Cross-border logistics glossary
The terms that show up in an international e-commerce shipment, explained in context and in terms of what they mean when shipping with MailAmericas.
Search by name, acronym or synonym (for example “DDP”, “pick and pack” or “customs”).
Origin
9 termsWhat happens before the parcel leaves the seller's country: the sale, the label, consolidation and the marketplace integration.
Cross-border
Cross-border is online selling where the seller and the buyer are in different countries, so the parcel crosses at least one border and one customs office before reaching its destination.
CBT seller
A CBT (cross-border trade) seller is a merchant who lists on a marketplace in one country and ships from another, usually from China, the United States or Europe into Latin America.
Marketplace
A marketplace is an e-commerce platform where many sellers list products and the platform concentrates the traffic, the payment and, often, the shipping rules.
Consolidation
Consolidation is grouping many parcels from different sellers into a single international load, transporting them together and splitting them up only in the destination country.
Origin hub
The origin hub is the warehouse, in the seller's country, where the logistics operator receives the parcels, checks them and consolidates them before international transport.
Shipping label
The shipping label is the tag that identifies each parcel with the recipient's details, the tracking number and the information that transport and customs need.
Manifest
The manifest is the document listing every parcel in an international load, with its contents, value, weight and recipient, presented to customs at departure and at arrival.
API integration
An API integration is the automatic connection between the seller's system (marketplace, store or ERP) and the logistics operator's system, so orders, labels and statuses flow with no manual loading.
Tracking number
The tracking number is the unique code that identifies a parcel along its whole route and lets you check where it is, from the origin hub to delivery.