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Glossary of Postal Terms

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Glossary of Postal Terms Glossary of TransmittalPostal Terms Letter Publication 32 July 2013 Transmittal Letter A. Purpose. This glossary defines the most widely used words and phrases unique to, or with special meaning within, the United States Postal Service®. It includes terms related to products and services, delivery and mail processing operations, automation technology, and strategic programs that boost productivity and improve the customer experience. This glossary does not, however, present comprehensive descriptions or furnish precise legal definitions such as those in 39 U.S.C and 39 C.F.R. If the glossary definition of a term contradicts the definition of the same term in another official and current Postal Service™ directive, the directive definition supersedes the glossary definition. B. Questions and Comments. Questions and comments, including suggestions for revisions or additions of terms, can be sent to: [email protected] or PUBLICATION 32 EDITOR BRAND AND POLICY US POSTAL SERVICE 475 L'ENFANT PLZ SW RM 4646 WASHINGTON DC 20260-3101 C. Cancellations. All previous issues of Publication 32 are obsolete. D. Effective Date. This publication is effective July 2013. Samuel M. Pulcrano Vice President Corporate Communications Contents Introduction . 1 Format and Organization . 1 Style . 4 Acronyms and Abbreviations . 4 Alphabetization . 4 Capitalization. 4 Forms and Publications. 4 Trademarks . 4 Postal Terms . 5 List of Acronyms/Abbreviations. 239 July 2013 iii Glossary of Postal Terms This page intentionally left blank iv Publication 32 Introduction Publication 32, Glossary of Postal Terms, first appeared in 1974, and has been updated several times since then to reflect the introduction of new products and services, as well as advances in mail processing and delivery operations. The current edition is the result of a year-long effort by subject matter experts from every function within the Postal Service. These experts added hundreds of new entries, including terms related to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. Many existing terms were also updated when appropriate. Most obsolete terms were deleted, but some that might still appear in print were retained and cross-referenced to the current term. Format and Organization This online edition departs from the traditional dictionary-style design of previous editions. The tabular format facilitates searches and lays the foundation for possible new features in future editions. Each entry in the table can consist of up to five separate elements as shown in the sample illustration and explained by the following keys. Sample Glossary Entries Acronym / Cross- Term Abbreviation Definition Reference Function AADC (1) A presort level in which all pieces in the (Compare PC bundle or container are addressed for delivery with ADC.) in the service area of the same automated area distribution center (AADC). (2) An abbreviation used on mail container labels that identifies the contents as automated area distribution center mail (i.e., the ZIP Codes on the mail are served by the AADC). abandoned (See PC mail unclaimed mail.) July 2013 1 Acronym / Cross- Term Abbreviation Definition Reference Function absentee Postcard applications, ballots, voting PC balloting instructions, and envelopes sent through the materials mail without postage prepayment. This public service enables U.S. expatriates, members of the Armed Forces in active service, and the U.S. Merchant Marine (and their spouses and dependents) to apply for registration and to vote when absent from the place of voting residence. Accelerated A developmental curriculum for new HR Career Entry employees to gain knowledge, skills, abilities, Program and experience in positions identified with mission critical skill sets. accelerated ARM Origin Caller Service provided for barcoded (Compare SS reply mail reply mail at a postal facility other than the one with to which the caller’s mail is actually addressed. destination Reply mail from the caller’s customers is Caller captured on processing equipment Service.) programmed to include the unique ZIP+4 barcode assigned to the caller as part of the scheme sort at selected processing and distribution centers. The captured mail is held out for either immediate pickup by the caller or reshipment by USPS via Priority Mail Express™ service to the facility to which the caller’s mail is addressed. Key to Column Headings Term The headword to be defined. It appears in boldface type and, if trademarked or registered, shows the appropriate trademark (™) or registration mark (®) symbol. Every term entry includes a term. Acronym / An authorized acronym or abbreviation of the term (e.g., ADC for area distribution center). Abbreviation Some acronyms or abbreviations are trademarked or registered (e.g., EPM® for Electronic Postmark and ACS™ for Address Change Service) even when the term itself is not trademarked or registered. Not every term entry includes an authorized acronym or abbreviation. Definition A statement that presents the meaning of the term. Some definitions contain multiple parts or meanings. Some definitions include descriptors in parentheses before the statements (e.g., (informal), (obsolete). (philatelic)). Not every term has a definition if the term is an unofficial form with a cross-reference to the official form (e.g., (See postal money order.) for the entry money order). Cross-Reference A direction to go to the official presentation of the term (e.g., (See postal money order.) for the entry money order). A signal to see another related term (e.g., (See also saturation price.) for the term high density price). Also a signal to compare a related term (e.g., (Compare with area and district.) for the term Headquarters). Not every term entry includes a cross-reference. Function A two-letter code that indicates the principal area within the Postal Service that uses or originated the term. Every term entry includes a function. July 2013 2 Introduction Function Codes Code Function AM address management CA consumer affairs CO communications and public affairs CR customer relations DE delivery EN engineering FA facilities FI finance GC general counsel GR government relations GS ground shipping HR human resources (including labor relations) IN International mail IM Intelligent Mail IS Inspection Service MA mail acceptance MP mail processing and network operations MS mailing services PC pricing and classification PT payment technology RE retail sales RP retail products and services SA sales SH shipping services SM supply management SP strategic planning SS special services ST stamps and stamp collecting SU sustainability TR transportation US www.usps.com July 2013 3 Glossary of Postal Terms Style This glossary represents not only a compendium of the most common postal terms and phrases, but also the official authority for spelling, capitalization, and abbreviations. It also shows which ones are Postal Service trademarks. Acronyms and Abbreviations An alphabetic list of all official acronyms and abbreviations and their respective terms appears after the glossary. This list is complete for the terms in the glossary, but it should not be considered complete for the Postal Service world beyond this publication. Alphabetization Terms are alphabetized letter by letter. This style is standard for most dictionaries. It continues across spaces or symbols such as hyphens, slashes, and periods that occur between words (e.g., five-digit ZIP Code, Delivery Bar Code Sorter/Output Subsystem, and U.S. Postal Service). In addition, terms with numerals are alphabetized as though spelled out (e.g., 5D for five-digit and 7:01 rule for seven zero one rule). Capitalization Many postal terms, especially those naming specific products, systems, and equipment, tend to be written as fully capitalized proper nouns in official communications, such as directives, news releases, management letters, and memoranda. Capitalization also occurs for terms that name specific committees, offices, projects, programs, and trademarked or registered items and brands. Likewise, general terms combined with a capitalized qualifier such as a personal or place name or an administrative designation are capitalized (e.g., Postmaster Smith, Miami International Service Center, Eastern Area). Some terms are simply capitalized to distinguish them from an otherwise general term, such as Headquarters and the Material Distribution Center. Forms and Publications Any form or publication cited in this glossary is a Postal Service form or publication unless otherwise indicated. Trademarks Trademarks and terms whose registration is pending are always capitalized and used with the appropriate symbol: (®) for registered marks and (™) for unregistered marks. In this glossary, these symbols are used only if the term is in the term column or cross-reference column. They are not used in definitions. 4 Publication 32 Postal Terms Z Abbreviation/ Cross- Term Acronym Definition Reference Function AADC (1) A presort level in which all pieces in the (Compare with PC bundle or container are addressed for delivery in ADC.) the service area of the same automated area distribution center (AADC). (2) An abbreviation used on mail container labels that identifies the contents as automated area distribution center mail (i.e., the ZIP Codes on the mail are served by the AADC). abandoned mail (See unclaimed PC mail.) absentee balloting Postcard applications, ballots, voting PC materials instructions, and envelopes sent through the mail without postage prepayment. This public
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