| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Announcement | The process of registering a shipment with a carrier. A successful announcement results in a tracking number and a shipping label being returned. |
| Brand | A configurable entity used to customize customer-facing features such as tracking pages, tracking notifications, and return portals. Brands are linked to sender addresses and are automatically applied to parcels created from those addresses. |
| Carrier contract | A direct agreement between a sender and a carrier that defines negotiated shipping rates and services. Connected carrier contracts allow Sendcloud to generate shipping and return labels using the sender’s own pricing. |
| Collo | The count of parcels in a shipment. |
| Drop-off | The act of handing a parcel over to a service point to be collected and delivered by a carrier. |
| Integration | An online platform, such as an e-commerce Platform, WMS, Marketplace, ERP or custom-built interface that is connected to Sendcloud. |
| Label | A physical document generated after a shipment is announced to a carrier, which must be affixed to each parcel before handover. It contains the routing, identification, and tracking information required by the carrier network. |
| Multicollo | A shipment containing multiple parcels which are announced at the same time so that they stay together throughout the delivery journey. Linked parcels are represented on the shipping label. |
| Orders | Represents the commercial details of a purchase, including what was sold, customer information, and delivery addresses. Orders are typically created in upstream systems and synced to Sendcloud, where they can be updated until prepared for fulfillment. |
| Pack & Go | Sendcloud feature designed to facilitate an easier picking and packing process by allowing orders to be processed via a barcode scanner and/or picking lists and packing slips. |
| Parcel | A parcel is a single physical package within a shipment that is handed over to a carrier. It contains the information required to generate a shipping label and enable tracking, such as weight, dimensions, contents, insurance values, and carrier-specific instructions. A parcel typically has a shipping label linked to it. |
| Pickup | The act of a carrier collecting parcels (usually in bulk) from a specified location, such as a warehouse or brick-and-mortar store. |
| Return method | The method by which a customer returns a parcel, such as pickup, in-store return, drop-off at a service point, or labelless return. Return methods determine how the return is initiated, labeled, and handed over to the carrier. |
| Return rules | Automation rules that can be created in the Sendcloud platform to automatically apply actions to return parcels created through the Return portal or Return portal API based on pre-set conditions. |
| Sendcloud platform | The Sendcloud platform is where you can configure settings, process orders and access core features through our user interface. |
| Sender address | A configured ship-from address that defines where a parcel is sent from and where it should be returned if delivery fails. Sender addresses are required for label creation and influence available shipping methods and rates. |
| Service point | A physical location affiliated with one or more specific carriers, where parcels can be dropped off or collected. Return parcels are typically dropped off at a service point by a customer to be shipped back to the sender. Also called: Parcel shop, Drop-off point |
| Shipments | Represents the fulfillment of an order, defining how items are shipped, including the carrier, service level, and delivery preferences. A shipment may contain one or more parcels and is used for carrier communication, label generation, and tracking. |
| Shipping functionality | An additional service attached to a shipping method which specifies additional handling required by a parcel, the type of parcel that’s accepted for delivery or a specific delivery deadline. An example of a shipping functionality would be Signature required or Delivery within 24h. |
| Shipping method (Shipping option in API v3) | A specific carrier service used to deliver a parcel, defining how and at what rate it is shipped. Shipping methods are a subset of a shipping product and determine factors such as delivery speed, weight limits, and service type. In API v3, this concept is referred to as a shipping option. |
| Shipping option | See Shipping method. This term is used in API v3 to refer to a carrier shipping service. |
| Shipping product | An overarching collection of shipping methods which are grouped together based on shared characteristics. Represents the service offerings of a carrier. An example of a shipping product would be PostNL Standard. |
| Shipping rates | The prices charged by a carrier to ship a parcel, based on factors such as sender address, destination, weight, dimensions, service level, and carrier contract. |
| Shipping rules | Automation rules that can be created in the Sendcloud platform to automatically apply actions to orders and shipments based on pre-set conditions. |
| Tracking | The process of receiving status updates to indicate the progress of a parcel from the point of label creation to the point of delivery. |
| Tracking notifications | Customisable tracking emails which you can configure in Sendcloud to send automatic updates to your customer every time their parcel reaches a delivery milestone. |
Getting started
Glossary
Below is a list of definitions that are referred to throughout our API documentation in relation to integrations, data models and carrier services.