The world is transforming into a more digital way of functioning. Companies whether domestic or international, especially product-based ones have now made a switch to online selling. This is to enhance their strategies to make use of the benefits that eCommerce provides. Hence, the limelight has taken a shift to eCommerce shipping via various eCommerce courier services. And, hence to understand the language of eCommerce shipping, listed below are 62 courier terminology helping you to boost your eCommerce Business and break down complexities.
What is an eCommerce Courier Service?
A courier service is nothing but an organization or a service firm that transports objects from one location to another. With the help of representatives or delivery staff, it reaches out to the location mentioned.
How does it help an eCommerce business? An eCommerce courier service helps an organization to maintain transparency between both the parties. Through this, the customers stay informed in real-time about their package. Additionally, they are well informed of the time of dispatch, location as well as ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival). Through the courier service for your business, one can eliminate the extra burden of the overhead costs. This can be done via strategic inventory management and demand forecasting. Thus ensuring customer satisfaction at all times with a loyal customer base.
Basic eCommerce Courier Terminology To Enhance Understanding
eCommerce
Also known as electronic commerce refers to the online buying and selling of goods and services via the internet.
Shipping Partner
A courier service or company that assists an eCommerce business for all its shipping needs.
Bulk Shipment
Bulk shipment is the transport of products or goods in large quantities.
Commercial invoice
It is a legal document that lies between the supplier and the customer. It states the record of the amount of the sold goods and their quantity.
Tariff
It is a tax or an extra amount which must be paid under the bracket of imports or exports.
COD
Cash on Delivery refers to the amount to be paid when the product is delivered at the customer’s doorstep
PAN India
It refers to a courier service or company that has its Presence Across Nation (PAN), i.e. India
eCommerce Logistics
eCommerce logistics is the transportation of goods or information from one place to another
Courier Integration
It refers to the integration of courier service with an eCommerce platform
AWB Bill Airway Bill
(AWB) is a document that tags along the goods shipped by an international courier used for tracking updates.
Air Freight
Goods carriage via an airway or airplane
(RTO) Return to Order
It refers to those orders that cannot be delivered and need to be shipped back to the warehouse.
No minimum order commitment
It states that both the buyer and sellers settle to an agreement that the buyer doesn’t need to purchase any minimum amount of products
Customs Duty
Duty is a type of tax that is levied on a product that is exported or imported internationally. The duty is decided on the basis of the type of product, the weight, or a mix of both.
Exchange Rate
This refers to the rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another currency. The exchange rates change every day based on market circumstances.
Expedited Shipping
This term refers to the process of speeding up the process of shipping and reducing the number of days it will take to deliver the product.
Export
To send products from one’s own country to another (foreign) country.
HSN Codes
Harmonized System Nomenclature codes consist of 8-digit uniform codes created by the World Customs Organization (WCO). These codes generally used to classify products into segments which codes are accepted globally.
Import
To receive products from another (foreign) country into one’s own country.
Insurance
A guarantee of compensation for specific loss or damage to the products for a specified premium.
Insurance Certificate
A declaration provided by the insurance company stating their undertaking including the coverage costs for the product.
Manifest
A document listing the different shipment carried out on a ship or an aircraft.
SPRE
Shipping Partner Recommendation -Engine refers to software that helps pick the best shipping company based on its cost, serviceability, and reliability.
Shipment
Shipment refers to the act of shipping goods or the quantity of good shipped
Tracking
eCommerce tracking is characteristic through which one can track any kind of eCommerce data, i.e. order amount, sales amount, order quantity, or the billing location.
Shipping Rate
eCommerce company charges a rate for shipping in addition to the cost of the products ordered
Tracking ID
An Identification number assigned to a packaged product when shipped
Shipping Calculator
It is a type of calculator used for calculating the shipping price based on the product quantity and distance required to be shipped.
One Time Shipment
It is a type of shipping freight or cargo that is shipped all at one time. a quantity of freight or cargo shipped all at one time.
International Shipping
It is the act of delivering a parcel or many packages from one country to another.
Express Delivery
Also known as expedited shipping which refers to the air couriers or any kind of courier that is delivered either overnight or the next day.
Freight
It is the act of transporting any package via road, airways, railways, or cargo ships
Shipping Labels
It refers to a label that consists of key information for a carrier to ship from origin A to the customer’s doorstep.
Shipping Insurance
A service that allows reimbursement for parcels that are found lost, stolen, and/or damaged while in transit.
Cross Border Shipping
It refers to the act of shipping across a border or between two countries.
Cargo
Any goods or huge cartons carried on a ship, an aircraft, or a motor vehicle.
Carrier
A carrier refers to an individual or an object that carries a package or goods and delivers it.
Courier driver
An independent staff worker in charge of the pickup and delivery of various goods and packages via his own transportation (in most instances) within a deadline.
Consignment
It refers to a batch of goods that delivers for or to someone
Consignment Note
A document prepared by a consignor post that needs a countersign of the carrier. This acts as a proof of receipt of consignment required for delivery at the given location
Carton
A cartoon refers to a box or container usually made of paperboard and sometimes of corrugated fiberboard. Many types of cartons are found in packaging. Sometimes a carton is also called a box.
Common Carrier
Common carrier refers to an individual or a service that involves the transportation of goods or packages of a given area or route on a regular basis at mutually agreed rates.
Cross Dock
A type of logistics function where the goods or products from a supplier is sent to a customer in a direct manner by eliminating any kind of storage.
Customs
It is a type of authority of a particular country that holds responsibility for controlling the tariffs or the entire flow of goods or packages.
Customs Clearance
It is an official authorization of a country to keep a check on a particular good or package to proceed forward for distribution in that particular region.
ETA
Estimated Time of Arrival refers to the time estimated by courier service for the delivery of a good or package.
Dangerous Goods
It is those type of goods that are termed as hazardous or harmful for a particular individual, community or a region as a whole and hence it needs to go through a particular check and relived for distribution
Expedited Freight
In simple terms it means faster transport.
Door to Door
In courier terminology, it refers to a courier staff who travels from one door to another within a given locality or region
LTL Freight
Less than Load is a type of transportation where a truck doesn’t need to fully loaded. The packages or parcels loaded are quite smaller. Hence, a partially empty truck travels rather than a fully loaded one.
Next Day Delivery
It is a type of delivery that takes around a day to reach the customer.
First Mile Delivery
It is the first stage of the logistics and supply chain service. Here a good or package ships from the warehouse or manufacture’s plant.
POD
Proof Of Delivery. A type of document that the recipient collects, sent by the seller or supplier to the customer. It acts as proof of the major elements of the shipping included along with the package.
P/U
It stands for Pick Up. It states that a customer collects something that has been left at a particular location. The supplier provides the location to the customer.
Rush Courier
In this courier service, the shipment procedure moves to a faster speed. It’s done in exchange for a small fee paid by the customer.
Same Day Delivery
It is a type of delivery where the delivery reaches the customer within a period of 24 hours
SCM
Supply Chain Management handles and manages the storage, transit, and product delivery to the customer.
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer is a type of certified technology that helps to keep an internet connection secure. Thus safeguarding any kind of confidential information or sensitive data sent via one system to another. This helps to prevent any kind of interference and loss of restricted data.
Standard Delivery
It refers to the type of delivery that takes usually up to 3-5 days. Once the package dispatches, the customer can then tracks the same. This is possible via the details given until the product reaches the doorstep.
VIP Delivery
Very important Delivery is a method of delivery that involves a sole delivery treatment. Wherein the courier service that consigns the parcel also delivers it with an exclusive transport and no added stops.
Weight Surcharge
It is an extra fee levied on a packaged good for exceeding the required weight limit
While we can go on and on with regards to various eCommerce courier terminology that actually exist in the industry, the above mentioned are a few of the many important ones.
How To Scale Up Your Business with The Right Courier Partner
The right eCommerce courier service helps one to create a smooth delivery management business. This paves the way for opportunities in the post-pandemic scenario. The shift to digitalization has opened doors for markets to flourish and this includes eCommerce to be specific. While an eCommerce business benefits, it is the same for eCommerce logistics and courier services as well.
Here are 4 ways on how eCommerce couriers services boosts any eCommerce business:
- Overcoming geographical barriers and reaching out to remote locations on time and every time. This makes the process or ordering and receiving a smooth flow.
- Helps to optimize a well-managed and well-organized delivery system that improves the flow of an e-commerce business.
- A delivery management system created in a versatile way and best suited for different types of supply chain management.
- Use of analytics for eCommerce logistics and delivery network to help understand customer behavior and new business strategies.
- A track of the delivery costs incurred and reducing it as much as possible. This would help to ensure customer engagement as well as business profits.
Now that the various courier terminology jargon has been simplified, as an eCommerce business owner, go ahead and ship hassle-free. For this, Dash101, an eCommerce logistics aggregator is your go-to shipping guide. The courier integration channel connects one to more than 12 eCommerce courier services across different parts of the country. Through the in-built features within Dash101, compare various shipping prices, and choose the best one at your service. Afterall, Dash101 is not just a shipping partner, but your business partner too.
