Bag

Bag Label
(also referred to as a keeper tag)

A piece of thin cardboard with pre-printed or hand-written information to be inserted in the label holder on mail bags to show the destination and contents of the bag.

Brackets of Inclusion

The "brackets of inclusion" in the National Presortation Schematic (NPS) play a key role; they indicate which FSAs can be grouped/bundled and containerized together.

Bundle/Grouping

Grouping is the process of combining mail together by a common element. Groupings can be separated from other groupings by bundling. A "bundle" describes a number of mail items tied together by elastic, string or plastic straps.

If using NDG Presort, bundling is the only option for segregating the groupings.

Bundle Label
(Facing Slip)

A bundle label (also known as a facing slip) must be applied to each bundle that is not a Level 1 Delivery Facility bundle. In other words, a bundle label must be affixed to Level 3 Distribution Centre Facility (DCF) bundles, Level 4 Forward Consolidation Point (FCP) bundles and to Residue bundles. Bundle labels must be securely fastened to the bundles and must indicate the NPS routing information and the Service Option.

Container Label

A piece of thin cardboard containing pre-printed or hand-written information to be inserted in the label holder attached to a container. The label details the contents and the container's destination.

Container

Includes the following:

Delivery Facility (DF - Level 1 of the NPS)

Urban postal stations, letter carrier depots and rural postal facilities. This is the first level of consolidation of the National Presortation Schematic (NPS).

Distribution Centre Facility (DCF - Level 3 of the NPS)

A major postal facility where mail is received, sorted, handled and sent to, or received from, a group of dependent postal facilities. This is the third level of consolidation as per the National Presortation Schematic (NPS).

Facing

Facing the mail is a process whereby all the items are placed with the address facing the same direction.

Flats Tub

A hardsided container used primarily to transport Oversize (O/S) mail.

Foward Consolidation Point (FCP - Level 4 of the NPS)

A major postal facility where mail is received, sorted, handled and sent to, or received from, other major and/or dependant postal facilities. This is the fourth level of consolidation as per the National Presortation Schematic (NPS).

Forward Sortation Area (FSA)

The first three characters (alpha-numeric-alpha) of the postal code which represent a geographic area (e.g. K1A).

Grouping/Bundling

Grouping is the process of combining mail together by a common element. For the NDG Presort Option, items are grouped according to the National Presortation Schematic (NPS). Groupings can be separated from other groupings by bundling.

A "bundle" describes a number of mail items tied together by elastic, string or plastic straps.

If using NDG Presort, bundling is the only option for segregating the groupings.

Keeper Tag

see Bag Label

Labelling

Printing relevant data on a label or facing slip or inserting labels into the label holders of mail bags or hard-sided containers prior to dispatch.

Lettertainer

A hardsided container used primarily to transport Short and Long (S/L) mail.

Local Delivery Unit (LDU)

The last three characters (numeric-alpha-numeric) of the postal code which represent a specific point or set of points of call located within the area identified by the Forward Sortation Area (FSA).

Mail Preparation

Mail Preparation is the process of:

Mail Presortation

Mail Presortation is the process of:

NDG Presort

The NDG Presort Option is the basic mail presortation option for Addressed Admail and Publications Mail. The mail is sequenced by FSA or by postal code, then grouped and containerized according to the National Presortation Schematic (NPS).

National Presortation Schematic (NPS)

The National Presortation Schematic (NPS) is a document containing a set of tables that indicates the sequence in which FSAs can be grouped and containerized, as well as the information that has to be entered on container labels to move mailings across Canada. The NPS is updated on a monthly basis.

National Presortation Schematic (NPS) Levels

The levels of consolidation as per the National Presortation Schematic (NPS) are as follows:

Not all services can access all NPS levels.

National Presortation Schematic (NPS) Routing Information

NPS information that must be included on Level 3, Level 4 and Residue bundle labels as well as on all container labels, according to the appropriate make-up level (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4 and Residue).

NPS Order

NPS order is the sequence in which items are placed as per the NPS.

Office of Deposit

A Canada Post facility where the customer is authorized to deposit mail. In certain areas, Residue bags and hard-sided containers must be labelled for the office responsible for processing the Residue container rather than to the office where mail will be deposited.

Postal Code

A six-character alphanumeric combination (ANA NAN) assigned to one or more postal addresses in a specific delivery area (e.g. M4B 1G5). It is an integral part of every postal address in Canada which is used to identify the various processing/delivery facilities and post offices.

Residue Bundle/Grouping

Bundles that can’t be containerized to Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4 of the NPS must be containerized as Residue.

There is no minimum number of items for the last Residue bundle. The maximum thickness of the bundle cannot exceed 100 mm (4 inches) for Short and Long (S/L) items or 200 mm (8 inches) for Oversize (O/S) items.

The last residue bundle has no minimum fill requirement.

Sequencing

Sequencing consists of sorting the mail in alphanumeric order by FSA or by postal code.

Tie-on Tag

An eyelet tag which must be affixed to a mail bag with string or a plastic cable tie.