Air bills are used for delivery services and include information such as sender and recipient details, shipping information, special handling services, and payment information. They also have a tracking number for parcel progress. Different carriers have slightly different air bill configurations.
When sending a letter or package through the normal delivery schemes offered by a country’s postal service, you simply write the recipient’s and sender’s name and address in the appropriate places on the envelope, attach the postage and drop it in the mailbox or take it to the post office. For other types of delivery services, whether through the country’s postal service or another carrier, an air bill is the set of paperwork that is completed by the sender, both for record keeping and for use as an address label on the package. Paper invoices can be filled in manually or an air bill can be generated online through an account with the carrier.
The air bill for each service, such as the United States Postal Service (USPS), Australia Post, La Poste in France, Federal Express, UPS, and DHL, differs slightly in configuration and depends on the exact service used. There are usually differences to distinguish domestic from international service, as well as the speed of service. For example, economy services and priority services may have a separate airline bill design.
Typical sections of an air bill include a shipper section, a consignee section, shipping information, shipping service requested, packing information, special handling services, a shipping or billing reference, and your payment information. In addition, there is a tracking number on every air bill that you can use to track the progress of your parcel in transit and ascertain delivery information. Sender information includes the sender’s name, address including country, and phone number. Paper invoices with preconfigured account and sender information are available to account holders. Recipient information is similar to sender information: name, address including country, and phone number.
The shipping information on the air bill includes the number of packages, the weight of each package, and the dimensions of the package. The date and total weight can be in this section or elsewhere on the airline bill. Packaging means various choices between that carrier’s proprietary packaging and customer-provided packaging. Special handling may include choices like dry ice, evening home delivery, and Saturday delivery. The sender can also indicate whether the delivery should be signed for or delivered exclusively to the recipient.
Payment information can have several sections. In one section, the sender, the recipient or a third party can be indicated as responsible for the payment. If a third party is responsible, an account number will likely be required. If the sender is responsible, an account number or form of payment, such as cash or check, or a credit card number will be required. The sender’s signature may also be required.
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