Glossary
Glossary
Tip: Use your browser's Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac) to find a term. Start with order and shipping terms; customs, billing, and integration terms follow.
Order and fulfillment
| Term |
Definition |
| Sales order (order) |
A customer order with products, delivery details, and a fulfillment status. |
| Approval type |
An account setting that controls when an order can proceed. Immediate Approval automatically approves eligible orders without a scheduled delay. It does not bypass validation, stock, courier, or credit checks. Manual Approval waits for review. Delayed Approval auto-approves eligible orders after a configured delay. |
| Pick, pack, and ship |
The three fulfillment stages: select items, package them, and hand the parcel to a courier. |
| VAS (value added services) |
Optional services beyond standard fulfillment, such as insurance, Duties & Taxes, branded communications, or branded tracking. |
| Term |
Definition |
| ------ |
------------ |
| Cross-docking |
An order flow that routes inbound goods into an outbound shipment with limited or no normal storage. |
| Crowdfunding batch (batch order) |
A group of orders processed together from Crowdfunding Batches. |
| FIC (FedEx International Connect) |
A FedEx cross-docking flow using a FIC Master Order and Pending Child Orders. The FIC label belongs to this FedEx flow; do not use it for every cross-docking order. |
| Master Order |
A parent order for separate child shipments. Courier consolidation groups existing eligible orders without merging their lines. FIC creates a master from selected Pending Child Orders. |
| Child Order |
An order linked to a Master Order. It remains a separate order with its own status and courier. |
| Manifest |
Courier handoff documents that group shipments for collection. |
Shipping and tracking
| Term |
Definition |
| 3PL (third-party logistics) |
A warehouse partner that stores inventory and fulfills orders for your account. |
| Chargeable weight |
The weight a courier uses to price a parcel. It is the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. |
| Consignee |
The recipient of a shipment, usually your customer. |
| Courier |
A carrier that collects and delivers a parcel, such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS. |
| Rate Card |
A price schedule for fulfillment, storage, shipping, or other account services. |
| Rate shopping |
Comparing eligible courier services and prices in Shipping Calc. or when routing an order. |
| Shipping label |
The courier document with the destination, service, and tracking barcode for a parcel. |
| Tracking status |
The latest courier event for a shipment, such as In Transit, Out For Delivery, or Delivered. See Status Codes for labels and meanings. |
| Transit time |
The time from the first In Transit tracking scan to delivery. Before delivery, the count continues to the current time. |
| Volumetric weight |
The space-based weight calculated from parcel dimensions. Couriers use it when a parcel is large but light. |
Inventory and inbound terms
| Term |
Definition |
| Inner Carton |
A smaller package inside a Master Carton, usually containing a set quantity of one product. |
| Master Carton |
The outer shipping carton that contains inner cartons or individual products. |
| SKU (stock keeping unit) |
The unique code that identifies one product in inventory. |
| UPC, EAN, and GTIN |
Product barcode standards. UPC is common in North America, EAN is used internationally, and GTIN is the umbrella identifier family. |
| Term |
Definition |
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| ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice) |
An inbound shipment record that tells the warehouse what stock is arriving. |
| Batch number |
An identifier recorded with serial numbers on an ASN line to group related product units. |
| Group item |
A parent product that groups related Item Variants, such as one garment in several sizes or colors. |
| Item Variant |
A specific version of a group item, distinguished by attributes such as size, color, or material. |
| Piece count |
An ASN option that requests a count of received pieces. The count can create a billable work order. |
| Serial number |
A unique identifier for an individual product unit, used to track that unit through inbound processing. |
| Stock transfer |
An order that moves inventory between warehouse locations when the account can create inventory transfers. |
| Work Order |
A request for warehouse work beyond standard fulfillment, such as kitting, quality checks, or counting. |
| Kitting |
Assembling separate products into one bundle or set, usually through a Work Order. |
ASN types
| Type |
Full name |
Use |
| ASN |
Advanced Shipping Notice |
New inventory arriving at a warehouse. |
| RASN |
Restock ASN |
Returned items going back into sellable stock. |
| QASN |
Quarantine ASN |
Returned items held for inspection. |
| TASN |
Transfer ASN |
Inventory moving between warehouse locations. |
Returns and aftercare
| Term |
Definition |
| RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) |
A return order authorized by you or your customer. It can include a system-generated return label. |
| Return item |
One item in a return order, tracked through condition assessment and disposition. |
| Disposition |
What happens to a return item: Restock, Quarantine, Forward, or Dispose. |
Customs and trade
| Term |
Definition |
| Country of Manufacture |
The country where a product was made. Some destinations require it on a customs declaration. |
| Customs Value |
The declared value of goods for customs. It is separate from the freight charge. |
| DAP (Delivered at Place) |
An Incoterms rule in which the seller delivers to an agreed place. The buyer handles import clearance and pays import duties and taxes. |
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) |
An Incoterms rule in which the seller handles export and import clearance and pays import duties and taxes to the agreed destination. |
| DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) |
A legacy shipping term for a shipment where the recipient pays duties. DDU is not a current Incoterms rule; check the trade term shown for the courier service. |
| HS code (Harmonized System code) |
An international product classification with a six-digit WCO base code. Countries can add digits for local tariff rules. |
| IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) |
An EU VAT scheme for eligible imported goods in consignments with an intrinsic value up to EUR 150 . An IOSS number allows VAT to be collected when the goods are sold. |
| Landed cost |
The delivered cost of goods, including freight, insurance, duties, taxes, and clearance charges that apply. |
| OSS (One-Stop Shop) |
An EU scheme that lets eligible businesses report VAT on cross-border B2C sales through one return. |
| Packing Slip |
A document in a shipment that lists the enclosed items. |
| POD (Proof of Delivery) |
Courier evidence that a parcel was delivered, often with a signature and delivery time. |
| Reason for Export |
The shipment purpose shown on customs documents, such as sale, gift, sample, repair, or return. |
| Trade terms |
The rule that assigns duties, taxes, and import-clearance responsibilities. Courier results can show DDP, DAP, or another supported billed-party label. |
Primary references: European Commission VAT One-Stop Shop and import scheme, WCO Harmonized System, ICC Incoterms 2020, and European Commission Incoterms guidance.
Billing
| Term |
Definition |
| Account Balance |
The account balance before deductions for Pending Invoice and Pending Fulfilment Estimate. |
| Credit Note |
A billing document that reduces an amount due or records a credit on the account. |
| Management Fee |
A 3% fee on each successful credit-card payment through the portal . |
| Pending Fulfilment Estimate |
The estimated amount owed if all orders awaiting fulfillment are completed. |
| Pending Invoice |
An estimate of charges for fulfilled shipments that are not yet invoiced. Courier updates can change the amount. |
| Sales Invoice |
A billing document issued for charged fulfillment services. |
| Usable Balance |
An estimate calculated from Account Balance less Pending Invoice and Pending Fulfilment Estimate for new orders. The display can change as charges update and is not a credit authorization. |
Automation and integrations
| Term |
Definition |
| Action |
The change an Automation Rule makes after its conditions match, such as assigning a courier or approval type. |
| Automation Rule |
A rule that applies an action when an order matches its conditions. |
| Condition |
A test in an Automation Rule, such as destination country, shipping method, or order value. |
| E-commerce integration |
A connection between Floship and a store that exchanges orders, inventory, or both. |
| Inventory sync |
A one-way update from Floship inventory to a supported connected store. Changes made directly in the store may be overwritten on the next sync. |
| Order sync |
Importing store orders into Floship. |
| Webhook |
An event notification sent from one system to another when a specified change occurs. |
| Term |
Definition |
| ------ |
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| Shipping Option |
A routing entry that matches a shipping-option name and destination countries to a courier service and warehouse. Accounts can show Shipping Options or Automation Rules for routing. |
