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Glossary

This chapter provides definitions of certain terms in use at Canada Post. Corresponding terms in French are indicated in brackets.

AR – See Advice of Receipt.(Avis de réception)

ABC Section – Section of a postal outlet where the ABC system is used. (section de tri alphabétique)

ABC System – System by which mail is sorted into case separations labelled alphabetically. (système de tri alphabétique)

Acceptable Item – Any message, information, funds or goods that may be transmitted by post. (article admissible)

Acceptance – (1) The conditions stipulated by Canada Post governing the manner in which certain mail must be prepared by the sender prior to mailing. (2) PosteCS transmissions are accepted electronically through the PosteCS website interface. (acceptation)

Acceptance Scan – This records the date an item was accepted by Canada Post. The information is available by calling the Customer Relationship Support group at 1 888 550-6333 and via the Internet. (balayage au point d’origine)

Account Number – A number assigned to each commercial Customer who signs a service agreement with Canada Post. It consists of two digits and identifies the type of account held by the Customer. This number is usually printed as a suffix to the Customer Number. (numéro de compte)

AdCard – A single-panel, double-panel or triple-panel card available in two different sizes as part of a “one-stop” advertising solution. The client supplies the creative design and Canada Post co-ordinates the printing, mail preparation, deposit, transportation and delivery of the AdCard items. The Customer can personalize the advertising card by choosing from a series of creative options, each priced separately. (Promocarte)

Address Accuracy Program– A program designed to encourage mailers to accurately address mail. An address is deemed accurate when all components are present, correct and match information on Canada Post’s address database.

Consistent and accurate addressing eliminates the need for extra handling and/or re-delivery. The savings in efficiency and handling are shared between Canada Post and its Customers. For Customers, this translates into a more efficient service and lower costs. (Programme d’exactitude des adresses)

Address Carrier (Publications Mail) – Separate enclosure (normally a single sheet or overcover used to provide the recipient’s address for delivery purposes) which is either attached to the outside of the publication or enclosed as an outsert with the host publication in a wrapper. It may contain advertising or a promotional message and a response mechanism, such as a Business Reply Mail item. An address carrier is an acceptable Publications Mail enclosure priced with the host publication. (porte-adresse)

Address Incomplete – Vital address elements are missing. (adresse incomplète)

Addressed Admail – Mailable items, bearing a uniform message that:

(Médiaposte avec adresse)

Addressee – The recipient or consignee of a mailed item. (destinataire)

Admail – Refers to the family of Canada Post products that are primarily used for advertising by mail. (Médiaposte)

Advertising Brochure (Publications Mail) – A thin collection of unbound or stapled or press-pasted printed pages displaying a sampling of products or services for sale, which may include prices and item numbers. It must not be perfectly bound, contain an index or table of contents or the word “catalogue” or “catalog”. An advertising brochure is an acceptable Publications Mail enclosure priced with the host publication. (brochure publicitaire)

Advertorial (Publications Mail) – An advertising piece that is formatted to look like a newsletter or other host publication in order to attract a reader’s attention. An advertorial is an acceptable Publications Mail enclosure priced with the host publication as long as it is clearly identified as “advertising”, “advertorial” or “promotional” (or similar wording) on the front page/cover, otherwise it may be treated as a co-packaged publication and priced accordingly.(publireportage)

Advice of Receipt (AR) – An option for Registered Mail (International and U.S.A.) whereby the delivering office or postal authority obtains the signature of the addressee or the addressee’s representative on an Advice of Receipt card and returns the card to the sender. This option is only available at the time of mailing.(Avis de réception)

Agreement Year – Twelve (12) consecutive calendar months falling between two (2) anniversary dates. (année de Convention)

Air Mail – Mail paid at the air mail rate for transportation by air. (courrier-avion)

Air Mail Service – A route or service on which mail is carried by air. (service postal aérien)

Air Mail Sticker – An adhesive label used on international air parcels and U.S.A. and international air Small Packets. (étiquette par avion)

Air Stage Freight Service – This service is available by contract only, under the Shipping and Delivery Services Agreement. This service is for Customers shipping items which are deemed as essential or food items as shown on the Eligible and Non-Eligible Lists. Items shipped under the Air Stage (Funded) service will be accepted at the designated food entry points only, and the non-food shipments will be accepted at the designated staging Points or Food Entry Points. (Service-fret aérien omnibus)

Air Stage Office – A post office to or from which all mail must be airlifted for more than six (6) months of every year as a viable surface transportation alternative is not available. This type of office is generally confined to remote or isolated communities in northern areas of the country, and is specified in the Air Stage Office List established by Canada Post. (bureau du Service aérien omnibus)

Air Stage Freight Prices – For commercial Customers with an Air Stage Freight Service contract under the Shipping and Delivery Services Agreement, these prices are only applicable from designated staging points (where mail is airlifted to and from an Air Stage Office) and Food Entry Points (the facility where food shipments must be dropped off in order to be flown to an Air Stage Office).(tarifs du Service-fret aérien omnibus)

Airlift – Transport of mail prepaid at surface prices by air to speed delivery which is normally to a destination outside Canada. (aéroportage)

Alcoholic Beverage – Any beverage intended for human consumption containing alcohol (e.g. beer, wine and spirits) as defined in the Excise Act R.S.C. 1985 C.E.-14, as amended. (boisson alcoolique)

Alphanumeric Sequencing – Mail is sequenced by the Delivery Mode Detail (DMD) which is located in positions 66 to 69 of the Delivery Mode Data. The exact Delivery Mode Detail (DMD) is a four-character, left-justified data field that may contain numeric characters or a combination of numeric and alphabetic characters. DMD’s that are a combination of alpha and numeric characters will have 1 to 3 alpha characters in the left. Those with 1 alpha character are followed by up to 3 numeric characters.

ANA NAN – The alpha-numeric (A)-(N) formula that makes up the Canada postal code. “A” represents an alphabetic character; “N” represents a numeric character. The two units of the code have different functions: ANA represents the forward sortation area (FSA), and NAN represents the local delivery unit (LDU). (ANA NAN)

Annual Purchase Contract – Agreement under which a person agrees to purchase 250 or more prepaid containers over a period of 12 months or less. (convention d’achat annuel)

AO Mail – A term meaning “Autres objets” which is an international mail term used by the Universal Postal Union to define items such as Small Packets, which do not meet the normal size limits of items such as letters, postcards, parcels, etc. (AO)

Applicable Published Prices – With respect to each Product and Service, the applicable prices, including any applicable fees, charges or surcharges, and less any applicable rebates, set by Canada Post and in effect at the time of mailing, as published and/or made available by Canada Post for general application to its Customers, as amended from time to time. (tarifs publiés applicables)

Approvals – Postage stamp selections sent by stamp dealers to Customers for their inspection. (à l’examen; sous condition)

Area Control List – A list of countries established under the Export and Import Permits Act to which the export of certain goods is controlled. (liste des pays visés)

Area Deposit – A mailing which is deposited in the mail processing facility or mail induction centre which dispatches directly to the final delivery site from which the mail will be delivered. (dépôt dans le secteur)

Assessed Weight – In reference to each piece of mail, this means the greater of the actual weight and the volume divided by the volumetric weight factor. The assessed weight is used to determine the postage. (poids établi)

Authorized Representative – A person having written authority to pick-up, receive and sign for mail addressed to another party. (représentant autorisé)

Authorized User – A party designated by the Customer and who is approved by Canada Post to have access to the Products and Services offered under this Agreement. Unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, an Authorized User has full access to the Products and Services offered under this Agreement.(utilisateur autorisé)

Automated Enquiry System – A computerized system using bar code technology that permits a shipper of an item of mail to obtain delivery information by telephone. (système automatisé de renseignements)

Automated Operations – Mail processing operations performed by mechanized means, such as by group desk suites, letter sorting and cancelling machines, etc. (opérations automatisées)