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A
Accelerated Surface Mail (ASP)
Conveyed on land by truck or train and by aircraft when crossing oversea.
 
Aerogrammes
Prepaid letters with preferential postal rates.
 
Airmail
Any item of mail conveyed by air (letter/parcel/packet).
 
AO
Printed matter and small packets (not letters).
 
C
C1
See Green Label
 
C2/CP3
Customs declaration for parcels.
 
CFPO
Canadian Forces Post Office.
 
CP1
Customs declaration form for parcels.
 
D
Declarable Mail
An item of mail that requires a customs declaration form.
 
Domestic Mail
Mail destined for delivery inside the country of origin.
 
Dutiable Mail
A declarable item that is subject to customs duties in the destination country.
 
E
Economy
A declarable item that is liable to customs duties in the destination country.
 
EPS
Post Office compliment to an international courier service.
 
F
First Class
Premium mail, first class airmail.
 
Frank Mark
Service or price information on mail items in compliance with requirements of a local postal authority.
 
Franking Machine
The mailing equipment used to apply a Frank Mark.
 
G
Green label
Customs declaration form required on all mail items with an approximate value of $100 or less.
 
I
Indicia
Another name for a Frank Mark.
 
International Mail
Mail to any destination outside the country of origin (with the exception of USA-destined mail).
 
ISAL
International Surface Air Lifted – see Accelerated Surface Mail.
 
L
LC
Letter Class and Cards.
 
Letters
Any correspondence of a business or personal nature.
 
Lettre
Internationally agreed upon term to identify letter mail if written on an envelope.
 
M
Maximum Size Items
Vary by country and by class of mail please check local post office guide.
 
P
Par Avion
Internationally agreed upon term for identifying that a mail item is to be conveyed by air – written on the item.
 
Parcel
A specific type of mail, usually heavy items-letters cannot be classed as parcels.
 
PP
Often confused with printed paper, actually means Postage Paid.
 
PPI
Postage Paid Impression – see PP and also Frank Mark.
 
Prepaid
An envelope that has been purchased with its price including conveyance, or that payment will be made be other means and need not be shown how on the envelope.
 
Printed Matter
A specific class or classes of mail as defined by post offices.
 
Printed Matter Definition
Mail containing only items that are produced in volume by means other than a hand written letter – see letter and non documents – non documents are specifically excluded.
 
Printed Paper
Another term for printed matter.
 
Prohibited Articles
Items that are specifically excluded from conveyance by mail services.
 
PTT
Post, Telegraph and Telecommunications a term that often describes European countries that the same body administers all three disciplines.
 
R
Registered Mail
A service by some post offices to some countries which provides a degree of tracing and tracking as well as compensation for loss/damage.
 
S
Surface Mail
Mail conveyed by sea, rail and road – the slowest means of mail distribution.
 
U
Undeliverable articles
Mail items that cannot be delivered for any reason. e.g. wrong address or incomplete address.
 
UPU
Universal Postal Union – Group of National Postal organizations worldwide.
 
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