Glossary of Commonly Used Terms by Amazon and ISTA

Air Pillows: 

Air pillows are inflatable void typically made of LDPE#4 or HDPE#2 plastics. Air pillows shall have dimensions of eight inches by four inches and have a maximum thickness of 1.0 mil.  

ASINs: 

Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASINs) are unique blocks of 10 letters and/or numbers that identify items. You can find the ASIN on the item’s product information page at Amazon.com   

Dunnage: 

Loose materials used to support and protect product in a shipping container. Examples include air pillows or Kraft paper.   

EAN: 

The European Article Number (EAN) is a barcode standard, a 12- or 13-digit product identification  code. Each EAN uniquely identifies the product, manufacturer, and its attributes; typically, the EAN is printed on a product label or packaging as a bar code.  You can obtain EANs from the manufacturer.  

Elongated Packaged-Product: 

A packaged-product where the longest dimension is 36 in (910 mm) or greater and both of the other dimensions are each 20 percent or less of the longest dimension.   

Flat Packaged-Product: 

A packaged-product where the shortest dimension is 8 in (200 mm) or less and the next longest dimension is four (4) or more times larger than the shortest dimension, and the volume is 800 in3 (13,000 cm3) or greater. 

NOTE: If a packaged-product is both Elongated and Flat in accordance with the above definitions, it should be tested as Elongated. 

Fragile Products: 

Fragile items are defined as items that easily break or could leak during the distribution process. This includes any item containing glass, ceramic, porcelain, clay, liquid, semi-liquid and solids that can become liquid at temperatures experienced during the distribution cycle (above 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Also included are electronics that are easily damaged when dropped from 18″ without packaging.   

Hazard Products: 

Hazard products are reusable items used to simulate other packaged products in an over-box test.   

ISBN: 

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique commercial book identifier barcode. Each ISBN code identifies uniquely a book. ISBN have either 10 or 13 digits. All ISBN assigned after 1 Jan 2007 have 13 digits. Typically, the ISBN is printed on the back cover of the book. 

Kraft Paper: 

Kraft paper is paper dunnage used to fill void space and protect products with E-Commerce shipments. 

Less than Truckload (LTL) Palletized Packaged-Product: 

Any packaged-product shipped by Amazon.com to the consumer via an LTL delivery system (including elongated and flat packaged-product) that is individually palletized or skidded.   

Less than Truckload (LTL) Standard Packaged-Product: 

Any packaged-product shipped by Amazon.com to the consumer via an LTL delivery system (including elongated and flat packaged-product) that is not palletized or skidded.   

Liquids: 

Liquids, semi-liquids or solids that can become liquid at temperatures exceeding 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which can leak from a primary vessel with E-Commerce shipments. 

Most Fragile Flat Surface: 

Area of the product that is most prone to damage if dropped on that surface. If multiple damage prone areas exist, choose the most sensitive area. Examples include: caps, handles, spray triggers, areas of thin glass, areas that have only one layer of corrugate between the item and the drop surface.   

Multiple Product Shipment: 

Multiple product shipments are more than one product ordered online that have been consolidated into one shipping container.   

Non-Fragile Products: 

Items that are not considered fragile or liquids.  Tv’s/monitors are also considered non-fragile for the purpose of testing to the Amazon standard.   

Non-Rigid Containers: 

Defined as having one or more of the following characteristics: 

  • the outer package may offer insufficient protection from concentrated low-level impacts or 
  • the design has large unsupported spans of outer packaging material or 
  • the outer package utilizes a stretch- or shrink-wrap design, a thin-flute or light grade corrugated board, a paper wrap or similar lightweight material only, etc. or 
  • the outer package wall is in direct contact with the product   

Over-Boxing: 

Over-boxing is the placement of a shipping container or carton around a single product or multiple products for the intent of shipping them via a single parcel delivery.   

Oversized Packages: 

Defined as any package where either of the following is true: 

  • Weight is greater than 100 pounds (45kg). 
  • Longest dimension is greater than 108” (274 cm). 

Parcel Delivery: 

Any individual packaged-product shipped by Amazon.com to the consumer via a Parcel delivery system such as UPS, FedEx, etc. (including elongated and flat packaged-product). 

SIOC: 

Ships In Own Container (SIOC) is an Amazon general simulation package test for packaged products that are shipped through Amazon’s distribution system to the final customer destinations. The test is for packaged products shipped by vendors to Amaon.com Fulfillment Centers and delivered to final customer destination by parcel or Less Than Truckload (LTL) outbound shipping methods. 

TV/Monitor: 

Any packaged-product which contains a TV or Monitor regardless of packaging type, dimensions or weight.