Last mile — the final leg of a parcel's journey from a local station to the recipient's door; typically the most expensive segment per parcel. Cash on delivery (COD) — payment collected by the courier at the moment of handover, usually in cash. Third-party logistics (3PL) — a carrier that provides delivery as a service to many merchants.
Return to origin (RTO) — the process of sending an undelivered or refused parcel back to the seller. Waybill or tracking number — the identifier under which a parcel's scans and status updates are recorded. Out-of-home delivery — handover at a locker or pickup point instead of the recipient's address.