Glossary
The words Parcello uses for packing, shipping and tracking, and the carrier terms you meet along the way.
Updated October 13, 2026
Short definitions of the terms used in Parcello and in this guide. Each one links to the article that covers it.
Parcello terms
Alternative boxes. A setting for a product with more than one box row. Each row is a different box the product can ship in, and Parcello picks the box size by quantity (for example, one unit in a small box, two in a large one). See Limit items per box, alternative boxes and carton packs.
Batch. A page for working on many orders at once. Select orders on the Orders page and click Open in batch to print labels and packing slips or fulfill them together; getting rates and buying labels in a batch is on the Operations plan. See Ship many orders in a batch.
Box limits. Two optional caps set on a box on the Boxes page: Max weight (box and contents, in lbs) and Max pieces when products share this box (the most pieces a box holding different products can take). Parcello starts a new box before going over either. See Boxes.
Box row. One line in a product’s box settings on the Products page: which box, the weight of the contents and how many units fit. A product can have several box rows. See Set up products.
Carton pack. A product sold as a pack of several cartons, set with Cartons per unit. Parcello counts the cartons when it fills boxes, keeps a unit’s cartons together unless May ship in separate boxes is ticked, and uses a box marked Only when nothing else fits only as a last resort. See Limit items per box, alternative boxes and carton packs.
Checkout lane. A column of a carrier’s checkout settings on Carriers: domestic or international, and parcel or freight. Each lane has its own services, rate type and surcharge. See Choose carriers and services for checkout.
Declared value set by hand. A box’s declared value that you typed yourself. Parcello shows Set by hand next to it and stops recalculating it from the items; Reset goes back to the calculated value. See Box weights and declared values.
Host. On the Box sharing tab, a product whose box has Room for add-ons, so smaller items can ride along inside it. Add host sets the same room on several products at once. See Shared boxes and ride-along items.
Label address. The address printed on a shipment’s label, shown as Label Address on the order. It starts as the order’s shipping address and changes when you accept a carrier suggestion or edit it. The Shopify order keeps its own address. See Addresses: checks, suggestions and edits.
Late. A tracking badge for a shipment not delivered by its promised date, judged by the calendar day at the destination. See Needs attention and daily emails.
Needs attention. A tab on the Tracking page listing shipments with a carrier exception or return, or that are late or stalled. Dismiss removes a shipment until a new problem comes up. See Needs attention and daily emails.
Potential claim. A shipment on a guaranteed service that arrived after the carrier’s commitment, listed on the Potential claims tab so you can ask the carrier for a refund. Parcello doesn’t file claims for you. See Potential refund claims.
Preset. A set of shipment settings Parcello applies to orders that match conditions you choose, such as a carrier and service, or a packing slip without the billing address. Presets live under Order presets on the Automation page (Operations plan). See Order presets.
Promised date. The delivery date the carrier gave when the shipment first moved. Parcello keeps that date even if the carrier changes its estimate later, and uses it to decide whether a shipment is late. See Needs attention and daily emails.
Ride-along. A small product that ships inside another product’s box when both are ordered, instead of in its own box. Each rider has a limit per box (Up to N per box), a weight added to the host box and, optionally, the largest order it rides on (Orders up to N host pieces). See Shared boxes and ride-along items.
Shipment. A group of boxes going from one location by one carrier, with its own service, label address and labels. One order can have several shipments. See Boxes and shipments on the order.
Shipping rule. A checkout rule that hides a rate, changes its price or sets a price when a cart matches your conditions, tested with Try a cart (Operations plan). See Shipping rules and Try a cart.
Shipping tier. A speed level, such as ground or overnight, used at checkout when a cart splits into more than one shipment. Parcello adds up each shipment’s rate for the tier and shows one line per tier, set under Customer shipping tiers. See How checkout prices a cart.
Stalled. A tracking badge for a shipment in transit with no new carrier scan for more than 5 days. See Needs attention and daily emails.
Unit split across boxes. The default setting for a product with more than one box row: each unit ships in all of its boxes, such as a wheel that ships in three boxes (wheel, stand and graphic). See Ship one product in several boxes.
Shipping terms
Accessorial. An extra freight service with its own charge, such as residential delivery, liftgate, inside delivery or a delivery appointment. See Freight with Estes.
Additional handling. A UPS and FedEx surcharge for boxes that are large, heavy or not fully boxed. Carriers measure packages and can add it at billing when a box is bigger than declared. See Boxes.
Bill of lading (BOL). The freight shipping document that lists the shipper, consignee and each piece. In Parcello you create it with Create BOL on an Estes or FedEx Freight shipment. See Bills of lading and Estes pickups and FedEx Freight bills of lading and pickups.
Bill-to account. The FedEx Freight account FedEx Freight bills for your bills of lading, entered under BOL billing on the FedEx Freight card when it isn’t your shipper account. See Freight with FedEx Freight.
Commercial invoice. The customs document for goods that were sold, listing each item’s description, value, HS code and country of manufacture. Parcello builds it from the customs form. See International shipments and the customs form.
DAP and DDP. Terms of sale for international shipments. DAP (delivered at place) means the recipient pays the import duties and taxes; DDP (delivered duty paid) means you do, billed to your carrier account. Parcello sets them from the Duties and taxes choice. See International shipments and the customs form.
Declared value and insurance. Declared value raises the carrier’s own liability for a package, for a fee. Insurance is a separate policy that pays out under its own terms. See Shipping insurance and high-value shipments.
Dimensional weight. A billing weight carriers calculate from a box’s size (length × width × height, divided by a carrier number). When it’s more than the actual weight, you pay for the dimensional weight. See Boxes.
EORI. A customs number for businesses importing into the EU or the UK. Enter it, or a VAT number, as the Importer tax ID (optional) on the customs form when the recipient is a business. See International shipments and the customs form.
Freight class. A rating from 50 to 500 that LTL carriers use to price freight, based mainly on density. Parcello estimates it from each box’s size and weight. See Freight with Estes.
Guaranteed service. A service with a delivery commitment, such as overnight air or Estes guaranteed freight, where the carrier may refund the charge when it delivers late. See Potential refund claims.
HS code. The Harmonized System code that classifies a product for customs. Each row on the customs form needs one. See International shipments and the customs form.
Liftgate. A lift on the back of a freight truck that lowers pieces to the ground, for deliveries without a loading dock. It’s an accessorial with its own charge. See Freight with Estes.
LTL (less than truckload). Freight that shares a truck with other shippers’ freight, for pieces too big or heavy for parcel carriers. See Freight with Estes.
Negotiated and list rates. List rates are a carrier’s published prices. Negotiated rates are the prices on your own account contract. Parcello shows negotiated rates on the order, and each checkout lane can quote either. See Rates and services on the order.
PRO number. The tracking number for an LTL freight shipment, assigned by the carrier when the bill of lading is created. See Bills of lading and Estes pickups and FedEx Freight bills of lading and pickups.
Pro forma invoice. A customs invoice for goods that weren’t sold, such as replacements or samples. Pick Pro forma Invoice on the customs form. See International shipments and the customs form.
Residential. A home address, as opposed to a business. Carriers often charge more for home delivery, and FedEx uses different ground services for homes and businesses. See Addresses: checks, suggestions and edits.