E-commerce teams work with English every day: marketplace seller panels, payment providers, carriers and store platforms all use the same vocabulary, and words such as checkout, SKU or fulfillment often stay in English in Turkish offices too. Knowing these terms helps online sellers read platform rules, talk to international customers and partners, and sell abroad with confidence.
100 terms
11 topics
43 core terms
200 example sentences
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Online Stores and Marketplaces
e-commerce
noun
Meaning
Buying and selling goods or services over the internet, including everything around it: online stores, payments, delivery and customer service.
Where you use it
The general name of the sector and of the job. People work in e-commerce, run an e-commerce business or join an e-commerce team. It is also used as an adjective: e-commerce site, e-commerce manager. You will see it written as ecommerce or eCommerce too.
Examples
Before moving into e-commerce, I worked in a physical clothing store for six years.
Our e-commerce sales now make up almost half of the company's revenue.
Usage note
The 'e' is pronounced like the letter E: 'ee-commerce'. In Turkish 'e-ticaret' it is read 'e', but in English it is /iː/.
Common phrases
e-commerce business · e-commerce site · e-commerce manager · e-commerce sales · work in e-commerce
A website or app where a business shows its products and customers can order and pay for them without visiting a physical shop.
Where you use it
Used for a brand's own shop on its own domain, as opposed to a marketplace. You launch, set up, run or redesign an online store. British English also says online shop; webshop and web store are common in Europe.
Examples
We sell on two marketplaces, but our own online store has the best margins.
It took us three weeks to set up the online store and upload the first 200 products.
Common phrases
launch an online store · set up an online store · run an online store · online store owner
A large website or app where many independent sellers list and sell their products, while the platform handles traffic, payments and often delivery rules.
Where you use it
Used for platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy or the large Turkish marketplaces. Sellers sell on, list on or join a marketplace and follow its seller rules. Teams often compare marketplace sales with sales from their own online store.
Examples
Most of our new customers find us on the marketplace first and then visit our own site.
The marketplace changed its commission rates for electronics last month.
Common phrases
sell on a marketplace · online marketplace · marketplace seller · marketplace fees · join a marketplace
Software used to build and run an online store, covering the product catalog, cart, checkout, payments, orders and integrations with other tools.
Where you use it
Used when choosing, comparing or moving between systems such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento or local providers. Teams build on, migrate to or outgrow a platform. Many platforms are SaaS, paid as a monthly subscription.
Examples
We're moving to a new e-commerce platform because the old one can't handle our traffic.
Which e-commerce platform has the best integration with the Turkish marketplaces?
Usage note
In Turkish, 'platform' often means a marketplace ('Trendyol gibi platformlar'). In English, 'e-commerce platform' usually means the store software, not a marketplace.
Common phrases
choose an e-commerce platform · migrate to a new platform · hosted e-commerce platform · platform fees
Short for business-to-consumer: a business selling directly to individual people who buy for their own use, as most online shops do.
Where you use it
Used to describe a business model, a market or a team: B2C e-commerce, a B2C brand, B2C customers. It is often contrasted with B2B. Said letter by letter, with 'to' in the middle: B-to-C.
Examples
Our B2C site sells single items, while the wholesale portal handles bulk orders.
In B2C, customers expect next-day delivery and easy returns.
Short for business-to-business: one company selling products or services to other companies, such as a wholesaler supplying shops.
Where you use it
In e-commerce, B2B sites often have customer accounts, price lists per customer, minimum order quantities and payment on invoice. People say B2B platform, B2B portal or B2B buyers. Said letter by letter: B-to-B.
Examples
Our B2B customers can see their own prices after they log in.
We launched a B2B portal so that pharmacies can reorder without calling us.
Describes a brand that makes its own products and sells them straight to customers, mainly through its own online store, without wholesalers or retail chains.
Where you use it
Common in startup and brand talk: a direct-to-consumer brand, model or channel. Shortened to D2C or DTC. These brands usually own their customer data and invest heavily in marketing and customer experience.
Examples
We started as a direct-to-consumer brand and only later entered department stores.
The direct-to-consumer channel gives us higher margins but more customer service work.
Common phrases
direct-to-consumer brand · D2C model · DTC channel · go direct-to-consumer
The customer-facing part of an online store: the pages, design and navigation that shoppers see, as opposed to the admin panel behind it.
Where you use it
Used by developers, designers and marketplace sellers. You design, customize or launch a storefront; marketplaces also give brands a branded storefront page. In technical talk, the storefront is the front end.
Examples
We redesigned the storefront but kept the same back-end system.
Our storefront on the marketplace now shows a banner for the summer collection.
Usage note
In everyday English, a storefront is also the street-facing front of a physical shop.
An independent business that sells its products on someone else's marketplace, as opposed to products sold by the marketplace company itself.
Where you use it
Used by marketplaces, analysts and sellers. On many platforms most products come from third-party sellers, who pay commission and follow seller rules. Often shortened to 3P; first-party (1P) means the platform buys and sells the stock itself.
Examples
Third-party sellers now account for most of the items sold on the marketplace.
As a third-party seller, we handle our own shipping and customer questions.
Common phrases
third-party seller · become a third-party seller · 3P sellers · first-party and third-party
The fee a marketplace keeps from each sale, usually a percentage of the selling price that changes by product category.
Where you use it
Central to marketplace pricing. Marketplaces charge or take a commission; sellers calculate it into their prices and compare commission rates between platforms. Also called referral fee or selling fee on some sites.
Examples
After commission and shipping, we make very little on cheap accessories.
The marketplace charges a 15% commission on clothing.
Describes selling through several connected channels, such as an online store, app, marketplaces and physical shops, that share stock, customer data and one experience.
Where you use it
Common in retail strategy: an omnichannel strategy, experience or retailer. Examples are click and collect, returning online orders in a shop and seeing store stock online. Turkish teams often keep the English word.
Examples
Our omnichannel strategy lets customers return online orders in any of our 40 stores.
To be truly omnichannel, the website must show real-time store stock.
Usage note
Multichannel means selling on several channels that may work separately; omnichannel means the channels are connected and feel like one store to the customer.
A way of building an online store in which the customer-facing front end is separate from the back-end commerce system, and the two communicate through APIs.
Where you use it
Used by developers, architects and larger brands. A company goes headless or moves to headless commerce to get more design freedom, faster pages or the same back end for web, app and other channels. It usually needs more development work.
Examples
We moved to headless commerce so the website and the app could use the same back end.
Headless commerce is powerful, but a small store usually doesn't need it.
Common phrases
go headless · headless commerce platform · headless architecture · front end and back end
The page of an online store that shows one product in detail, with its photos, price, description, options and an add-to-cart button.
Where you use it
One of the most discussed pages in any store, because the buying decision happens here. Teams optimize, test and redesign product pages. Developers and analysts often call it the PDP (product detail page).
Examples
We added a size chart to every product page, and size-related returns dropped.
Mobile visitors leave the product page quickly because the photos load too slowly.
Common phrases
product page design · optimize a product page · product page views · on the product page
The entry for a product on a marketplace or store, made up of its title, photos, price, description and details; also the work of creating these entries.
Where you use it
Very common on marketplaces, where sellers create, edit and optimize listings. People often just say 'listing'. A listing can be live, inactive or suppressed if it breaks the marketplace's rules.
Examples
Our product listing was removed because the main photo had text on it.
Can you update the product listings with the new prices before Monday?
Common phrases
create a product listing · optimize a listing · listing title · live listing · edit a listing
The text on a product page that explains what the item is, what it is made of, how it is used and why someone might want it.
Where you use it
Written by copywriters, content teams and sellers, and checked by SEO specialists. You write, update, translate or optimize product descriptions. Good ones answer customer questions before they are asked and reduce returns.
Examples
The product description should mention that the bag fits a 15-inch laptop.
We hired a native speaker to rewrite our product descriptions for the UK site.
One version of a product that differs from the others in a feature such as size, colour or capacity, usually with its own SKU and stock.
Where you use it
Used in store admin panels and marketplace listings. Sellers create, group and manage variants under one parent product, so customers choose options on a single product page. People usually just say 'variants'.
Examples
This sneaker has 24 product variants: six sizes in four colours.
The red product variant is selling three times faster than the others.
Common phrases
create variants · size and colour variants · parent product · variant SKU · select a variant
A page that shows a group of related products, such as 'women's shoes', usually as a grid that shoppers can sort and filter.
Where you use it
Important for navigation and SEO. Teams create, merge and optimize category pages and decide how products are sorted on them. Developers often call them PLPs (product listing pages) or collection pages.
Examples
The category page for dresses gets more search traffic than any single product.
Can we show best-sellers first on the category page instead of the newest items?
A file or data connection, often in XML or CSV, that sends a store's product details such as titles, prices, stock and images to marketplaces, ad platforms or comparison sites.
Where you use it
Used by e-commerce, marketing and integration teams. You create, upload, update or fix a product feed; errors in the feed can stop products from appearing in ads or listings. Turkish teams often talk about 'XML entegrasyonu'.
Examples
Half of our shopping ads stopped because the product feed had the wrong currency.
The product feed updates every night with new prices and stock.
Common phrases
product feed · upload a feed · feed errors · XML feed · feed management
The full set of products a business sells, together with their information such as names, categories, prices, variants and images.
Where you use it
Used for both the range of products and the data behind it. Teams build, expand, clean up or import the catalog, and talk about catalog size and catalog data quality. UK spelling is catalogue.
Examples
We're adding 500 home products to the catalog next quarter.
Before the migration, we cleaned up the product catalog and removed old items.
Common phrases
product catalog · catalog size · expand the catalog · catalog data · import a catalog
An option on a category or search page that lets shoppers narrow the products shown by features such as size, colour, brand or price.
Where you use it
Used as a noun (add a filter, the price filter) and a verb (filter by size). Shoppers apply, clear or combine filters; teams decide which filters to show and check that product data fills them correctly. Developers call this faceted navigation.
Examples
Most shoppers filter by size first, then by price.
The colour filter doesn't work because half of the products have no colour data.
Common phrases
apply a filter · filter by price · clear all filters · price filter · sort and filter
The search box inside an online store that lets shoppers find products by typing words, and the system that decides which results to show.
Where you use it
Used by e-commerce and product teams. Shoppers who use site search often buy more, so teams study search terms, fix 'no results' pages and add synonyms and spelling corrections. Also called on-site search or internal search.
Examples
Site search shows nothing for 'tisort' because customers type it without the Turkish letter.
Visitors who use site search convert about twice as often as other visitors.
Common phrases
site search · search results page · no results · search terms · improve site search
The part of an online store that keeps the products a customer has chosen until they are ready to pay, showing quantities and the total price.
Where you use it
Usually just called 'the cart'. Customers add items to the cart, remove them or update quantities; teams look at what people leave in the cart. British sites often say 'basket' or 'shopping basket' instead.
Examples
The shopping cart shows the delivery fee only after customers enter their address.
Customers can keep items in their shopping cart for 30 days.
Usage note
US sites say cart, UK sites usually say basket. Both mean the same thing.
Common phrases
add to the shopping cart · shopping cart page · items in the cart · update the cart · empty cart
The final steps of buying online, where the customer enters an address, chooses delivery and payment, and places the order.
Where you use it
Central in conversations about sales and user experience. Customers go to checkout or proceed to checkout; teams simplify, test and track the checkout and talk about checkout steps, checkout errors and checkout conversion.
Examples
We cut the checkout from four pages to one, and completed orders went up.
Many customers leave at checkout when they see the shipping cost.
Usage note
The noun is one word (checkout); the verb is two words (check out). Customers check out at the checkout.
Common phrases
proceed to checkout · checkout page · checkout process · one-page checkout · at checkout
A customer's request to buy one or more products, created when they complete checkout; it then moves through payment, packing, shipping and delivery.
Where you use it
The basic unit of e-commerce work. Customers place an order; the store receives, processes, ships, cancels or refunds it. Every order has an order number, and teams count daily orders and orders per customer.
Examples
We received over 1,200 orders on the first day of the sale.
Could you send me your order number so I can check where the parcel is?
Usage note
The natural verb is 'place an order'; 'make an order' sounds less natural. The customer places an order and the store fulfils it. 'Put in order' is different: it means arranging things.
Common phrases
place an order · process an order · cancel an order · order number · order history
The situation in which a shopper adds products to the cart but leaves the site without completing the purchase.
Where you use it
A key problem and metric in online retail. Teams measure the cart abandonment rate and try to reduce it with simpler checkout, clear shipping costs and reminder emails. Common reasons are surprise fees, forced account creation and slow pages.
Examples
Our cart abandonment rate is close to 75%, which is high even for mobile.
Showing the delivery fee earlier helped us reduce cart abandonment.
Common phrases
cart abandonment rate · reduce cart abandonment · high cart abandonment · causes of cart abandonment
A way of completing a purchase without creating an account or logging in; the customer only gives the details needed for the order.
Where you use it
Used in conversations about conversion and checkout design. Stores offer, allow or remove guest checkout; customers check out as a guest. Forcing people to register is a well-known cause of abandoned carts.
Examples
Since we added guest checkout, first-time buyers complete their orders more often.
Guest checkout customers can still create an account after they pay.
Common phrases
offer guest checkout · check out as a guest · guest checkout option · guest orders
The action of putting a product into the online shopping cart, and the name of the button on product pages that does it.
Where you use it
Used as a verb phrase (add something to the cart) and as a noun or adjective: the add-to-cart button, add-to-cart rate, an add-to-cart event in analytics. Analysts often say 'add to carts' or 'ATCs' for the number of additions.
Examples
Many visitors add to cart but never reach the payment step.
The add-to-cart button is hidden below the photos on small screens.
Common phrases
add-to-cart button · add-to-cart rate · add an item to the cart · add to cart event
The message or page that tells a customer their order has been received, with the order number, items, total paid and delivery details.
Where you use it
Sent automatically after checkout. People talk about the order confirmation email or page, and customers often contact support when they do not receive it. Many stores use this page to suggest more products or ask for feedback.
Examples
I didn't get an order confirmation. Did my payment go through?
The order confirmation email now includes the estimated delivery date.
Common phrases
order confirmation email · order confirmation page · send an order confirmation · receive an order confirmation
An automatic email sent to a shopper who left items in the cart without buying, reminding them of the products and inviting them to finish the order.
Where you use it
One of the most profitable automated emails in e-commerce. Stores set up a series of abandoned cart emails, sometimes with a discount in the last one. It only works for shoppers who gave an email address and agreed to receive messages.
Examples
Our abandoned cart email goes out one hour after the shopper leaves the site.
About one in ten abandoned cart emails leads to a completed order.
Common phrases
abandoned cart email · abandoned cart series · cart recovery · send a reminder email
A saved list of products a shopper is interested in but not ready to buy yet, often marked with a heart icon.
Where you use it
Shoppers add items to or save items to their wishlist; stores use wishlist data to send price-drop or back-in-stock alerts. Some sites call it favourites or saved items.
Examples
We email customers when an item on their wishlist goes on sale.
The heart icon adds the product to your wishlist.
Common phrases
add to wishlist · save to wishlist · wishlist items · wishlist reminder
A fast way to buy in which the customer's saved address and payment details are used, so the order can be placed with a single click or tap.
Where you use it
Used in checkout and conversion discussions, especially for mobile and returning customers. Stores add or offer one-click checkout, often through a digital wallet or an accelerated checkout button.
Examples
One-click checkout made reordering coffee capsules much easier for our regular customers.
Since we added one-click checkout, mobile conversion has gone up.
A service that securely sends a customer's card or other payment details from the online store to the banks and returns whether the payment is approved.
Where you use it
Used by developers, finance teams and store owners when choosing or connecting a payment provider. You integrate a payment gateway, switch to a new one or compare their fees. People also say payment provider or payment service provider (PSP).
Examples
The payment gateway was down for twenty minutes, so no card payments went through.
We need a payment gateway that accepts cards from Europe and the Gulf.
Usage note
Turkish teams often say 'sanal POS'. 'Virtual POS' is understood, but in English 'payment gateway' or 'payment provider' is far more common.
A way a customer can pay for an order, such as a credit or debit card, bank transfer, digital wallet or cash on delivery.
Where you use it
Used at checkout and in strategy talks, especially when selling to new countries where people prefer different ways to pay. Stores offer, add or support payment methods; customers choose or save a payment method.
Examples
Adding a local payment method doubled our sales in the Netherlands.
Please choose a payment method to complete your order.
Common phrases
choose a payment method · add a payment method · preferred payment method · local payment methods · saved payment method
A payment method in which the customer pays the courier in cash, or sometimes by card, when the parcel is delivered, instead of paying online.
Where you use it
Common in markets where some shoppers do not trust or do not use online payments. Shortened to COD. Stores offer or limit COD and may add a COD fee; refused COD parcels come back and cost the seller shipping both ways.
Examples
About 15% of our orders are still cash on delivery.
We added a small fee for cash on delivery to cover the carrier's charge.
Common phrases
pay cash on delivery · COD orders · COD fee · offer cash on delivery
One of several smaller payments that together make up the full price, so the customer pays over a number of weeks or months instead of all at once.
Where you use it
Customers pay in installments; stores offer installment options at checkout, sometimes 'interest-free'. In Turkey, credit card installments are a standard checkout feature, and the number of installments allowed can be limited for some product categories.
Examples
Customers can pay for the sofa in six interest-free installments.
Our international payment provider doesn't support card installments, so we use a local one too.
Usage note
US spelling is installment, UK spelling is instalment. 'Taksit' in Turkish sounds simple, but international buyers may not expect card installments at all.
Common phrases
pay in installments · installment options · interest-free installments · monthly installment · number of installments
The reversal of a card payment after the cardholder disputes it with their bank, for example claiming the item never arrived or the payment was fraudulent.
Where you use it
Used by finance, fraud and customer service teams. A customer files a chargeback; the merchant receives, disputes or loses it. Merchants send evidence such as tracking data, and too many chargebacks can lead to penalties from payment providers.
Examples
We won the chargeback because the tracking showed the parcel was signed for.
Our chargeback rate went up after we started selling phones.
Usage note
A refund is given by the seller; a chargeback is forced through the customer's bank, usually with an extra fee for the seller.
Common phrases
file a chargeback · dispute a chargeback · chargeback rate · chargeback fee · win a chargeback
An extra security step for online card payments in which the card's bank asks the customer to confirm the purchase, for example with an SMS code or a banking app.
Where you use it
Used by payment, fraud and support teams, and often shortened to 3DS. Payments go through 3D Secure or fail at 3D Secure. It reduces card fraud and can shift responsibility for some fraud chargebacks away from the merchant, but an extra step can also cause drop-offs.
Examples
The customer's payment failed because the 3D Secure code expired.
We require 3D Secure for all orders above a certain amount.
Common phrases
3D Secure authentication · 3D Secure code · fail 3D Secure · 3DS2
A payment option offered by a financing provider that lets customers receive an order now and pay for it later or in a few smaller parts, often without interest if paid on time.
Where you use it
Common at checkout in many markets. Shortened to BNPL. Stores add or integrate a buy now, pay later provider; the provider pays the store and collects from the customer. People also say 'pay in four' or 'pay in 30 days'.
Examples
Buy now, pay later is popular with younger customers in our UK store.
Orders paid with buy now, pay later have a higher average value.
Common phrases
buy now, pay later provider · BNPL option · pay in four · offer BNPL
Checking orders and payments for signs of fraud, such as stolen cards or fake accounts, often with software that gives each order a risk score.
Where you use it
Used by payment and risk teams. Systems flag, review, hold or cancel suspicious orders. Typical warning signs are a billing and shipping address in different countries, many failed card attempts or unusually large first orders. Teams also try to avoid false positives that block real customers.
Examples
Our fraud detection tool held the order because the card was issued in another country.
Better fraud detection cut our chargebacks in half.
Common phrases
fraud detection tool · flag an order · risk score · manual review · false positive
Short for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard: the security rules that any business that stores, processes or sends card data must follow.
Where you use it
Used by developers, security and finance teams. Businesses must be PCI DSS compliant, and payment providers ask for proof of compliance. Many online stores let the payment provider handle card data, so card numbers never touch their own servers.
Examples
We use hosted payment pages so that our PCI DSS scope stays small.
The bank asked us to fill in the PCI DSS questionnaire again this year.
Usage note
Said letter by letter: P-C-I D-S-S. People often just say 'PCI compliance'.
An app or service that stores a customer's card or account details securely, so they can pay online or in shops without typing their card number.
Where you use it
Used at checkout and in payment strategy. Stores accept or add digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal; customers pay with a wallet. Also called e-wallet or mobile wallet, and especially popular on mobile.
Examples
Over 40% of our mobile orders are now paid with a digital wallet.
Adding a digital wallet button above the card form made checkout faster.
Common phrases
pay with a digital wallet · accept digital wallets · e-wallet · mobile wallet
Sending orders to customers by a delivery company, and also the fee or service option for doing so, such as standard or express shipping.
Where you use it
One of the most frequent words in online retail. Stores offer, charge for or include shipping; customers compare shipping costs and shipping times. The verb is ship: 'Your order has shipped'.
Examples
Shipping to the islands takes two extra days and costs a bit more.
We offer express shipping for orders placed before 2 p.m.
Usage note
Shipping does not mean sending by ship; it covers trucks, vans and planes too. UK English often says 'delivery' or 'postage' for the same thing.
Common phrases
shipping cost · shipping time · express shipping · standard shipping · shipping options
All the work needed to get an order to the customer after it is placed: storing stock, picking and packing the items and handing the parcel to a carrier.
Where you use it
Used when talking about operations and about outsourcing them. A store handles fulfillment in-house or uses a fulfillment partner or fulfillment center. Marketplaces also run their own fulfillment programs for sellers.
Examples
We moved fulfillment to an outside partner when we reached 300 orders a day.
Fulfillment times get longer every November because of the sales.
Usage note
US spelling is fulfillment, UK spelling is fulfilment. The verb is fulfill (US) / fulfil (UK): 'fulfil an order'.
Common phrases
order fulfillment · fulfillment center · fulfillment partner · in-house fulfillment · fulfillment costs
A unique code a carrier gives to a parcel so that the seller and the customer can follow where it is until delivery.
Where you use it
Appears in shipping confirmation emails and in many customer service chats. Stores send, share or upload the tracking number; customers track an order with it. Also called tracking code or tracking ID.
Examples
Your tracking number will be emailed to you as soon as the parcel leaves our warehouse.
The tracking number hasn't updated for three days, so I've contacted the carrier.
Common phrases
send the tracking number · tracking number update · track an order · tracking link · valid tracking number
A company that picks up parcels from sellers and delivers them to customers, such as a national post service or a private courier company.
Where you use it
Used by operations and customer service teams. Stores choose, negotiate with, compare and switch carriers; customers contact the carrier about a delayed parcel. Shipping carrier and courier are also common.
Examples
We use two carriers: one for big cities and one for rural areas.
The carrier says the parcel was delivered, but the customer hasn't received it.
The day or date range on which a customer can expect an order to arrive, shown before purchase and in shipping messages.
Where you use it
Shown on product pages, at checkout and in tracking emails. Shortened to EDD or ETA. Stores show, calculate or update the estimated delivery date; missing it is a common reason for support tickets.
Examples
Showing an estimated delivery date on the product page improved our conversion rate.
Because of the storm, the estimated delivery date has moved to Friday.
Common phrases
estimated delivery date · show the delivery date · miss the delivery date · delivery window
A way of selling online without holding stock: when a customer orders, the store passes the order to a supplier, who ships the product directly to the customer.
Where you use it
Popular with new sellers because it needs little starting money, but margins are often thin and the seller has little control over quality and delivery times. You start, run or switch away from dropshipping; the supplier is a dropshipper or dropship supplier.
Examples
We started with dropshipping and moved to our own stock once sales were steady.
Long delivery times are the most common complaint in dropshipping.
Common phrases
dropshipping business · dropshipping supplier · start dropshipping · dropship model
Short for third-party logistics: an outside company that stores a seller's stock and picks, packs and ships its orders for a fee.
Where you use it
Used when growing brands outsource fulfillment. You work with, switch or onboard a 3PL, and connect your store to its system. The company itself is also called a 3PL or 3PL provider.
Examples
Our 3PL charges per order, plus a monthly fee for storage.
Moving to a 3PL freed up our team to focus on marketing.
Usage note
Said 'three-P-L'. Do not confuse it with 'third-party seller' (3P), which is a seller on a marketplace.
Common phrases
3PL provider · work with a 3PL · 3PL warehouse · switch 3PLs
The final stage of delivery, from a local hub to the customer's door or pickup point; often the most expensive and difficult part of shipping.
Where you use it
Used in logistics planning and in news about delivery startups, couriers and parcel lockers. Companies improve, speed up or reduce the cost of last-mile delivery. Often just called 'the last mile'.
Examples
Parcel lockers make last-mile delivery cheaper because couriers make one stop instead of twenty.
Most delays happen in last-mile delivery, not in the warehouse.
Common phrases
last-mile delivery · last-mile costs · last-mile carrier · the last mile
The warehouse process of collecting the ordered items from the shelves and packing them into a box with the right label and documents.
Where you use it
Used by warehouse and 3PL teams, and in price lists, where pick and pack is often charged per order or per item. Picking errors lead to wrong items being sent, so teams track pick accuracy.
Examples
Our 3PL charges a pick and pack fee for each order, plus a small fee per extra item.
During the sale, pick and pack took twice as long because of the gift wrapping.
Common phrases
pick and pack fee · pick and pack process · picking errors · pick accuracy
A printed sticker on a parcel showing the sender, the delivery address, a barcode and the tracking number the carrier needs.
Where you use it
Sellers print or create shipping labels from their store panel or the carrier's system. For returns, stores send a return shipping label or a return code. A wrong or unreadable label is a common reason for delays.
Examples
The shipping label was printed with last year's address, so the parcel came back.
We email a prepaid return shipping label to customers who request a return.
A service in which customers order online and pick up their items from a physical store or collection point instead of having them delivered.
Where you use it
Common for retailers that have both an online store and shops. Customers choose click and collect at checkout and get a message when the order is ready. US English often says 'buy online, pick up in store' (BOPIS) or curbside pickup.
Examples
Click and collect orders are ready in two hours at most stores.
Many customers who use click and collect buy something extra in the shop.
Common phrases
click and collect order · offer click and collect · collection point · ready for collection
A customer sending a purchased product back to the seller, for example because it does not fit, is faulty or is not what they expected.
Where you use it
Used both as a noun (a return, the returns team) and as a verb (return an item). Stores accept, process and approve returns, and track the return rate. Fashion has some of the highest return rates in e-commerce.
Examples
We received 40 returns this week, mostly shoes that were too small.
Customers can start a return from the 'My Orders' page.
Common phrases
process a return · return rate · start a return · free returns · return request
Money paid back to a customer, usually to the original payment method, after a return, a cancelled order or a problem with an item.
Where you use it
Used as a noun (issue a refund) and a verb (refund a customer, refund the order). Customers ask for or request a refund; stores issue, process or approve it. A refund can be full or partial.
Examples
Your refund has been processed and should appear on your card within 5–10 days.
We gave her a partial refund because one item in the set was scratched.
Usage note
Stress moves: the noun is REfund, the verb is often reFUND. Return is the product going back; refund is the money going back.
Common phrases
issue a refund · full refund · partial refund · request a refund · process a refund
A store's published rules on how, when and under which conditions customers can send items back, and how they get their money or a replacement.
Where you use it
Shown on a separate page and often linked from product pages and checkout. Stores write, update and extend their return policy, for example during the holidays. Also called returns policy (UK) or return and refund policy.
Examples
Our return policy gives customers 30 days to send items back for free.
Please read the return policy before ordering personalised items.
Usage note
In the EU and Turkey, consumers have a legal right to withdraw from most online purchases within 14 days. In Turkish this is 'cayma hakkı'; in English, 'right of withdrawal' or 'cooling-off period'.
Sending back a product and getting a different size, colour or a new item in its place, instead of receiving the money back.
Where you use it
Used by customers and support teams, especially in fashion and footwear. Customers ask for an exchange; stores offer, process or approve exchanges. It is also a verb: exchange an item for a larger size.
Examples
Would you like a refund or an exchange for the next size up?
Free exchanges keep more revenue in the business than refunds do.
Common phrases
request an exchange · free exchanges · exchange for a different size · process an exchange
The team and the work of helping customers before and after a purchase, by answering questions and solving problems with orders, deliveries and returns.
Where you use it
Customers contact customer service by chat, email or phone. In companies people also say customer support, customer care or CX (customer experience). Teams track response time and the number of tickets.
Examples
Customer service gets twice as many messages in the week after a big sale.
Please contact customer service if the parcel arrives damaged.
Common phrases
contact customer service · customer service team · customer service agent · excellent customer service
A charge some sellers take from a refund when an item is returned, to cover the cost of checking, repacking and putting it back into stock.
Where you use it
Seen in return policies, more often for electronics, large items or opened products. Stores charge or waive a restocking fee, usually a percentage of the price. Whether such a fee is allowed depends on local consumer law.
Examples
Opened electronics are subject to a 15% restocking fee.
We waived the restocking fee because the delivery was late.
Common phrases
charge a restocking fee · waive the restocking fee · subject to a restocking fee
The current stage of an order, such as pending, processing, shipped, delivered, cancelled or returned, shown to the customer and the store team.
Where you use it
Customers check their order status in their account or through a link; support teams check it before answering 'Where is my order?' messages (often shortened to WISMO). Systems update the order status automatically.
Examples
The order status still says 'processing' even though the parcel has left.
Customers get an SMS every time their order status changes.
Common phrases
check the order status · order status page · update the order status · order status email
Describes a product that does not work properly or has a fault from manufacturing, so that it cannot be used as intended.
Where you use it
Used in return reasons, support messages and supplier claims: a defective item, product or unit. Stores replace or refund defective products and often ask for a photo or video. Faulty (UK) and damaged are close words.
Examples
The customer says the charger is defective and stopped working after two days.
We send defective units back to the supplier at the end of each month.
Usage note
Defective means it has a fault; damaged means it was broken, for example during shipping. In Turkish consumer law, defective goods are called 'ayıplı mal'.
Common phrases
defective item · defective product · return a defective item · defective on arrival
Short for stock keeping unit: a unique code a seller gives to each product and each version of it, such as a size or colour, to track stock and orders.
Where you use it
Used daily by sellers, warehouses and analysts. A blue T-shirt in five sizes is one product but five SKUs. People talk about the number of SKUs in a catalog, the best-selling SKUs or SKUs that are out of stock.
Examples
We have around 3,000 SKUs, but 200 of them bring in most of our revenue.
Each colour needs its own SKU, otherwise the warehouse will pick the wrong item.
Usage note
Most people say SKU as one word, 'skew', though some spell it out (S-K-U). Both are understood. 'A SKU' is more common than 'an SKU' because of the 'skew' pronunciation.
Common phrases
SKU number · number of SKUs · best-selling SKU · SKU level · assign a SKU
All the products a business has available to sell, and the records that show how many of each item are in stock and where.
Where you use it
Used by store owners, warehouse staff and finance teams. You manage, track, count and sync inventory across channels. If the inventory in the store does not match the warehouse, you may sell items you no longer have.
Examples
Our inventory syncs every 15 minutes between the website and the marketplaces.
We're holding too much inventory of last season's coats.
Usage note
US English stresses IN-ven-tor-y; UK English often says IN-ven-tree. 'Stock' means the same in most e-commerce contexts.
Not available to buy at the moment because the seller has no units left; the opposite is in stock.
Where you use it
Seen on product pages and heard in daily stand-ups. An item is or goes out of stock; stores show 'Out of stock' labels and offer 'Notify me' buttons. Before a noun it is hyphenated: out-of-stock items.
Examples
The black version went out of stock two hours after the campaign started.
Out-of-stock products should stay visible so the page keeps its ranking.
Common phrases
go out of stock · temporarily out of stock · out-of-stock items · back in stock · in stock
The number of units of a product that a seller currently has available, usually tracked per SKU and per warehouse.
Where you use it
Used by buyers, warehouse teams and store managers. Stock levels are high, low, running low or need topping up. Many stores show low stock messages such as 'Only 3 left' to customers.
Examples
Stock levels for the winter boots are already low, and it's only October.
The marketplace pulls our stock levels from the warehouse system every hour.
An order for a product that is temporarily out of stock, accepted by the store and shipped when new stock arrives.
Where you use it
Used as a noun and a verb: an item is on backorder, or customers can backorder it. Stores allow or disable backorders and must tell customers the expected shipping date clearly.
Examples
This model is on backorder and will ship in about three weeks.
We turned off backorders for sale items to avoid angry customers.
Usage note
A preorder is for a product that has not been released yet; a backorder is for a product that exists but is temporarily sold out.
A large building where a business stores its products and where orders are picked, packed and prepared for shipping.
Where you use it
Used by operations, customer service and finance. Stock arrives at, is stored in and ships from the warehouse; teams talk about warehouse space, staff and cut-off times. Larger e-commerce warehouses are often called fulfillment centers.
Examples
Orders placed before 3 p.m. leave the warehouse the same day.
We're running out of warehouse space before the holiday season.
Common phrases
warehouse staff · warehouse space · ship from the warehouse · warehouse management system
Extra units kept on top of expected demand to avoid running out if sales are higher than forecast or a delivery from a supplier is late.
Where you use it
Used by buyers and inventory planners. Teams set, raise or lower safety stock per SKU, usually higher for best-sellers and products with long supplier lead times. Too much safety stock ties up cash.
Examples
We keep two weeks of safety stock for our best-selling items.
Let's raise safety stock before Black Friday; the supplier needs six weeks.
The stock level at which a new purchase order should be placed, so that new stock arrives before the current stock runs out.
Where you use it
Used by inventory planners and in stock management tools, which can send an alert when an item reaches its reorder point. A simple version is average daily sales multiplied by the supplier's lead time, plus safety stock.
Examples
The reorder point for this SKU is 120 units, and we're at 135.
We set the reorder point too low, and the product sold out before the new stock arrived.
Common phrases
reach the reorder point · set a reorder point · reorder alert · reorder quantity
A measure of how many times a business sells and replaces its stock in a period, usually cost of goods sold divided by average inventory value.
Where you use it
Used by finance, buying and management teams. High inventory turnover means products sell quickly; low turnover can mean overstock or slow sellers. Also called stock turn or inventory turns.
Examples
Our inventory turnover is six, which means we sell through our stock about every two months.
Inventory turnover in home decor is much lower than in cosmetics.
Common phrases
inventory turnover ratio · high inventory turnover · improve inventory turnover · stock turn
Products that have not sold for a long time and are unlikely to sell at their normal price, taking up warehouse space and money.
Where you use it
Used by buyers, finance and warehouse teams. Stores try to clear, sell off, bundle or donate dead stock, and avoid it with better forecasting. Slow-moving stock is the step before it.
Examples
We have almost 2,000 units of dead stock from last year's phone cases.
Bundling dead stock with best-sellers helped us clear the warehouse.
Common phrases
clear dead stock · dead stock items · slow-moving stock · write off stock
A written opinion, often with a star rating, that a buyer posts about a product or seller to share their experience with other shoppers.
Where you use it
Very important for trust and sales. Customers leave, write or post reviews; sellers collect, read, reply to and display them. People usually say just 'reviews': 'The reviews are great'.
Examples
Several customer reviews say the fabric is thinner than in the photos.
We send an email a week after delivery to ask for a customer review.
Usage note
A 'comment' is any short remark; a 'review' is an evaluation of a product. On product pages, 'review' is the usual word.
Common phrases
leave a review · positive review · negative review · reply to a review · collect customer reviews
A score, usually from one to five stars, that customers give a product or seller; the average is shown on listings and product pages.
Where you use it
Shoppers filter and sort by star rating, and sellers watch it closely because it affects clicks and marketplace ranking. People say 'a 4.5-star rating', 'rated 4 stars' or 'a one-star review'.
Examples
Products with a star rating below four rarely appear on the first page.
Our average star rating dropped after the late deliveries in December.
Common phrases
average star rating · five-star rating · a 4.5-star rating · rated 4 stars · one-star review
A label on a review showing that the person who wrote it actually bought the product from that store or marketplace.
Where you use it
Seen next to reviews on marketplaces and large stores. Shoppers trust verified purchase reviews more, and some platforms only let buyers review. People say 'a verified purchase review' or 'marked as verified'.
Examples
Only reviews marked 'Verified Purchase' count towards the product's rating.
Most of the five-star reviews were not verified purchases, which looked suspicious.
Photos, videos, reviews and posts about a product created by customers rather than by the brand, often shown on product pages or social media.
Where you use it
Used by marketing and e-commerce teams. Brands collect, share, moderate and get permission to use user-generated content. Usually shortened to UGC, said letter by letter.
Examples
Adding user-generated content to product pages made the clothes look more real to shoppers.
We always ask customers before we repost their user-generated content.
Common phrases
UGC campaign · collect user-generated content · customer photos · moderate UGC
A score that shows how a marketplace seller performs, based on buyer feedback and things like on-time shipping, cancellations and returns.
Where you use it
Very important for marketplace sellers, because a low seller rating can reduce visibility or lead to account warnings. Sellers protect, improve or lose their rating; buyers check it before ordering. Also called seller score or seller feedback.
Examples
Late shipments in December pulled our seller rating down to 8.9.
Buyers usually choose the seller with the better seller rating, even if the price is slightly higher.
A small logo or icon on a website, such as a secure payment symbol, card logos or a review score, meant to show shoppers that the store is safe.
Where you use it
Used by conversion and design teams, often near the add-to-cart button or at checkout. Stores add, test or remove trust badges. Also called trust seals or trust signals; a trust signal can also be a clear return policy or contact details.
Examples
We tested a trust badge under the payment button, but it made no difference.
New stores often add a trust badge from their payment provider at checkout.
A review that does not describe a real customer's honest experience, for example one written by the seller, paid for, or posted to harm a competitor.
Where you use it
Used by marketplaces, regulators, journalists and sellers. Platforms detect, flag and remove fake reviews, and many countries treat them as misleading advertising. Sellers sometimes report suspected fake reviews on their own products.
Examples
The marketplace removed 200 fake reviews from a competitor's listing.
Shoppers spot fake reviews when they all use the same words and appear on the same day.
A short code a customer types at checkout to get a lower price, a fixed amount off or free shipping.
Where you use it
Used in campaigns, influencer deals and customer service. Stores create, send and limit discount codes; customers apply, enter or redeem them. Also called promo code, coupon code or voucher code (UK).
Examples
The discount code WELCOME10 gives new customers 10% off their first order.
Someone shared our influencer's discount code on a coupon site, so we disabled it.
Common phrases
apply a discount code · enter a discount code · single-use discount code · discount code expires · redeem a code
A delivery option for which the customer pays no shipping fee, often offered only on orders above a certain amount.
Where you use it
One of the strongest selling points in online retail. Stores offer free shipping, set a free shipping threshold, or run free shipping weekends. The cost does not disappear: the seller pays it or builds it into prices.
Examples
We offer free shipping on all orders over 750 lira.
Free shipping brought in more orders, but it also cut our margin on small items.
Common phrases
offer free shipping · free shipping threshold · qualify for free shipping · free shipping on orders over
To encourage a customer to buy a more expensive version of what they are looking at, or to add an upgrade, such as more storage or a longer warranty.
Where you use it
Used by marketers and product teams as a verb (upsell customers to the premium plan) and a noun (an upsell, upselling). Typical places are the product page, cart and post-purchase page. Done badly, it feels pushy.
Examples
We upsell the 256 GB version on the product page with a small price comparison.
Upselling extended warranties added 4% to our electronics revenue.
Usage note
Upsell = a better or bigger version of the same thing; cross-sell = a different, related product.
Common phrases
upsell a customer · upsell offer · post-purchase upsell · upselling and cross-selling
To offer a customer products that go with what they are buying, such as a case with a phone or socks with shoes.
Where you use it
Used as a verb and a noun (a cross-sell, cross-selling). Stores cross-sell with 'Frequently bought together' or 'Complete the look' sections and in follow-up emails. Teams measure how much cross-selling adds to average order value.
Examples
We cross-sell cleaning kits on every coffee machine page.
Cross-selling in the cart works better for us than on the product page.
A short sale, often lasting only hours or a day, with big discounts on selected products and usually limited stock.
Where you use it
Used by marketing and trading teams. Stores run, launch or announce a flash sale, often with a countdown timer and push notifications. Teams must prepare stock, servers and customer service before a flash sale starts.
Examples
The flash sale starts at midnight and ends at 10 a.m.
Our site slowed down in the first minutes of the flash sale.
Common phrases
run a flash sale · 24-hour flash sale · flash sale ends · flash sale prices
Two or more products sold together as one offer, usually at a lower price than buying each of them separately.
Where you use it
Used to raise order value and move slow stock. Stores create, offer and price bundles, such as a skincare set or a 'buy 3, pay 2' deal. Bundle can also be a verb: bundle a charger with the phone.
Examples
The shampoo and conditioner product bundle sells better than either item alone.
Let's create a product bundle for Mother's Day with the candle and the mug.
Common phrases
create a bundle · bundle deal · gift bundle · bundle pricing · bundle products together
A permanent or long-term cut in a product's selling price, usually to clear slow-selling or end-of-season stock.
Where you use it
Common in fashion and retail planning. Teams plan, take or apply markdowns and track their cost to the margin. The verb is mark down: 'We marked the jackets down by 30%'.
Examples
We took a 40% markdown on the summer dresses at the end of August.
Too many markdowns teach customers to wait for the sale.
Usage note
The opposite, markup, is the amount added to cost to set the price. Markdown is also the name of a text formatting language used by developers.
Common phrases
take a markdown · markdown price · end-of-season markdown · mark down prices
The Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, now an international shopping day in late November with big online and in-store discounts.
Where you use it
The busiest period of the year for many online stores, often stretched into a Black Friday week or month and followed by Cyber Monday. Teams plan Black Friday campaigns, stock and staffing months in advance.
Examples
Black Friday brought in 18% of our yearly revenue last year.
All warehouse staff work extra shifts in the week after Black Friday.
Usage note
Write it with capital letters, like other day names: Black Friday, Cyber Monday.
Common phrases
Black Friday sale · Black Friday deals · Black Friday week · Black Friday and Cyber Monday
The percentage of visitors or sessions that end with a purchase; for example, 2 orders from 100 visits is a 2% conversion rate.
Where you use it
The headline number in most e-commerce reports. Conversion rates go up, drop or improve, and teams compare them by device, channel and page. Make clear what you divide by (sessions or users), because tools count differently.
Examples
The conversion rate on mobile is half of what we see on desktop.
After we added free returns, our conversion rate rose from 1.8% to 2.3%.
Usage note
In Turkish decimals use a comma (1,8), in English a point (1.8%).
Common phrases
improve the conversion rate · conversion rate drops · average conversion rate · mobile conversion rate
The average amount a customer spends in one order, found by dividing total revenue by the number of orders in the same period.
Where you use it
Reported together with conversion rate and traffic, since revenue depends on all three. Usually shortened to AOV. Teams try to raise average order value with bundles, free-shipping thresholds and cross-selling.
Examples
Our average order value went up by 12% after we set free shipping at 500 lira.
Customers from email have a higher average order value than those from social media.
Common phrases
increase average order value · average order value (AOV) · low average order value · AOV by channel
The series of steps shoppers go through before buying, such as visiting, viewing a product, adding to cart and checking out, with fewer people at each step.
Where you use it
Used by analysts and product teams to find where customers drop off. You analyse, map or optimize the funnel and look at drop-off between steps. People often just say 'the funnel': top of the funnel, bottom of the funnel.
Examples
The biggest drop in our conversion funnel is between the cart and the payment page.
Let's build a conversion funnel report for mobile and desktop separately.
Common phrases
conversion funnel · drop off in the funnel · funnel analysis · top of the funnel · optimize the funnel
An experiment that shows two versions of a page or element to different groups of visitors at the same time to see which one leads to more sales.
Where you use it
Used by conversion, product and marketing teams. You run, set up or stop an A/B test, and wait until the result is statistically significant. It is also a verb: A/B test the checkout button.
Examples
We ran an A/B test on the product photos: lifestyle images beat white backgrounds.
Don't stop the A/B test after two days; we need more traffic first.
Usage note
Said 'A-B test'; the slash is not pronounced.
Common phrases
run an A/B test · A/B test results · split test · statistically significant
An estimate of the total revenue, or profit, a business can expect from one customer over the whole time they keep buying from it.
Where you use it
Used in growth, marketing and finance discussions. Shortened to CLV or LTV. Teams compare customer lifetime value with the cost of winning a customer (CAC) to decide how much they can spend on marketing.
Examples
Subscribers have a customer lifetime value three times higher than one-time buyers.
We can spend more on ads because our customer lifetime value is high.
Common phrases
customer lifetime value · increase CLV · LTV to CAC ratio · lifetime value
Short for gross merchandise value: the total value of goods sold through a store or marketplace in a period, before fees, discounts and returns are taken off.
Where you use it
Used in marketplace reports, investor news and seller dashboards to describe the size of a business. A marketplace's own revenue, mostly commission, is much smaller than its GMV, and companies define GMV slightly differently.
Examples
The marketplace reported that GMV grew by 35% last year.
Our GMV looks big, but after returns and commission the real revenue is much lower.
Usage note
Do not confuse GMV with revenue: GMV is what customers paid in total; revenue is what the company keeps.
Common phrases
GMV growth · total GMV · GMV per seller · gross merchandise value
A customer who buys from the same store more than once; the share of such customers is a key sign of loyalty and long-term growth.
Where you use it
Used in reports and marketing planning. Teams track the repeat purchase rate and try to turn first-time buyers into repeat customers with good service, emails and loyalty programs. Returning customer is also common.
Examples
Repeat customers made up 40% of our orders last quarter.
A late first delivery makes it much less likely that someone becomes a repeat customer.
Selling products online to customers in other countries, which brings extra work such as customs, international shipping, currencies and local languages.
Where you use it
Used in strategy, logistics and trade discussions. Brands start, grow or invest in cross-border e-commerce, often through international marketplaces first. In Turkey, selling abroad this way is widely called e-ihracat (e-export).
Examples
Cross-border e-commerce now brings in 30% of our orders, mostly from Germany.
Returns are the hardest part of cross-border e-commerce for a small brand.
Usage note
'E-ihracat' only covers exporting; 'cross-border e-commerce' also includes buying from foreign online stores.
A tax charged by a country on goods brought in from abroad, calculated from the product type, its value and sometimes where it was made.
Where you use it
Used in cross-border selling and customer service. Goods are subject to customs duty; someone has to pay it, either the seller in advance or the customer on delivery. People often say 'duties and taxes', because import VAT is usually charged too.
Examples
The customer refused the parcel because she didn't want to pay customs duty.
Customs duties on shoes are higher than on books in most countries.
Usage note
Here 'duty' means a tax, not a responsibility. 'Customs' is always plural in this meaning: customs duty, customs clearance.
Common phrases
pay customs duty · duties and taxes · subject to customs duty · import duty · duty rate
A number from the international Harmonized System that classifies a product for customs and decides which duty rate applies to it.
Where you use it
Needed on customs declarations and shipping documents for international parcels. Sellers find, check and add the HS code for each product. The first six digits are the same worldwide; countries add more digits for their own tariffs.
Examples
The parcel was held at customs because the HS code didn't match the description.
Can you add the HS code for each product to the export spreadsheet?
Usage note
HS stands for Harmonized System. Said letter by letter: H-S code.
Common phrases
HS code · find the HS code · tariff code · classify a product · customs declaration
Adapting a store for a particular country, including language, currency, sizes, units, payment methods, legal texts and cultural details, not only translating the words.
Where you use it
Used when entering new markets. Teams plan, budget and test localization, and often work with native-speaking translators. Developers shorten it to l10n. UK spelling is localisation.
Examples
Good localization for Germany meant changing our sizes, payment options and return texts.
Machine translation alone isn't localization; customers notice the mistakes.
Common phrases
website localization · localization costs · localize a store · translation and localization
The full cost of getting a product to its destination: the product price plus shipping, insurance, customs duty, taxes and other fees.
Where you use it
Used in two ways: importers calculate the landed cost of stock arriving at their warehouse, and cross-border stores show customers a landed cost at checkout so there are no surprise fees on delivery.
Examples
Once we added duties, the landed cost of each bag was 30% higher than the factory price.
We show the landed cost at checkout, so UK customers pay nothing more at the door.
Common phrases
calculate landed cost · landed cost at checkout · total landed cost · duties and taxes
Describes a store or system that shows prices and accepts payments in several currencies, so customers can shop in their own money.
Where you use it
Used in cross-border selling: multi-currency pricing, checkout or support. Teams decide whether to convert prices automatically or set fixed local prices, and how to round them, such as 49.90 euros.
Examples
Multi-currency checkout increased our orders from Switzerland and Sweden.
Our multi-currency prices update once a week, not every day.
The value below which imported goods are free of customs duty or taxes, or go through simpler customs procedures; each country sets its own limit.
Where you use it
Important for cross-border stores that send many low-value parcels. The threshold can be different for duty and for tax, and several countries have lowered or removed it in recent years, so sellers check the current rules for each market.
Examples
Most of our parcels used to fall under the de minimis threshold, but the limit has changed.
Above the de minimis threshold, the customer may have to pay duties on delivery.
Usage note
'De minimis' is Latin for 'about very small things' and is pronounced /deɪ ˈmɪnɪmɪs/.
Common phrases
de minimis threshold · de minimis value · below the threshold · duty-free limit
Short for delivered duty paid: a shipping term under which the seller pays all delivery costs, including import duties and taxes, so the buyer pays nothing on arrival.
Where you use it
An Incoterms rule also used informally in cross-border e-commerce. Stores ship DDP so customers are not surprised by fees at the door. The alternative is DAP (delivered at place), where the buyer pays import charges on delivery.
Examples
We switched to DDP shipping for the UK, and refused parcels dropped sharply.
With DDP, the duties are included in the price the customer sees at checkout.
Usage note
You may still see DDU (delivered duty unpaid) in e-commerce; it was replaced by DAP in Incoterms 2010 but is still used informally.
Common phrases
ship DDP · DDP shipping · DDP vs DAP · duties paid by the seller
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn e-commerce vocabulary
Read real texts from the field every week: marketplace seller help centers, the documentation of your store platform and payment provider, carrier tracking pages and the shipping and return policies of large international shops.
Learn the sentences customers actually see: 'Your order has shipped', 'This item is out of stock', 'Your refund has been processed'. Order and shipping emails are a free source of everyday e-commerce English.
Study terms in pairs and families: in stock and out of stock, upsell and cross-sell, B2B and B2C, return, refund and exchange. Knowing the difference is what makes your English precise.
Switch your store admin panel or seller center to English for a while, so the menu names match the words used in international teams and support tickets.
Practice writing short customer replies in English about delays, returns and missing parcels. Clear, polite service emails are one of the most common writing tasks in online retail.
Frequently asked questions
How can I learn English vocabulary for e-commerce?
Read real texts from the field and notice how the words are used: seller help pages, platform documentation, policy pages and the order emails you receive yourself. Learn each term with the verbs it usually goes with (place an order, process a refund, ship an item) and use new words straight away in product listings and customer replies.
Which e-commerce terms should I learn first?
Start with the words of a single order's journey: product page, add to cart, checkout, payment method, order confirmation, shipping, tracking number, return and refund. Then learn the numbers your team reports, such as conversion rate and average order value. This glossary lists the terms in that order, from the most essential to the more specialized.
What is the difference between shipping, delivery and fulfillment?
Fulfillment is everything that happens after an order is placed until it leaves the warehouse: picking, packing and handing it to a carrier. Shipping is sending the parcel and the cost or service of doing so. Delivery is the moment the parcel reaches the customer. In British English, 'delivery' is also often used where Americans say 'shipping'.
What is the difference between a return, a refund and an exchange?
A return is the customer sending the product back. A refund is the money the store pays back after the return, or after a cancelled order. An exchange means the customer gets a different size, colour or a new item instead of the money. A single case can involve a return and either a refund or an exchange.
Do Turkish e-commerce teams use the English terms or the Turkish ones?
Both. Customer-facing pages use Turkish words such as 'sepet', 'kargo' and 'iade', while teams often say SKU, checkout, fulfillment, dropshipping or conversion in English. Learn both forms so you can follow a Turkish seller panel and an English report or partner email about the same order.
