments get contracted to one customer, so the shipment typically goes to one location and travels on a more flexible schedule.

Targeting advertisements to specific regions helps online merchants improve ROI.

An item intended as a gift with a larger purchase. GWPs are typically sample-sized products offered by large retailers in the cosmetics and beauty industries.

An internationally standardized system of names and numbers used to classify globally traded products. The codes are required on customs declaration forms CN22 and CN23 for goods sent to other countries. A six-digit code identifies each commodity group to identify the duty and tax rates for specific types of products. The World Customs Organization developed the system, and over 200 countries use it as a basis for their customs tariffs.

Studies on computer technology design and use focused on the interfaces between people and computers. Researchers in the field of HCI observe how humans interact with computers and design technologies that let humans interact with computers in novel ways.

Headless ecommerce is where ecommerce services are provided by the ecommerce application, but the presentation layer is delivered by a separate system, e.g., CMS. ecommerce platforms that expose application functionality via APIs and services can be used in a headless setup. Headless enables front-end developers to present content using any framework they like without disrupting the backend ecommerce functionality.

A link on third-party websites that points to your website.

An approach that uses content marketing, social media marketing, and SEO to attract qualified prospects and build trust and credibility for online businesses.

The strategy of identifying individuals that create high-impact contact for a retailer's target audience and building relationships with these individuals to promote a brand's products.

The number assigned to a shipment confirms that the Automated Export System (AES) accepted the Electronic Export Information (EEI) and has it on file. Every AES shipment must have a unique ITN.

For AES filing, a shipment is all goods (regardless of the number of packages) tendered to the USPS on the same day from one US Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) to one addressee. The USPS defines the USPPI as “the person or legal entity in the United States that receives the primary benefit, monetary or otherwise, from the export transaction.” (Source: USPS)

Incoterms or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms that relate to international commercial law. Published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), these terms are widely used in international commercial transactions or procurement processes. Their use is encouraged by trade councils, courts, and international lawyers. The terms exist as an international standard to protect buyers and sellers and to regulate the payment terms for the receiver of the goods.

See DDP, DDU, and DAP for examples of INCOTERMs.

The assembly of separate pieces into a single offering is often pre-built in batches. The point of creating kits is to have a ready-to-ship set once a customer places an order to expedite the retail fulfillment process. Unlike a regular order, where you can’t predict what all a customer will order before they complete a purchase, kitting is used when a certain combination is known ahead of time.

Less Than Truck Load shipping is transporting goods in a shipment that shares a truck's space or weight capacity with other shipments. LTL shipments are contracted to multiple customers, so the shipments typically go to several locations and travel on a more rigid schedule. These shipments often stop at a distribution center for sorting.

A way to reach new people who are likely to be interested in your business because they're similar to your best existing customers.

The process of automating the buying and selling of ad inventory in real-time through an automated bidding system. Programmatic advertising enables brands or agencies to purchase ad impressions on publisher sites or apps within milliseconds through a sophisticated ecosystem.

The commitment between a supplier and a customer defines which service will be provided, how the service will be measured, and what remedies or penalties (if any) may arise should the service fail, change, or be unmet.

Text messages are sent via a traditional cellular network and are limited to 160 characters, including spaces. Most carrier services chain messages together when SMSs exceed this limit. Now often includes Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), the media-enhanced version of an SMS message (built on the same technology as SMS ) that allows users to send images, videos, or audio.

A firm that provides outsourced supply chain management and logistics services to its customers. Services generally include inventory, picking, packing, shipping, and returns management, among other functions. The terms 3PL and fulfillment often get used interchangeably.

A token is an authentication method for an API service or integration. In most cases, the term refers to a username, password, or access key that grants ShippingEasy access to your order information.

For some channels, tokens will expire and have to be refreshed. When this occurs, in most cases, you will need to reconfigure your store connection in ShippingEasy. Review this guide's specific articles for your selling channel if you need further information.

Value-Added Tax - also known as a goods and services tax (GST) - is a consumption tax based on the value of goods and implemented as a destination-based tax. VAT usually comes into play when shipping internationally to countries that charge customs fees and taxes recipients on imported goods. VAT may be recovered for commercial shipments only by a VAT registered recipient; VAT ranges from 5% to 25%, depending upon the country. VAT is generally charged only in the European Union, China, Mexico, and Thailand.

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of the shipping carrier that was selected to create a label.

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of carrier fees when a label is created.

ShippingEasy will import the customer's email address with the order and can send customer shipment confirmation and delivery emails, which are configured in your Store Settings.

ShippingEasy allows you to consolidate multiple orders from a customer when they go to the same address.

ShippingEasy will import the customer's phone number.

This integration allows you to define the Status Mappings for the store connection.

ShippingEasy will import notes left by the customer at checkout or added to the order once it has been imported to ShippingEasy.

ShippingEasy will import discount and coupon information for the order.

Order addresses can be modified after the order syncs to ShippingEasy.

Order weights can be modified after the order syncs to ShippingEasy.

ShippingEasy can determine if an order was placed as a gift.

Notes and comments can only be viewed in ShippingEasy.

ShippingEasy will update the selling channel of the items sent in a shipment.

ShippingEasy will display notes left in a shipment once a label is created.

ShippingEasy will import the payment method used to pay for the order.

ShippingEasy will import the shipping method chosen by the customer at the time of checkout.

A SCAN form is a single form containing a master barcode. The barcode links all the printed labels for packages ready for drop-off or pick-up service.

The carrier-selected service will display in the selling channel once a label is created for an order.

The shipment status will update in the selling channel once a label is created.

ShippingEasy can split an order to accommodate changes in stock, different shipping locations, or multiple packaging needs.

Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.

A carrier can apply a surcharge or fee if the package requires extra effort to process and transport. Overweight and oversized packages are examples.

A service ensures that the recipient of the mail items is at least 21 years of age or above. The recipient or a resident of the recipient's address must show a photo identification form to the delivery employee for age confirmation. Learn more about confirmation options.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) prohibits sending alcoholic beverages. Still, you can ship alcohol via couriers, such as FedEx or UPS, if you're a licensed alcohol shipper. Learn more about shipping alcohol.

A branded logo can be added in your ShippingEasy Store Settings that will print on your label. Learn how to manage your logo.

ShippingEasy allows you to customize labels with shipment options. Learn more about customizing shipping labels.

The declared value of a package represents our maximum liability in connection with the shipment of that package, including, but not limited to, any loss, damage, delay, or misdelivery relating to that shipment.

A service when you send a letter or parcel, in which the person receiving it must sign a document showing that it has arrived.

The carrier integration requires someone at the recipient's address to sign for the delivery. Direct signature deliveries are made to the address on the mailing label, not to an individual recipient. The carrier may reattempt the delivery if no one is at the address.

ShippingEasy can perform an End of Day process for the carrier and creates an End of Day PDF or electronic file. The End of Day process can be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. PDF files will be printed and provided to the carrier. Electronic files will be submitted to the carrier electronically.

ShippingEasy will display estimated shipping dates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.

The carrier integration supports shipping handguns in ShippingEasy. Learn more about shipping firearms.

The carrier integration will obtain a signature from someone at the delivery address or somebody nearby, such as a neighbor or building manager. The recipient can authorize the shipment to be released without anyone present.

The carrier integration can create multi-package shipments, where multiple individual packages are linked into a single shipment record with a master tracking number.

The carrier integration allows you to have your shipment picked up at your home or office by scheduling your pickup online or by calling the carrier.

The carrier integration automatically sends commercial invoices and customs forms electronically.

Also known as pay-on-scan. You are not charged for these labels until the carrier scans them into the mail stream. This means you do not need to void them to get a refund if they are unused.

The carrier integration supports Personal customs clearance codes (PCCC). PCCC is used by the Korea Customs Service when handling import declarations of personal items.

The carrier integration allows for the shipment of prescription medications.

Some carriers offer pickup or collection services that you can schedule so your carrier will collect your shipments at a specified time and place. A pickup service can often be scheduled as needed or, in some cases, as a recurring service.

The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels. The carrier integration can be used to create domestic return labels.

The carrier integration will deliver a shipment on Saturday for an extra fee.

The carrier integration will pick up a shipment on Saturday for an extra fee.

The carrier integration offers a pick-up service that can be scheduled on the website or when creating a shipment in ShippingEasy

Signature Confirmation provides shippers with the recipient's name and the delivery date, time, and location; a copy of the recipient's signature will also be faxed, mailed, or e-mailed to you upon request.

The carrier integration offers UPS® Simple Rate, UPS's version of flat rate shipping. This courier service lets you ship to anywhere in the US for a flat fee based on package size. The maximum weight for UPS® Simple Rate packages is 50 lbs. You can also use your packaging for UPS® Simple Rate.

The carrier integration offers UPS Smart Pickup®, a service that combines the convenience of a recurring pickup with the flexibility of an on-demand pickup. The carrier will come to your business only when you have a package to ship.

The carrier integration supports Sub Accounts. Sub Accounts provide a convenient method for using ShippingEasy with multiple carrier accounts.

The carrier integration supports billing postage costs to a third party.

The carrier international offers shipping for tobacco and vape products using ShippingEasy.

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