Glossary¶
- address validation¶
The verification and correction of postal addresses to help ensure parcels are rated accurately and delivered on time. See Validate an Address.
- APO¶
Army Post Office. See also DPO and FPO. For APO cutoff times, see the Cutoff Times FAQ. For customs requirements, see the Domestic Customs Form FAQ.
- APV¶
Automated Package Verification. APV is a USPS® program that verifies that postage is accurate and applies adjustments if necessary. See USPS Automated Package Verification.
- auto refill¶
Automatic replenishment of a PB Postage Account by a pre-defined amount whenever the balance falls below a pre-defined threshold. See When does auto refill trigger?
- base URL¶
The common prefix in the URLs for the PB Shipping API operations. The Sandbox and Production environments have different base URLs. See API Environments.
- CBDS¶
Cross-Border Delivery Service. See Pitney Bowes Cross-Border Delivery Service (CBDS).
- cubic pricing¶
Rates based on parcel size and shipping distance instead of on parcel weight. See What is USPS cubic pricing?
- delivery line¶
The portion of the address that includes any of the following: street name, street number, apartment number, PO BOX, secondary address, urbanization name. This is also called the delivery address line.
- delivery point¶
A 2-digit number used by USPS in combination with the 9-digit ZIP code to identify a deliverable address. You can find more information on delivery points at the Wikipedia Delivery Point page.
- developer¶
Owner of an account that give access to the PB Shipping APIs. See Developer Account.
- dimensional (DIM) weight pricing¶
Applies to parcels that are large and relatively light for their sizes. Rates are based on volume and a volumetric divisor. See What is USPS dimensional weight pricing?
- DPO¶
Diplomatic Post Office. See also APO and FPO. For DPO cutoff times, see the Cutoff Times FAQ. For customs requirements, see the Domestic Customs Form FAQ.
- FPO¶
Fleet Post Office. See also APO and DPO. For FPO cutoff times, see the Cutoff Times FAQ. For customs requirements, see the Domestic Customs Form FAQ.
- Harmonized System code¶
A tariff-classification number for a commodity based on the six-digit Harmonized System (HS). Most countries use the six-digit HS codes as the basis for their tariff classifications and add additional digits for more detail. To retrieve a predicted HS code, use the Predict HS Code API.
- HS Code¶
- IMb¶
Intelligent Mail barcode. A barcode used by USPS to sort and track letters and flats. See What is an IMb?
- IMpb¶
Intelligent Mail package barcode. A barcode used by USPS to track a parcel. See What is an IMpb?
- Importation costs¶
For a CBDS Shipment, the duties and taxes charged at a destination country’s border. Importation costs might also include a disbursement fee. See How does CBDS issue invoices?.
- induction postal code¶
The postal code where a shipment or shipments are tendered to a carrier. This can be different from the Sender’s address.
- last line¶
The city, state, and postal code portion of an address.
- manifest¶
An end-of-day document that combines all the days shipments on a single form or electronic record, depending on the carrier. See Create a Manifest.
- merchant¶
A shipper within the Pitney Bowes system. When you print a label through the PB Shipping APIs, you do so on behalf of a merchant. See Merchant Accounts.
- military addresses¶
- OAuth¶
A standard for token-based authentication and authorization. The PB Shipping APIs use OAuth to identify and authenticate the developer account making an API request. See Generate an OAuth Token.
- PB Postage Account¶
The account used to pay shipping costs. Both developers and merchants can have PB Postage Accounts. A merchant will have a PB Postage Account if paying for postage directly, as described in Merchant Accounts. For FAQs on PB Postage Accounts, see Payments FAQs.
- QR code¶
A two-dimensional barcode used to print a shipping label. See QR Code.
- refill¶
Adding funds to a PB Postage Account through either the Refill API or the Merchant Portal. See How do I fill my PB Postage Account with funds?
- soft pack¶
A flexible package that adheres and conforms to the item being packaged. See How are rates calculated for USPS soft packs?
- transportation cost¶
For a CBDS Shipment, the international shipping charges and any accessorial charges. See How does CBDS issue invoices?.