Understanding mail fulfilment & logistics terminology

A

Address Zone

A designated area on a mail item where the delivery address must be printed.

Addressee

The intended recipient of a mail item.

C

CEN

Comité Européen de Normalisation (European Committee for Standardisation)

CFC

Culler-Facer-Canceller (Mail processing equipment)

CN (Convention)

An abbreviation for "Convention," referring to international agreements under the Universal Postal Union (UPU) that govern global mail exchanges. Examples include CN 22, a customs declaration label required for international shipments.

CP (Colis Postal)

A term derived from French meaning "postal parcel." CP is used to denote service documents related to international parcel exchanges, such as CP 72, a combined customs declaration and dispatch note.

D

Delivery Point

A physical location where mail and parcels are delivered.

Designated Postal Operator (DO)

A postal service provider designated by a government to handle global mail exchanges under the Universal Postal Union (UPU) framework.

Digital Postage Mark (DPM)

A secure postage mark containing machine-readable information used for tracking and processing mail.

Document

Written, printed, or digital material that is not classified as a "good" and falls within specified mailing dimensions.

E

EDI

Electronic Data Interchange

EVTRPT

Event Report (Used for EDI communications)

Extraterritorial Office of Exchange (ETOE)

An international mailing facility operated by a designated postal operator outside its home country to manage global mail distribution.

G

Goods

Physical, movable items transported through postal or logistics networks, excluding documents.

I

IATA (International Air Transport Association)

An industry association representing airlines, ensuring safe and efficient air transport for mail and freight.

ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation)

A United Nations agency that sets global aviation standards, including those impacting postal and logistics operations.

IMPC (International Mail Processing Centre)

A designated facility responsible for processing inbound and outbound global mail.

IPC

International Post Corporation

ISO

International Organization for Standardisation

ITMATT

EDI message for item attribute communication

M

Mail Handling Unit

A facility responsible for processing and sorting global mail.

Mail Originator

The entity responsible for creating and dispatching a postal item in compliance with postal regulations.

Mail Service Contractor

A company or entity responsible for mail acceptance, processing, and delivery under agreed service standards.

O

OCR

Optical Character Recognition

Office of Exchange (OE)

A postal facility that manages the exchange of mail between countries.

P

Postal Operator

A licensed organisation that provides postal services to the public, often under a universal service obligation.

Postage Payment Indicia (PPI)

A printed or digital marking indicating pre-paid postage, used for bulk mailing.

PREDES

EDI message for dispatch communication

R

Receptacle (Postal Receptacle)

A container used for the transportation and handling of consolidated mail shipments.

RFID

Radio Frequency Identification

S

S.A.L.

Surface Air Lifted (Mail category)

T

Terminal Dues

Fees paid by the postal operator of the originating country to the receiving country for the processing and delivery of global mail.

Transit Point

An intermediate location where mail is temporarily held before final delivery.

U

Unit Load Device (ULD)

A container designed to fit into aircraft cargo holds for efficient transport of mail and freight.

Universal Postal Union (UPU)

A United Nations agency that sets international postal regulations and facilitates cooperation between postal operators across the globe.

W

World Customs Organisation (WCO)

A global agency responsible for setting standards for customs procedures, including those related to international mail and logistics.